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"Every year around this time, a new crop of job-hungry graduates and students looking for summer internships is unleashed upon the professional world. But the post-recession options can seem slim, and you could spend weeks (or months) combing through listings before landing an interview.\n\nThat is, unless you get a little creative. Just because a position isn't posted online doesn't mean it doesn't exist! Employers love out-of-the-box thinkers who take initiative, so using your innate savvy to play the game on your own terms can yield awesome results. How do you go about finding that unadvertised gig? We've got some tips.\n\nSniff out opportunity.\n\n This is the fun part! Make a list of companies, agencies, brands, or publications you love and could conceivably see yourself working for. Just like when you were applying for college, pick a few \"safeties\" (i.e. places you've interned at previously or have really strong connections to) and a few highly-competitive reaches among them. Also put any place you already have contacts on that list, no matter how tenuous the link. Even if these people don't have an opportunity available, they might know those who do.\n\nNext, find out who you should talk to at the company. We're fans of the aim-high strategy: Hit up people who would be your boss instead of going to HR. While an HR rep is a great person to speak to about formal opportunities, those who are working closest to a potential position will have a better idea of who (and what) the company needs. Read their bio, and follow them on Twitter to acquaint yourself with what they're up to (the better for talking points later).\n\nNow you need to figure out their email address if it's not public. Most companies follow a specific format, like lastname.firstname@company.com or firstinitiallastname@company.com. The trick is finding someone's (anyone's!) email address, so dig around companies' websites to unlock the format key (even Googling \"[name] email [company]\" should pull up a template), and then apply that to the name of the person you're targeting.\n\nGet your email game on.\n\n Approach these emails like short cover letters\u2014match your tone to the company, be specific about why you're interested, and make sure to explain what you can do for them. If a position isn't advertised, you have to make a good case for why they should open one up for you!\n\nHere's the trick, though: Phrase the email so that you're seeking a connection, not a job. Companies are understaffed more than ever these days and they don't just hand out salaries to people who ask for them. (On that note, if it's a internship you're seeking, it's fine to be a bit more straight-forward!) In either case, the best phrasing is something along the lines of, \"I'd love to grab coffee with you some time and talk about how you got where you are.\" People love to talk about themselves (#realtalk), and this way you're showing genuine interest in the person\u2014not in what they could offer you.\n\nIf you're not in same city, go with, \"Would you have time for a quick phone chat in the coming weeks? I'd love to get your advice about starting a career in [X industry].\" It may seem small, but connecting with someone over the phone instead of just by email means they're that much more likely to keep you in mind as jobs open up.\n\nHitting up someone you've met before? Remind your contact who you are (\"I was your intern last fall and helped [insert accomplishment here]\"), and let them know what you're after. Because you already have a relationship with this person, you can be a bit more direct: \"I'm on the lookout for a summer internship/job opportunity, and I was wondering if there were any positions at the company that might suit my experience.\" In cases like these, always remember to attach your resume! It's a little aggressive, sure, but it shows you're serious.\n\nWait\u2014and then follow up.\n\n After you hit send, you need to relax a little. Cold-emailing is awkward, but the worst someone can do you is say no\u2014and you can brush that off in seconds! Plus, most people are more accessible than they seem. Behind every big-deal professional is a person who, at one point, was just starting out too.\n\nThat said, these people are also busy and have insane-looking inbos. Responding to an email from an unknown is not going to be their first priority, even if they open it right away and are totally wowed by you. Give yourself a week or two and then politely follow up; respond to your original email thread so they can see the first one you sent without being too insistent. You certainly do not want to be a pest! A good way to phrase the follow-up is, \"I wanted to follow up with you about the email I sent last week. I'd still love to meet up and talk about your job. I really hope to work for a company like [X] one day and would appreciate any insight you might have.\"\n\nIf you still don't hear back, it could be worth following up one last time, but just make sure you've allowed enough time (say, a month) to pass. Of course, there are other outcomes too: Your target could pass you off to HR or their assistant. It might seem discouraging, but take the opportunity to meet with whoever you can\u2014never say no to anything that's thrown your way.\n\nMeet! Talk! Enjoy!\n\n Yay, they want to speak with you! Go into the meeting (or phone call) calmly and coolly. Find out about their path and work history, as well as the company and what it's like to work there. Chances are that at some point they'll ask about you and what you want to do (after all, they're curious about you too!). This is when you get to tell them that you're looking for a job or internship. Take a deep breath, tell them that you really admire the company and that, from your chat, it seems like a great place to work. Then: Do they have any job openings that haven't been posted yet? Are there any internship opportunities with the company? Would it be OK to pitch to them?\n\nAgain, the worst thing they can say is no! But since they've already invested their time in you by taking a meeting, they probably won't say no without adding that they'll keep you posted as things arise. And guess what: They also might say yes! And then after the fact? Thank them, of course. Send an email and a snail-mail note, too. Express your gratitude and be specific about why the meeting was so helpful. If a job opportunity doesn't immediately materialize, don't be shy about checking in every once and a while\u2014even if they don't know of an unlisted position at the moment, things can change in an instant, and being top of mind is a very good thing."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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