Perhaps one of the smartest advantages you can have in preparing for your career is obtaining an internship. Internships allow you to see how the industry you're interested in actually works. You see, in real time, people doing what they get paid good money to do..their job.

Once you've obtained an internship, it's up to you to take full advantage of what you can learn. While many internships provide a syllabus of things you'll do and learn, I recommend going above and beyond the that list to truly gain the most valuable experience as possible. Networking with the full-time employees is pit of gold just waiting to be mined.

First off, check with the company you're working for to see if they offer a mentorship program. A mentorship is a supportive relationship established between two individuals where knowledge, skills, and experience are shared. You would be the mentee, someone seeking guidance in developing specific competencies, self-awareness, and skills in early intervention. The mentor is a person who has expertise in the areas of need identified by the mentee and is able to share their wisdom in a supportive way.

If mentorship is available, take a day or several to shadow your mentor. Sit with him or her during the day and see what they do. Live your life in their shoes for a day. And ask, ask, ask questions! That's why they've agreed to be a mentor...to help you learn.

If mentorship isn't available, take a firm approach in meeting people around the office. Feel free to ask questions. Employees will usually respond politely and informatively to interns who are outgoing and not afraid to ask questions.

Networking in the office is not only a great way to educate yourself during you internship. You'll find once you're into the "working-world", you still have many of these employees in your "contact list". Utilize your contact list to follow up with your successes, ask additional questions, or simply to drop the employee a note of thanks for helping you succeed earlier in life.

In summary, to get a leg up on your peers and competition, follow this quick list to success:

§          Obtain an internship

§          Apply to a mentorship program

§          Ask, ask, ask questions!

§          Develop a contact list

§          Follow up with contacts every few months after the internship

§          Drop a note of ‚‚‚“thanks‚‚‚” for all the help the contact has given you