All Hail: The Intern Queen's Tips for Landing the Perfect Job

Lauren Berger, author of the bestselling book All Work, No Pay, talked to StudentAdvisor about the importance of pursuing internships in college. Lauren, who had 15 internships over her time at the University of Central Florida, recommends that all students pursue internships during their time at college. She gave StudentAdvisor readers some great advice about how to find your first internships. Anything to add? Comment or let us know on Twitter, @StudentAdvisor.

SA: What are some of the most important tips for college students in your book, All Work, No Pay?
LB: The book is filled with pointers on how to find, land, and make the most of your internships. I walk students through the entire process from start to finish. One of my favorite and most valuable parts is the “Intern Queen Dream List” which I include in the book – it’s how I organized my application process!

SA: Are internships for everybody?
LB: I think they can be. I suggest every college student have two to three internships under their belt before they graduate college.

SA: Should students stick to internships that relate to their major, or should they look for more diverse experiences? Why?
LB: In my book, I speak about not restricting yourself to your major. You can do whatever you want to do – it just takes time, focus, and organization.

SA: What are your tips for students who choose to do in-person networking to try to land an internship?
LB: Stay in touch with contacts three TIMES PER YEAR! I scream this during my speeches!

SA: College students tend to have a lot of information on their Twitter and Facebook pages. What do you suggest these students do with Twitter and Facebook while looking for internships?
LB: I suggest that students:

• 1. Keep everything private.
• 2. Have the “everyone knows everyone” mentality.
• 3. Give all content and photos the following test. Ask yourself, could your parents, grandparents and professors see that photo? If not, take it down.

SA: How can students use the Internet and social media to find internships?
LB: Follow your favorite companies on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. You’d be very surprised at the high number of young people landing both jobs and internships off of these networks.

SA: How can college freshmen, or those without work experience, apply for internships? What do you suggest they put on their resumes?
LB: Any previous experiences – internships, part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, group projects or volunteer work.

SA: When you start to interview, what are some good questions to ask that can help you determine if the internship will be a good fit?
LB: My favorite question is, “can you describe a typical day as an intern at your company?”

SA: Many internships out there are unpaid or for academic credit only. What advice do you have for someone about to accept an unpaid internship?
LB: You can do it. Get a part-time job. Unpaid internships should only be approx. 12-15 hours per week. Focus. Make it happen.

SA: And finally, for the students out there who will be starting their first internship this summer: what are the 3 most important things a student can do to set their internship up for success?
LB: The 3 most important things a student can do to set their internship up for success are:

• 1. Walk in every day just like you did on the first: on time, looking sharp.
• 2. Ask questions. Never assume anything.
• 3. Always ask yourself, “how can I make the most out of today?”

Lauren Berger completed 15 internships throughout her 4 years of college. She interned for well-known companies like FOX, NBC, MTV, BWR Public Relations, Warren Cowan and Associates, The Zimmerman Agency, The Daily Buzz, and so many more. Upon her college graduation, she started the website InternQueen.com to help her peers connect with internships and learn how to make the most of them. Berger works with over 1,000 companies worldwide and helps them connect to amazing interns. Berger's site gets over 100,000 visitors per month. The site remains 100% FREE for students worldwide. Berger's 2012 College Speaking Tour launches January 31st at Wake Forest University. Other stops on this year's tour include Ball State, UCONN, and many more. Berger's first book, "All Work, No Pay", was released January 3, 2012. She was recently featured on The Today Show, Fox & Friends, and on Bloomberg.com.

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