As we get older, we realize how important these prestigious, often unpaid, jobs are and we try so hard to land the perfect one.
All of a sudden, we have to know what we want to do with our lives, which is a terrifying thought. Whatever happened to the stress-free days of childhood?
This summer, I knew I wanted to be in Los Angeles. I had the apartment all set up with my friend. It was just a matter of securing the golden internship. I tried every internship website out there and applied to so many jobs, but no luck. It was starting to look like I would be living in Malibu with nothing to do. Which wouldn’t be so bad, right? While frolicking at the beach seven days a week was certainly appealing, as a rising senior I felt I needed job experience before I entered the real world.
What is a girl to do? Enter Liz Freedman. This article is a shameless plug for her and the Hubbard Center. She connected me to the Online Alumni Directory and suggested I look up alums living in Los Angeles. It is scary putting yourself out there like that – asking complete strangers for a hand – but Liz helped me craft my emails. Before I knew it, I had DePauw alums wanting to help me out. Soon, I connected with a Kappa Kappa Gamma who graduated 10 years ago and worked for a talent agency in Beverly Hills. Now, here I am, interning for Central Talent Booking, an agency that books guests for broadcasts and live shows, like Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Queen Latifah Show.
It has been such a whirlwind and I would not have been able to have such a great opportunity without the Hubbard Center Services and commitment and loyalty of DePauw alums to giving back. Only at DePauw would a stranger want to offer a student a summer internship with nothing more than a glance at a resume. My DePauw alum employer at Central Talent Booking trusted I was ready for this opportunity because she had the same education and she knew DePauw prepares its students.
Ten years may seem like a long time, but we immediately bonded over typical DePauw things. She wondered if certain professors were still there, asked how my Little 5 was, wanted to know if Delt still had a slip-n-slide and wondered whether the girls' basketball team is still very good (yes, they are). All of this took place over lunch while my co-workers looked at us in awe. One, who went to Ohio State, was surprised that she could name any of her professors 10 years later. She talked about her 10-year reunion and the others were surprised that she even went. To her, DePauw was not just school, it was home.
We are so lucky to go to a school that not only helps us during our four years, but for the many years to come. The alumni connections here are so strong. Take advantage of them! Whether it is an unpaid internship, or a big girl/big boy job, do not be afraid to reach out to DePauw graduates. They want to help us!
While grades are important, “it is not the grades you make, but the hands you shake.” Make those connections while you can!
