When every internship she applied to needed experience she didn’t have yet, one Gen Z grad took matters into her own hands and used a creative method to land a job.
Gone are the days when you can walk into a job just weeks after throwing your graduation cap into the air. In today’s overcrowded working world, entry-level jobs often require two to three years of experience. Internships were poised to be a solution to this conundrum, but as one American University student soon found out while trying to bag work experience, nowadays it’s hard to even land a role fetching coffee for corporate executives.
“I was a first-gen college kid utterly perplexed by the internship paradox. I needed experience to land an internship, but I couldn’t get experience without one,” Ayala Ossowski, 26, told Fortune.
But after hearing crickets from over 100 applications, she decided to resort to unusual networking methods.
The Gen Zer was already working 20 hours a week at a pizza shop in suburban Washington, D.C., or as she puts it, “one of the wealthiest, most influential neighborhoods in the world.”
Being face-to-face with powerful people while she served them a slice got her thinking: “Why can’t these people give me a job?
“The barrier I realized was that all they saw was the girl who was giving them pizza,” she adds. “I needed to give them a reason to look at me as a potential employee.”
That’s when Ossowski decided she was going to start wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with her university logo on the front to every shift.
“I needed to give myself some sort of credential right off the bat, that tipped off to them that I was studying,” she adds.
It only takes one person to notice you
Just as Ossowski predicted, the baseball cap was a conversation starter.
Instead of making painful small talk while they waited for their pizza order, customers were looking at the hat’s logo and asking: “Oh, American University, do you go there?”
They were probably being polite and didn’t anticipate much of a response, but anytime Ossowski was asked about the hat she’d launch into her elevator pitch.
“Yep, I’m a student there studying public relations and marketing,” she recited her rehearsed lines.
“I’m actually currently looking for an internship for the spring if you know anyone who’s hiring. Enjoy your pizza.”
Anyone looking to copy Ossowski should be warned: You’ll get many strange looks while selling yourself at the cash register of a pizza joint (or a bakery, pet-supplies store, or clothing boutique, for that matter).
“Most of them would just kind of laugh nervously and they didn’t really know what to make of it—because it is a little odd,” she recalled. “But I didn’t care because I knew it would work. I knew this would be the only way to get my first foot in the door.”
Her instincts were on the money. After a month of puzzled expressions, all it took was impressing the right person to conclude her job search.
“Eventually someone took a chance on me because they appreciated my tenacity, grit, and willingness to ask for what I so desperately wanted,” Ossowski added. “I got the job, and my last shift at the shop was the very next week.”
Finally, Ossowski had the experience she needed to rack up more work experience. One internship led to another, and now, a few years on from the fateful moment, she’s a PR manager in Cisco’s communications team.
“Those experiences that I had helped me get the job today,” she beamed. “If I hadn’t worn that hat and if I hadn’t gotten that first internship, I don’t know where I would have ended up.”
Graduates: You never know who’s watching you
Even if you’re not serving D.C.’s elite residents, young job seekers shouldn’t sleep on networking—or at the very least putting in the effort—on their student job.
Not only is it a good use of your time, but it enables prospective employers to see how you operate in a real-life work setting—even if that’s behind a bar or cash register. Ultimately, you never know who’s watching you.
Unbeknownst to her, Ossowski had already impressed her future boss before even asking him for work.
“The customer before the person who ended up granting me my first internship was a very, very difficult customer. Everything was wrong with their order. It was taking too long; their kids were hungry. It was a terrible situation,” she explained.
“I’ve spent many years in the service industry, so I dealt with them with grace, helped solve their problem, and they left happy.”
The hiring manager told the graduate later on during the interview that her handling of the customer was a “big reason why” he gave her his business card.
It’s why Ossowski also recommends keeping your elevator pitch short and sweet: “It tees off to them that you’ll be able to compose yourself well in a high-level meeting and that you won’t be babbling on.”
And if pitching yourself isn’t something you’re comfortable with, no problem.
