How To Land A Summer Internship — Sans Freak Out

Here at Refinery29, we pride ourselves on hiring from within. I was an intern here during college and so was Gina, who sits next to me. Vanessa was an intern. Hayden, our news writer, was an intern. Lexi, one of our community and news editors — yep, she was an intern, too. The point is: Landing a job after landing an internship is a dream-come-true situation. And, it happens — perhaps even more often than you'd think. But, first you've got to get your foot in the door.

Teen Vogue is serving up some grade-A career advice. The teen-fashion bible breaks it down with a few must-copy tips. Start with the résumé: It's important to learn to brag about yourself — in professional terms, of course. Put that action word (managed, spearheaded, etc.) at the beginning of a sentence or use a number to grab the reader's attention.

Also, networking works. Of course, it feels strange to go out on a limb and call on a friend-of-a-friend or a friend-of-a-parent's-dentist's-niece, but getting looped in from a personal connection always sets you apart. That said, the best bet is to go for the contact closest to you or a previous boss to get immediate recognition.

Another major tip is to think outside the typical internship box. These days, internships and entry-level positions come in all shapes and sizes LinkedIn descriptions. Reaching out to smaller brands, where there might not be an official internship program, can pay off big time. Pitch yourself as a necessary second set of hands and you can become an integral part of the work flow. Additionally, for some digital jobs, you may not even need to come into the office. Working remotely on projects is a great way to pitch in at companies outside of your hometown. You can contribute to many places at once and maybe you can even do it from the comfort of your own backyard — literally. (Teen Vogue)