Lauren Berger, also known as the Intern Queen, had 15 internships in her four years of college. She came to West Virginia University to speak to students about how to land the perfect internship and network with fellow interns and head executives. WVU Her Campus had the privilege of interviewing Lauren, and we are excited to call her our Campus Celebrity this week!
You obtained 15 internships in your 4 years of college. How did you manage to find time to participate in these? Were they located in your area or all over the country?: “They were all over the country. Some of them were local opportunities in my college town and others were in New York or Los Angeles, and I would just double or triple them up. I found that a lot of internships were unpaid and were only requiring a few hours a week.”
When you created InternQueen, did you expect it to reach and help as many students as it does now?: “I wanted it to, and I think I still want it to help even more students.”
Approximately how many internships do you post a day, and how many students apply for each?: “I would say we post on average 15-20 new opportunities each day. We try to make sure the opportunities we’re posting are the coolest internships we can find in all different cities. So, right now we are concentrating a lot on expanding to more area, more locations, and more industries. As far as how many students apply, it really depends. The smaller companies maybe will have 15 candidates. The bigger companies will have maybe 400 or 500 candidates. It just depends on the position.”
What is the first step that students can take in order to receive an internship?: “The first step is to do your research, pick the companies you want to apply for, make that InternQueen dream list of all of the companies that you see yourself working for, and then go after that and don’t stop until you land an internship.”
Why do you think internships are valuable?: “For me, they were the most priceless experience I could have had in college, and they just teach you so much about the real world and your personal professional goals.”
What advice do you have for WVU students who want to advance their resume but don’t know where to start?”: “I would start by walking into the Career Center and sitting down with the Career Center [counselor]. It’s a free service that you pay for with your tuition, so start there and see what they can help you with .Then go on to cover letter, get some letters of recommendation, and you’ll be set!”
Where do you see your company in 5 years?: “A huge household name, helping every student in every industry, everywhere in the world!”