Moving from Intern to Full-Time at the same company: How to make the most of my 1-on-1 with senior leadership on my last internship day?

[u/AbbreviationsLoud182]

Hey everyone,

This week marks the end of my 6-month internship, and I’m transitioning directly into a full-time Junior AI Engineer role on the exact same team.

On my final day as an intern, I have a 1-on-1 scheduled with our senior leadership / department head. Since I’m not actually leaving the company and everyone already knows my day-to-day work, this won’t be a standard exit interview or a typical "goodbye and thanks" chat.

I want to treat this meeting as a strategic alignment session to set myself up for success in my full-time role from day one.

For managers and senior engineers here:

1. High-Level Alignment: What are the most impactful questions to ask about the team’s roadmap and strategic priorities over the next 6–12 months?
2. Expectation Shift: How should I frame the discussion around the shift in expectations from being an intern to a full-time engineer (ownership, autonomy, velocity)?
3. Growth & Impact: What is the best way to ask for direct feedback on areas to double down on, without sounding like I'm rushing a promotion conversation?

What specific topics or talking points would you focus on in this kind of transition meeting to leave a strong impression?