WANTED: Internship Advice!

Dear readers,

The worst part about being a communications major is that you're always taught to be one step ahead. This is great, but now that summer 2011 is over, I already have to think about my plans for summer 2012.

I'm a junior at Ithaca College studying Integrated Marketing Communications and Television/Radio. My permanent residence is in the suburbs of Chicago so for me, college was really about going out of my element and entering new experiences. The summer after my freshman year, I held two internships in Chicago. Last summer, I worked as an Orientation Leader to help transition and manage the incoming student body. Now that I'm about to enter my senior year of college, this is an imperative summer to position myself in an opportunity with relevance to the advertising, public relations, and marketing industries.

My career goal is to become an account manager for an advertising agency, but everything in life is subject to change. I love looking at typography, discussing globalization and global communication processes, and traveling. I know that my experiences at Ithaca College have developed me into a great leader and a positive asset to any communications team.

So, readers, I have a lot of questions to ask: What is your advice on how I should approach agencies in these fields? Is it too early to reach out? What do you look for in a resume and cover letter from students looking for internships? I'm looking to intern in either Chicago, New York City, Boston, or D.C. so I'm keeping my options open. I would appreciate any advice for going about this because it's important to get a well-rounded perspective for any job search!

Cheers,

Rachel Heiss
Ithaca College|Class of 2013
Integrated Marketing Communications
Sales Manager, The Ithacan
Vice President of Campus Affairs, Student Government Association
Student Director, Alumni Association Board of Directors
heiss.rachel@gmail.com, http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top