Gen Z Graduate Lands Internship and Cisco Role Through Unique Networking Method
Ayala Ossowski, a 26-year-old American University graduate, faced challenges securing internships due to a lack of experience. She developed an unconventional networking strategy while employed at a pizza shop in suburban Washington, D.C. By wearing her university baseball cap, she initiated conversations with customers, delivering an elevator pitch about her search for an internship in public relations and marketing. This method ultimately led to her first internship, creating a pathway to subsequent opportunities and her current position as a PR manager at Cisco.
Ayala Ossowski, a Gen Z graduate from American University, encountered significant hurdles in her internship search. Despite applying to over 100 positions, she found herself in an "internship paradox," where experience was required for internships but unobtainable without one.
Ossowski, who was working 20 hours a week at a pizza shop in suburban Washington, D.C., decided to employ an unusual networking strategy. She began wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with her university's logo during her shifts. This simple act served as a conversation starter with customers.
When customers inquired about her university affiliation, Ossowski would deliver a concise elevator pitch. She introduced herself as a public relations and marketing student and informed them that she was actively seeking an internship for the spring semester. While many initial responses were reportedly hesitant, she persisted with her approach.
After approximately one month, her efforts yielded results. An individual recognized her tenacity and offered her an internship, which she describes as appreciating her "tenacity, grit, and willingness to ask for what I so desperately wanted." This initial opportunity provided the necessary experience to secure further internships.
Following a series of internships, Ossowski is now a PR manager on Cisco's communications team. She attributes her current professional success to the foundational experiences gained from her unconventional networking method and subsequent internships.
According to Fortune, Ossowski believes that had she not worn the hat and secured that first internship, her career trajectory would have been vastly different.
