One of the most important things that I’ve done to help me adjust to this new reality has been to create a routine. As a college student, I have a lot of schoolwork to keep up with; but it’s also important to keep your mind and body sharp. I have been following a lot of great online pilates workouts that help break up my day and I’ve been doing a lot of reading on articles related to my interests and career aspirations as well. I am not the best reader, but when you find a topic that truly interests you or inspires you to better yourself or your life, it makes all the difference. One of my favorite places to stay informed and learn important lessons for young adults entering the workforce is Intern Queen.
Intern Queen is such an incredible resource for college students that aids them during their transition from a student to a young adult who’s well equipped for the workforce. I was first introduced to Lauren Berger and Intern Queen as a freshman, last March. The club that I am in, Fashion Board at USC, was holding our annual fashion week and Lauren was so gracious to come and speak to us, all about her new book, Get it Together, and her journey towards creating Intern Queen. She gave us so many tips on networking, curating resumes and presenting yourself that really resonated with me. I made sure to stay in touch, and after a few months, became aware of Intern Queen’s seven city tour around the country and I knew that I had to attend.
In July, my friend and I drove up to New York City and experienced such an incredible event that Lauren and her team put on. At the event, we were able to hear and interact with successful members of several industries, from journalism to retail, music, and social media. Still following the advice that Lauren offered back in March, I made sure to stay in touch with a few of the panelists that I had spoken with. After a few weeks, I was invited, along with six other young women, to visit the Refinery 29 office in Manhattan and have a more personal conversation about the industry and the steps necessary to get to my dream career. Being able to see what a true, modern company office looked like was everything that I could have imagined and more! The office was so bright and colorful and very open. The office spaces were designed to allow for employees to work very collaboratively and creatively, which I thought was really interesting. The company culture appeared to be very casual, which is different from what you’d expect a traditional company culture to look like so it was very interesting to see how different companies can still be successful even if they aren’t run the same way. In addition to touring the office space, I was able to hear more deeply about the career journey that the Social Media Director took to get to where she is today. My biggest takeaways from her recommendations were not-so-coincidentally the importance of internships and gaining experience in multiple different fields.
Since I was introduced to Lauren and Intern Queen, I have expanded my network, gained invaluable advice and improved my resume and cover letter skills. Even though we may not be able to interact with each other right now, you can still learn all of these same skills by visiting the website, or following their Instagram. Intern Queen is always posting career tips, resume building advice, available ambassador programs and so much more! Intern Queen is not just a platform to help you find your dream internship, but it’s a community where everyone is lifting each other up. This type of community is so important, now more than ever. In times like this that are filled with such uncertainty, it can get very scary. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with emotions, from anxiety to confusion and everything in between. The fear of not having financial security, being able to see your friends or being worried for your loved one’s lives can start working on your head and it’s important to take a break and look at the pockets of positivity. One of the greatest things to come from this tragedy is the strengthening of communities. We are all here to help each other and we will get through this, together. Whether you are looking for guidance on how to handle internship cancellations for this summer, or pockets of opportunity, the Intern Queen community’s got you covered!
About the author: Christine is a second-year student at the University of South Carolina, studying fashion merchandising. She has a strong interest in fashion and travel and runs a blog to express her interests. With the dream of moving to New York City after graduation, she’s written a few words about how Intern Queen has helped give her the tools to succeed in a professional environment.
