THE INTERN DIARIES: Drop Some Names

A very long time ago, Spexy Lady's precious daddy gave her some timeless advice...it's who you know that counts. So true.

In this Buyer's Market, new grads -- and just-about-to-be grads should shamelessly...yes, shamelessly, work every connection they have to score interviews. Parents, aunts, uncles, former employers from your high school days, parents of your friends, that helpful salesperson at the department store, your doctor. One name leads to another, leads to another.

The trick is to use the name of the referring person when you make that very friendly, professional phone call, i.e. Here's how it might go...

"Hi I'm Susie Intern Wannebe. Wanda Well Connected referred me to Betty Big Wig to set up an appointment with her to discuss job opportunities at Dream Job Company." The name dropping often results in at least getting an audience with her highness Betty Big Wig, and once the interview is granted, the key is to get another name from Betty Big Wig to use as a referral for the next call, and so on.

Spexy Lady often had no positions available for these fresh-faced grads, but her name after several years in the biz, did carry some weight in certain circles. Every interviewee who visited always received at least 2 or 3 names...and was expected to write those names and numbers down on the back of my business card before getting up and walking out my door.

Spexy Lady's network started with zilch..zero..nadda when she hit the Big D, so she let her fingers do the walking through The Yellow Pages. It worked, but it was an arduous process. Every interview led to another and then another...and the rest is history!

Now go out there and make some spex-tacular connections...oh and by the way...you don't have to be an intern to benefit from these words of wisdom!

Wishing you spex-tacular success in your job searches!