How to Network as a Trojan

Succeeding in school and earning exquisite grades in college is extremely important. However, so is earning real industry experience. We are lucky to attend a school that is known for its networking and social connections. One of our nicknames is even “University of Special Connections.” As students at USC, we all need to take advantage of the variety of resources offered to us because no other school in the nation offers the same amazing opportunities that USC does. I like to think that I am taking advantage of all that USC has to offer, but I also realize that there is so much more I could be doing with my connections.

I am currently a sophomore at USC. This past summer I was the only person out of all of my friends from home with a paid internship, let alone an internship at all. Most of my friends worked as waiters and lifeguards. Meanwhile, I was working as a social media manager and paid blogger for a beauty company that is headquartered in my hometown, Seattle, Washington. How did I get this internship you may ask? It just so happened that the employee that was in charge of hiring summer interns attended USC herself. My resume was picked out of the bunch because it said that I am a student at USC.

Fast forward to Fall semester of this year. I am now a public relations and marketing intern for MTV Music Production. How did I find out about this opportunity? Well, as a USC Annenberg student, I receive daily emails that contain information regarding internship opportunities that are related to my major. The internship that I have at MTV was one of the many internships listed on the Annenberg career emails that I received. While I obviously still had to apply for the internship, and send in my resume and cover letter, it was very obvious to me that one of the main reasons that I was able to obtain this position was because of USC. The man that I interviewed with at MTV praised me for being a student at the best journalism and communication school in the country. He shared with me that he had always wanted to attend USC.

I feel extremely lucky to go to a school that cares about my grades and my future career. I am thankful for the opportunities I have already experienced, thanks to USC, and am excited for internships and jobs that I will be able to experience in the future. I know that I will continue to use the resources that USC has provided me with for the rest of my professional life and as a fellow USC student, so should you.