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"As the social media manager for Teen Vogue, a lot of people tell me I have their \"dream job.\" I'm flattered, of course, but honestly, it's my dream job too! Tweeting (and Facebooking, and Instagramming, etc.) for the magazine is awesome, but before I was pulling the strings behind @TeenVogue, I got my start wearing a decidedly smaller pair of heels.\n\nAlthough you might not remember Barbie and Ken's breakup in 2004 (they kept it pretty quiet), you may recall their epic reunion in February of 2011\u2014I certainly do. I was a graduate student in New York, pursuing a degree in media and popular culture, when the cute and creative campaign caught my eye. From billboards to blogs (and even my favorite cupcake place), it seemed like my childhood companion was suddenly everywhere.\n\nLooking for a way to translate my somewhat unconventional degree into a career, I quickly turned to the internet to find out everything I could about Barbie and Ken's highly visible new romance. Some easy searching led me to a blog post about the campaign, posted by a member of Barbie's social media team (of course she has one!). I sent an email to the writer, explaining how much I loved the campaign and inquiring about internship opportunities with her company.\n\nShortly thereafter, I found myself interviewing for a position at the digital agency that managed the many facets of Barbie and Ken's \"roman-tech\" courtship, centered around the aptly URL'ed website BarbieAndKen.com. I started interning in March, and was hired full-time upon graduating that spring. Sounds simple, right? Well, the truth is most internships don't come with guaranteed job offers, but there are certainly things you can do to make yourself top of mind when it comes to hiring. Read on for a few tips I learned from my own first-job experience.\n\nStart early...like, now.\n\n Even if you can only commit to interning a few days a week until school's out, it's much easier to get your foot in the door during the semester (and prior to the onslaught of summer internship applications). Not going to school in the city your dream company is based in? Expressing an interest in a summer internship in December or January not only shows your enthusiasm, but also demonstrates that you're a planner and know how to take initiative\u2014great qualities for an intern and a full-time employee. Bonus: If it's a post-grad internship you're after and you reach out early enough, the company may contact you about entry-level positions that open up while you're finishing school.\n\nDream big, think small.\n\n Although Barbie is a global icon, the digital agency where I worked had less than 50 employees when I started! The projects I worked on there were much more interesting than my responsibilities as an intern at larger companies. In addition to hands-on opportunities, there was also a strong desire to acquire talented employees. With the CEO's office only 20 feet away from my desk, it wasn't difficult for my hard work and dedication to get noticed.\n\nNetwork, network, network!\n\n No matter where you're interning, let your supervisors know that you're excited to be there! Ask them to grab coffee or lunch, pick their brains, and make sure people know that you're interested in any opportunities to work at the company full-time. Worst-case scenario, you'll make a few friends, get some great references, and expand your network in a very real way. Remember: Though your company may not be hiring at the moment, these people are in the industry you're looking to break into and likely have friends trying to fill positions at similar companies.\n\nYou are your own best advocate.\n\n If your manager mentions an open position (and maybe even asks you if you know any good candidates!) or you see a listing on the company's website, throw your hat in the ring. Don't take it personally that you weren't initially approached to apply\u2014people often forget that the most obvious choice is right in front of them. Sometimes all it takes is saying, \"Hey, what about me?\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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