How to get the job you want

Tips to get that interview that 10,000 other people also want:

1. COMPLETE INTERNSHIPS IN COLLEGE.

Businesses expect them. Internships have shifted from an extra qualification to a must-have item on the resumes of college graduates. Employers use internships to screen candidates for true interest in their industry. MonsterTrak.com, Monster.com's online job site for young workers, reports that 85 percent of employers surveyed used internships and other opportunities to land entry-level jobs.

They help you, too. Internships are not just good for employers and resume-building. They are critical in helping you chart your path in life. ''You need internships to make certain the specific career specialty you think you want to do is really what you want to do,'' said Dr. Randall Hansen, founder of the Quintessential Careers Web site www.quintcareers.com.

The good news: The number of internships has exploded and the Internet has made it easier to find them. Try these or other sites: www.monstertrak.com, www.internships.com, www.Internshipprograms.com , www.rsinternships.com and www.coolworks.com.

2. RELY ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW – OR KNOW OF.

So you don’t have any well-placed relatives? Then consider well-placed acquaintances.

Consider your college’s alumni: There are 2,400 four-year colleges in the United States, and each one has alumni. Hit up your college’s career center for names.

Go to work with them: Find an alumni in your field and see if you can shadow them for one day at their workplace. You’ll get a taste of your future career. Even if you discover you can't stand a field, your newfound best friend has done you an enormous favor. ''One of the saddest things I deal with are college grads who have little or no work experience and take a job after graduation that they end up hating -- it causes so many types of problems,'' Hansen said.

3. CONSIDER BECOMING A TEMP.

Some fields -- say, publishing, sports marketing, film and television -- are simply closed to outsiders, so you need to make yourself an insider.

Become a temp worker: Find out what temp agency works for the company you are targeting and try to get them to send you there. Then give a daily performance -- as cheerful, hard-working and energetic as you can. Meanwhile, cram up on the company and the industry from the inside.

The benefit to employers: ''Employers love temp agencies because it's not only a way to fill short-term needs, but also a way to test out potential employees without worrying about probationary periods, benefits, or firing them,'' Hansen said.

The benefit to employees: A temporary job is a great way to test out a company. You can check out the corporate culture and see if you really want to work there. But have patience. It might take two or three temporary stints before you secure a longer-term position.

4. USE A VIDEO RESUME OR PORTFOLIO OF YOUR WORK TO GET NOTICED.

These are ways to highlight your creativity to prospective employers.

The video resume:  It’s here to stay. The only question is how soon the medium will grow up. A scroll through YouTube video resumes raises the following questions: Who thinks a recruiter has nine minutes to spare? What job is the Moto-X dirt bike guy actually seeking? Best tips: Keep your video resume brief and focused. And for some fields, like accounting, they might not be appropriate.

A portfolio of work: Gather together samples of your work. But be sure to have someone in the industry screen them first. I have looked over writing samples and had to tell a hapless author never to show them to a potential employer. But at least he didn't lose a job over it.