We’re asking recruiters from around the country their burning questions — about you. Here’s your chance to participate in the conversation and let them know what things are important to you in making your career choices.

Marty Slevin, Director of Talent Management at Waste Management, wants to know how his company can better communicate their sustainability initiatives to college students. Please post your comments and responses!

It’s almost time for summer internships to begin. Do not worry! There is still plenty of time to find a great position at an exciting company. Follow these steps and land the internship you’ve always wanted for this summer!

Create your “Intern Queen Dream List”.

This list should consist of 10 companies that you dream of working at. Think as big as you want to for this list. The second list should be 10 companies that are similar in field/industry to the first list, but they need to be local to you. These companies should be located in your city or town.

When I went to school in Orlando, my first “Intern Queen Dream List” consisted of magazines like US Weekly, Seventeen, etc. My second list contained magazines that were fun and trendy but also close to where I was living.

Keep track of your materials.

Make sure to keep a list that reads “Status”. This is where you document when you send an application, what you send, and when you will follow up. I hate hearing that students don’t follow up. Don’t let your applications fall into a black hole. Follow up with the internship coordinator two weeks after sending your materials to make sure they were properly received. 

Apply to more than one!

I always hear about students applying to only one or two internships. It is internship season and internships are extremely competitive these days. I suggest students apply to at least 10 – 20 internships per semester. For the summer, apply for at least 20 internships. The more competitive the internships, the more you should be applying for.

Do your homework.

Don’t send materials out blindly. Call the company and ask to speak with the internship coordinator. Find out WHO you are sending these materials to and LEARN about the company. You should know each companies mission statement and be familiar with their website, news, and updates. If they’ve been in the press lately, you should know about it.

Lauren Berger is called “The Intern Queen” after completing 15 internships during her 4 years of college. Lauren is the expert on everything internship-related and she actively pursues opportunities to help educate Students, Parents, Professors, and Employers about internships.

Hi!
I am a fresh-out-of-high-school graduate, and will eventually start my own business as a Professional Event Coordinator. I am really dedicated to this — I have a book I have written over a month on my ideas, research, and even drawings of my future office building on both the interior and exterior. I even drew dozens of floral arrangements to scenery. I have done hours and months of research on this industry and I still don’t know where to start. My city isn’t informative in this business at all. Is there a way to get started! I’m dying here.

Mariah

SHARE YOUR SUGGESTIONS WITH MARIAH BY LEAVING A COMMENT.

As a VP-level professional with two-foot dreadlocks and a tendency toward wearing flip flops in the office, I couldn’t pass up the temptation to chime in about Ellen Gordon Reeves’s new book, “Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?”

Fifty years ago, a person would have to be crazy to tell young people entering the job force to be themselves if being true to their style meant flaunting their dyed hair or odd piercing.  However, Reeves’s book couldn’t be timelier.  In addition to providing invaluable information about networking, crafting a winning résumé and creating an elevator pitch—things we try to impress upon young people daily here at YSN—the new book encourages young people to be themselves and seek out opportunities that make sense for them, which is crucial and all too possible in the 21st century and the age of the internet.

One reason this book stood out to me now more than it might have only one month ago is because, a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Anaheim DECA conference for young entrepreneurs and professionals.  Somehow, I was mistaken as a suitable career mentor and was asked to talk to graduating high school seniors about pursuing their dreams.  A young kid, also with dreadlocks, came up to me between sessions and asked me if I thought having dreadlocks would affect his career possibilities.  He was from the South and had obviously been met with some skepticism by potential employers.  With only a couple minutes to chat before the next session, I told the young entrepreneur that, if his dreadlocks meant something to him and were part of who he was, he shouldn’t cut them just to please potential employers.  “If an employer doesn’t like dreadlocks and dreadlocks are an important part of your identity,” I said, “in the long run, they probably aren’t going to like you and, even if they do, you’ll probably resent them and the job from day one.”

The kid seemed gratified to see that someone else was having some success and staying true to their own style, and was even encouraging him to do so.  It was actually a pretty cool moment and one of the better ways for me to be a mentor – staying true to myself in the process.  That’s why Reeves’s new book gets two thumb rings up as far as I am concerned.  A million people can give career advice, as my mentorship status shows, but a book that encourages people to be themselves in their careers is a breath of fresh air and a perfect guide for young people trying to achieve true happiness in their pursuit of success.  It is obviously something that weighs heavily on the mind of creative and unique young superstars and I’m glad this kind of advice is being pushed out through traditional channels.  Cheers, Ellen!

NETWORKING 301:

Contact Management
Once you start meeting a lot of great people, you’re going to need to keep track of them.  Get in the habit of collecting business cards and passing out some of your own.   Make notes on the back so when you get to your computer you can send new contacts a personal email about what you spoke about.  Store the cards in a box or binder, or better yet, scan them into a contact manager or online address book with notes to help you remember the person or conversation details.  Consider getting a cell phone that enables you to email your contacts and you’ll have all the tools you need to network like a pro.

Hosting Events
If you’re a student or still actively involved with your campus, invite the biggest people you want to meet to come speak.  If you’re involved in a professional or community organization you can use that platform the same way.  Invite influential people to visit and participate in worthwhile events. You can always host your own event independently too.  The more creative the hook the better.

Meeting Powerful People
When you start to become a power networker and meet some of the bigger people in business, make sure to adjust your paradigm accordingly.  They are people just like you, however, they command a different level of reverence based upon their experience.  Always be sensitive to their time and any other immediate demands on them, like speaking, appointments or a tight schedule.  Also recognize that their attention spans are going to be a lot tighter, so your conversation hook has to be strong and memorable. You’ve got to dazzle them with your confidence and poise.  Get your personal elevator pitch down tight for these too!  And don’t forget to always show respect to the gatekeepers – their assistants, staff, husbands/wives, or anyone else guarding their time and schedule.

Brand Yourself
When it comes to networking, whether you’re getting your feet wet or getting your groove on, never forget that you’re a brand too. Build it carefully and maintain it with the respect it deserves.  Go to YSN.com today to build your PROJO – “your professional mojo”, an online professional profile that you can be proud to share or have found by anyone of these great people you’re meeting. Take the YSN Assessment if you want to really pack a punch with any introduction or want to know how to position yourself in the most compelling way.

Written by, Jennifer Kushell

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development