With internship application deadlines on the horizon, you may be scrambling to assemble materials and preparing for potential interviews. I am in this exact process right now and, considering my lack of finalized summer internship plans, I can’t imagine being a better person than me to give advice on how to secure your dream internship!

1. Authenticity is key.

You want prospective employers to get a feel for your personality. When an application asks for your socials, they mean your authentic social media, such as Tik Tok and VSCO. Also, include your “finsta” from middle school. They are definitely tired of seeing LinkedIn pages and boring professional websites. Let them know who you truly are.

2. Say exactly what the employer wants to hear, even if it is not quite true.

Are you applying to an international company, but can’t speak another language? Don’t even worry. You took that one year of Spanish in high school, and I’m sure some words will come back to you if they ask in an interview. Maybe you are applying for a publishing position when you don’t have a passion for reading. Go to the interview prepared to discuss your favorite book you read this month — they will never know you actually read “The Great Gatsby” in high school.

3. Do not proofread your cover letter.

Busy people like us don’t have time to write a new cover letter with each application. It’s smart to just fill in {insert company name} each time. If you accidentally submit a cover letter with the incorrect company name in the blanks, just know that it can be a great thing, because now the employer will know you have other options, and they will race against the competition to hire you.

4. “Tell me about yourself.”

This is a trick question because no one likes bragging. You must be humble and mysterious in the interview and on your resume. I suggest avoiding discussing experiences that sound extravagant even if they pertain to the position for which you are applying. Stick to talking about broad skills without providing any evidence to back up your claims. This will maintain the mystery and keep the employer curious.

5. Apply as close to the deadline as possible.

You must know that success results from being fashionably late. After all, everyone says they “save the best for last”, so it is only fitting that you apply on the day of the deadline. Just when the employer thinks they won’t be getting more applications, your fantastic submission will come rolling in and they will be absolutely thrilled. Plus, you wouldn’t want to look desperate by applying too early.

6. You do not chase, you attract.

This is the golden rule. You are such an incredible person that you are far more valuable to them than they are to you. It’s common knowledge that legitimate and reputable jobs always hunt down their future employees. They should make it clear that they really want you — even though they don’t know your experience. Ultimately, know your worth and be patient. After all, “success comes to those who wait around”.

The perfect internship will find you.