'Intern Queen' dishes her secret

Internships can be hard to come by, but for Lauren Berger, they became a career.

Nicknamed the "Intern Queen," by local and national press, Berger completed 15 internships before graduating college.

"The internships on my resume were the only reason I got an interview at my first job," Berger said. "Internships are super important these days."

Starting from scratch upon entering college, Berger began building her resume with internships fueled by a passion for what she wanted.

"At the beginning of my college years I had nothing on my resume that really stood out," Berger said. "It was a matter of passion and really going for what I wanted. When it came time to get a job, all of my internships made me look and feel experienced in many fields and with many different types of companies."

FOX, NBC, MTV and BWR Public Relations are just a few internships on her impressive resume.

Berger attributes her success to her, "Never take no for an answer" philosophy.

"I've learned to always find another way, and I've chosen what I've wanted and then made it happen," Berger said.

With so many internships under her belt, the UCF alumna created Intern Queen Inc. in May 2006, while finishing her Organizational Communications degree.

After relocating to Los Angeles in 2006 post graduation, Berger started working for Creative Artists Agency, a talent and literary agency aimed at enriching entertainment and brand experiences.

While working for CAA, Berger was introduced to Marshall Herskovitz, a major Hollywood producer with credits in The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, Traffic and I Am Sam.

Herskovitz took an interest in Berger's internship experience and asked her to partner with him and his company to create the Quarterlife Internship Program powered by The Intern Queen.

The new site, www.quarterlife.com/intern, offers free internship listings for businesses and grants free access for students looking to gain them.

"When I was looking for an internship, I had no one to help me," Berger said. "I didn't know where to look or who to speak with. Hopefully, students can come to my site and ask me anything they want to know about internships and apply for some of the most popular internships in the country."

Since the launch of the site, quarterlife.com/intern has been featured on E! News, Yahoo TV, Young Money, Money Mix and KTLA Morning News.

With more than 300 internship opportunities available, the site has received more than 500 resumes from students across the U.S.

NASCAR, NBC Universal, Seventeen, Rolling Stone and GQ magazines are just a few internships available for summer that are currently listed on the site.

According to Berger, certain celebrities such as Nicole Ritchie, Ben Stiller, Wes Craven and Ryan Reynolds have used the site to find interns at one time or another, while some are still looking.

Besides promoting her new site to connect interns and employers, Berger has developed an intern-themed clothing line, called Internal EthiKs. She is also a featured blogger on WomenEntrepreneur.com and has received the "Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year" award at the 2007-2008 Stevie Awards in Las Vegas.

With so much success over the course of a few years, Berger has learned a lot and has become a "stronger" individual.

"I've learned to know the difference between friends and business partners," Berger said. "I've learned that you have to know yourself and how you operate to work in a team and hire people to work for you."

Berger has learned to assert herself in the workplace and understands the direction she wants for her growing brand.

"I know that I need people to set expectations so that I can manage mine," Berger said.

Berger's passion for what she does has been influenced by the will to work hard and the advice of a former boss.

"My first boss, Tracy Brennan, showed me that no one will help me succeed," Berger said. "If I want to succeed, it's going to be from working hard and working more and more. She showed me how to run and manage a business."

Berger's advice to young entrepreneurs is, "Go for it while you are young. Start your business while you are in college. You don't need a full-time job to support yourself. Identify what drives you, what gets you excited and then run with it."

Berger will never forget her time at UCF. She is the president of the UCF Los Angeles Alumni.

As for whether or not she likes her nickname and status as the "Intern Queen," Berger said, "I love it."

With her brother, Jonathan Berger, currently attending UCF with several internships under his belt, Berger wonders whether she should induct him into the Intern Hall of Fame.

If he is anything like his her, then Lauren Berger said the answer is a definite yes.