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Summer Internships: 6 Best Ways to Get One

Teens hoping to land a great gig this summer will face long odds. But these strategies just might help your child get an internship or job that could lead to an offer after college.

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/career-advice/article/summer-internships-6-best-ways-to-get-one/407464/

Note: The article was fun to write, when I wasn't fine-tuning the revise to meet my editor's queries and worrying about whether I'd dotted every i and crossed every t--then it felt more like work. But I liked hearing how these ambitious kids made themselves stand out in today's fiercely competitive world. They're really savvy and smart.

Still, it's scary that college kids have to work SO HARD now to get a foot in the door. When it was my dream to get into the magazine world, I got a few interviews by writing letters to some of the women at the top of the mastheads--at Redbook, McCall's [which no longer exists], etc.

I also put on a cream-colored suit and beige heels and went in person to drop off resumes at some big places in NYC. I went to Conde Nast, when it was over on Madison Avenue, and figured that even if I couldn't get a job there--which I would have loved--I could take stock of the newsstand in the lobby, the snacks they sold, etc. The lady who ran it was looking at me kind of curiously, but I snagged a little bird's-eye view of life at the queen of all publishing companies [Mademoiselle was in its stable, along with Vogue, Glamour, Bride's etc.]

I started in July after graduation as a "floater" at CBS Magazines, which published Woman's Day. Floated first to Car & Driver in some non-editorial department, but then into the fashion department at WD, which thrilled me at the time. Today, so many people are competing for every slot. And when I was young, there were more assistants at magazines. Computers have increased efficiency but erased jobs. Each entry-level staffer wears a lot more different hats now--secretary, researcher, writer, editor.