By Drew Elovitz, Social Media Associate - Lifestyle/Consumer Division, Attention

You may recall the epic reunion between Barbie and Ken last February – I know I do. I saw the campaign everywhere, from billboards and blogs to Magnolia Bakery, and I was impressed.

At the time I was a graduate student, studying media and popular culture, and looking for a way to translate my interests (and life long Barbie fandom) into a job. With this in mind, I wanted to find out more about this highly visible and exciting campaign. Some Internet sleuthing led me to the blog of an Attention employee who had posted about Barbie and Ken’s roman-tech courtship.  A few email exchanges later, and I found myself in the Attention offices interviewing for an internship.

After interning for a few months while finishing up my thesis, I graduated and transitioned into a full-time role in the consumer and lifestyle division. I currently work with an array of Mattel products in the social sphere – and I think it’s pretty doll-tastic.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it?  Truth be told, most internships do not translate into job offers, but here are some tips I learned from my experience.

• It’s called social networking for a reason! If you’re interested in a company or passionate about a brand, reach out via social channels and make connections. You never know who might be willing to pass your resume along to HR.
• Apply now and start early. Even if you can only commit to a few days a week until school’s out, get your foot in the door before the onslaught of summer internship applications.
• Think small. The projects I worked on at Attention as an intern were much more interesting than my responsibilities as an intern at larger companies. Smaller agencies provide more hands-on opportunities and want to acquire talented employees. Your dedication and hard work won’t go unnoticed.
• Speak up. Let your supervisors know that you are excited to be there! Ask them to lunch, pick their brains, and let people know that you would love to work at the company full time. Worst-case scenario, you’ll make a few friends, get some great references, and expand your network.

So, do you have a knack for social media? Are you a pro tweeter, blogger, or share my passion for Barbie? Attention is always on the look out for great interns for our beauty, media, fashion, business, consumer, and lifestyle practices.  Feel free to reach out via email or apply via our jobs page.

You can contact Drew on twitter — @drewblahblah

Originally posted on Attention’s blog