My name is Lauren Czasnojc and I am finishing up my second year at Chapman University double majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Strategic and Corporate Communication. I am currently interning as a Social Media Intern at Fabletics.

I loved this internship because I was able to apply what I learned in the classroom and interact with one of my favorite hobbies: scrolling through social media. I also expanded my skillset and learned how to analyze trends, competitors’ insights, and different levels of engagement. One of my favorite parts of the internship was supporting the launch of the brand’s TikTok. I was able to brainstorm content ideas that aligned with the platform’s trends and highlighted the brand’s focus: inspiring healthy living. The only bummer was I never ran into Kate Hudson!

I heard about this job through a friend, Andy Phounsavat, that interned for a different department at Fabletics. I had asked my friend if he knew the hiring manager for the position I applied for and he contacted her within the next day. If I did not have a connection with someone that worked for the company I don’t believe that I would have been hired for this internship. I also went to the Career Center at Chapman when I started applying to internships to maximize my internship hunt. The people that work in the office have given me some insightful tips on how to update my resume and LinkedIn profile in order to emphasize my strengths.

My advice to anyone looking for an internship or job in this market is to understand the importance and power of connecting and networking with people who are in this work field. Networking has become more than just “connections on LinkedIn” to me but an opportunity to hear about interesting careers in different industries and then picturing myself enjoying doing similar types of work. While networking I have been surprised to discover how willing people are to help you, spend time sharing their experiences, and possibly connecting you with another great resource. The data says that 70-85% of jobs are found via networking and I believe it!