“I love talking to people and I am really good at pitching myself, so those were the strengths that I used in order to help me. Use your own personal strengths to stand out in any way that you can,” she said.
“The market is so saturated with such incredible talent that it takes some creativity in order to stand out from the crowd.”
Two years on, the market has only gotten harder
When Ossowski first shared her story with Fortune in 2024, the job market was tough. But today, it’s even tougher as young people stare down an uncertain economy, a wave of AI-driven redundancies, and the worst job market we’ve seen in 37 years.
Her core advice hasn’t shifted, but she’s added one thing. “Be intentional about what you’re consuming and how it makes you feel.”
Social media, she warns, has a way of distorting reality for young job seekers.
“If you’re constantly reading negative comment sections or comparing your journey to someone else’s highlight reel, it’s going to affect how you see yourself and your situation… The job market can be hard enough without letting the internet talk you out of your own potential,” Ossowski adds. “Trust yourself, tune out the noise, and keep going.”
A version of this story originally published on March 10, 2024.
Have you used an unusual hack to break into your career? Fortune wants to hear from you. Get in touch: orianna.royle@fortune.com
In the increasingly competitive job market, recent graduates face the daunting challenge of securing employment without the requisite experience, often leading to a frustrating cycle of unfulfilled applications. This was the reality for Ayala Ossowski, a first-generation college student who graduated from American University and found herself in a bind: needing experience to land an internship, but unable to gain experience without one. After submitting over 100 applications with little response, Ossowski decided to take a bold and unconventional approach to job hunting that ultimately changed her career trajectory.
Ossowski was already working part-time at a pizza shop in a wealthy and influential suburb of Washington, D.C., where she frequently encountered powerful individuals. Recognizing the potential of these interactions, she devised a plan to stand out in their eyes. To shift their perception from “the pizza girl” to a capable job candidate, she began wearing a baseball cap featuring her university logo during her shifts. This simple yet strategic move served as a conversation starter, prompting customers to inquire about her studies.
Whenever someone noticed her hat and asked about her university, Ossowski seized the opportunity to deliver her elevator pitch: “I’m a student studying public relations and marketing, and I’m currently looking for an internship for the spring if you know anyone who’s hiring.” While many customers responded with confusion or laughter, Ossowski remained undeterred, believing this was her best chance to break into the job market.
Her persistence paid off after a month of making these pitches. A customer who noticed her tenacity and determination eventually offered her an internship opportunity. This marked a significant turning point in Ossowski’s career, as she secured her first internship and gained the valuable experience she needed to further her professional journey. This initial role led to additional internships, ultimately culminating in her current position as a public relations manager on Cisco’s communications team.
Ossowski’s experience highlights the importance of networking and showcasing one’s abilities, even in seemingly mundane jobs. She emphasizes that young job seekers should not underestimate their current roles, as employers often observe work ethic and professionalism in various settings. In her case, a challenging customer interaction proved pivotal; her adept handling of the situation left a lasting impression on her future employer.
For those who may not feel comfortable promoting themselves, Ossowski encourages leveraging personal strengths to create a unique approach to networking. She acknowledges that the job market is saturated with talented individuals, making it crucial to find creative ways to stand out.
As of 2024, when Ossowski shared her story, the job market had become even more challenging. Economic uncertainty, advancements in AI technology leading to job redundancies, and a competitive landscape created a sense of urgency for job seekers. Despite these hurdles, Ossowski’s fundamental advice remains applicable: young professionals must be intentional about their online consumption and how it affects their self-perception. The pressures of social media can distort reality, leading to unhealthy comparisons that undermine confidence.
In conclusion, Ossowski’s journey serves as an inspiring example of how creativity and determination can overcome the barriers of an unyielding job market. Her story is a reminder that unconventional methods and a proactive attitude can make all the difference in securing the opportunities necessary for career advancement. Ultimately, graduates are encouraged to trust themselves, ignore the noise of negativity, and persist in their job search efforts.
