“When you graduate, you won’t get a job in Advertising unless you have an internship.” That is a phrase that I remember hearing in my Intro to Advertising and Public Relations class at Marquette University during my Sophomore year with Professor Dr. Jean Grow. That phrase scared the crap out of me. She then went on to say something along the lines of, “Only about 10% of you will work with the world’s largest brands. And you will only make $30,000.” Another sentiment that scared the crap out of me. Her words were so influential that I immediately freaked out and thought to myself- I HAVE to get myself an internship ASAP, or I’m going to FAIL!

Networking is something that I had heard of, but I thought about it in terms of those awkward professional and university events where you wear a name tag and awkwardly walk up to strangers and introduce yourself, hoping that this awkward encounter will turn into an internship or a job. And to be quite honest, for a long time that is the extent of what I thought networking was. It wasn’t until later in my career that I realized that I naturally “networked” myself into my first internship.

I didn’t come from a financially or politically privileged background, but my family is and was rich in love, spirit, and faith in God to do the impossible. Both of my parents never received a college degree. My mother was a single mother and barely graduated from High School. Neither of my parents ever made anything remotely close to $100k, and I came from a lower/working class family. And for a long time, I was ashamed of this fact until I realized that my family’s circumstances were beyond their control. My great grand-parents were Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama slaves. My mother was born in 1949 in Galax, VA, just 5 years before Brown vs. Board of Education was passed. As we all very well know today, in order to receive access to the corporate jobs that help you move out of the lower/working class, you have to have access to education, money, or political power—among other things. My mother, a single mother who lived through and survived Jim Crow south in Galax, VA—was 5 years old when it was determined that “separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional.” Given this ruling, my mother was forced to attend newly integrated schools that had previously been all white, with teachers and school administrators that weren’t happy with the decision. As a result, my mother was ignored by her teachers, and did not receive a proper education. So much so that my mother ended up participating in sit-ins just to receive proper access and treatment. As a result- college was never on the table, or even a thought for her. My mother never had access to money or political power, nor did she have proper access to education- so her circumstances were beyond her control and a direct result of “the system” set up for Black people who were descendants of slaves in the south of America.

Pictured Above: My mother, Alfreda Ann Robinson and here high school peers in the 1960's in the local newspaper, the Galax Gazette. — Pictured Above: My mother, Alfreda Ann Robinson and her high school peers in the 1960's participating in a Sit-In. Article from the local newspaper, the Galax Gazette.

My brother-in-law on the other hand has parents that had very different life experiences than my parents did. (Note: Different doesn’t necessarily mean easier). His parents are not in the lower/working class, and his dad received a bachelor’s degree, AND an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management- one of the most respected MBA programs in the US to date. My brother-in-law and his parents had the dream life that I so aspired to have. To me— they were like the Cosby Family (from The Cosby Show) and The Banks Family (from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) in real life. My brother-in-law grew up in Highland Park, a wealthy North Shore suburb of Chicago. By the time that I was in High School, his parents owned a home in a ritzy gated community overlooking the Chicago River in the heart of downtown Chicago. The gated community is home to athletes and other important figures, and right near the East Bank Club--which they were and are members of. I admired them, and I am so thankful to them for loving me as their own, and for showing me what is possible as a Black professional.

My niece had a birthday party in Chicago shortly after that doom’s day speech that my college professor had given me, and I was determined to find an internship. I mustarded up some courage and went over to my brother in law’s father and said, “Are you looking for an intern, and if so, can I intern for you at your company?” In my eyes, he was one of the most successful people that I personally knew, and it would have been an honor to work for and learn from him at his company! He laughed and said, “I’m not looking for an intern right now. But I’m going golfing on Saturday, and I’ll ask my golf buddies if they are looking for interns.” And sure enough, he delivered. My brother in law’s parents are a part of and connected to the best and the brightest of Chicago’s black elite. He came to me with two internship interview opportunities- one was with Clear Channel Communications at one of the most prominent black radio stations in Chicago- WGCI, working on their marketing and promotions team. The 2nd internship was with Hewitt Associates (Now Aon), interning for Tyronne Stoudemire, The Global Head of Community, Diversity & Inclusion. The 2nd internship was paid, while the radio station internship was unpaid and offered college credit, so I was sold on the paid internship. That internship at Hewitt Associates gave me my first taste of working for a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

I didn’t realize until much later in my career that what I did at my niece’s birthday party was called networking. I was personally connected to someone who was personally connected to someone who had an internship for me. And all I had to do was muster up the courage to ask for the opportunity. But it is important to note that I had to do the rest to land the internship. I had to actually prove myself, and that I was worthy of the internship. Going into my Hewitt Associates and Clear Channel internship interviews during my sophomore year of college, I had already had a few job experiences under my belt (out of necessity to live) that I could speak to, which helped push me over the edge in the interview. My first job ever was a summer job at Cold Stone Creamery at 16 years old. I was fired from my first job after I didn’t show up when they scheduled me during school hours. After being fired from Cold Stone, I worked at TJ Maxx through my senior year of high school, then eventually I landed a coveted mall job at Gap Inc, where I was a Sales Associate through most of my college years. And then finally, I worked at Marquette University’s Office of Student Financial Aid as a student worker all 4 years of college.

At the end of the day, you know someone who knows someone else, and through your connections and links you may be just one connection away from your next big break or dream career opportunity. LinkedIn is a great tool to meet and connect with new people, and a great way to learn about career experiences and opportunities. So follow your spirit (or your gut/intuition as others may refer to it as), have faith in God and in yourself, and put yourself out there! You may just be one connection away from your own dream come true!

You gotta start somewhere: Networking to get my first Internship and Career Role

Setting boundaries at work: Why boundaries are necessary for success