Former Sydney Uni student on turning an internship into a dream job in NYC

From Sydney Uni to Forbes 30 under 30, 27-year-old Gregory Constantine is #killingit in New York, leading Smirnoff’s global music strategy and cultural efforts. This dream job opportunity all started out with the help of an internship at Fuzzy Touring in Sydney, which gave him the opportunity to work with some big-name artists like Snoop Dogg, Calvin Harris, Disclosure and Skrillex. Keen to turn your internship into your dream job? It's not as crazy as it sounds. Greg shares the story of how how he did it and offers advice for any students who want to slay in their field.

Make the most of your internship

You’ve probs heard lecturers tell you time and time again to go out there and get an internship if you want to land a job after uni – and Greg couldn't agree more.

“My first internship really set the foundation and experience for where I am today,” he said.

Although one internship isn’t likely to get you miles ahead of everyone else, it’s the effort you put in that makes the difference.

“During my time as an intern, I would continually go above and beyond what was expected of me in order to not only stand out from the rest of the group, but really put myself in a position to learn as much as possible.”

Your outlook is important

When you’re going to job interviews and showing your #skillz in the workplace, it’s not just good grades and experience that will get you far.

“Always enjoy and have fun with what you do and never take things too seriously," Greg says.

“As long as you go into everything you do with a great attitude and have fun doing it, it will reflect in your work and also in the work of those around you,” he says.

Greg notes that instead of stressing about the things that are out of your control or focussing on the negative, being positive will reflect well on you and make you more open to learn and excel.

[quote]Set your sights on goals, continually work towards them and have them in the back of your mind when working through your daily routine.[/quote]

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and make mistakes

If the thing that’s holding you back from speaking up at your internship is a fear of being wrong, this might be impeding your ability to move forward.

“(Mistakes) are a part of the journey you take, both as a person and in your work life, which help shape who you become,” Greg says.

When you’re just starting out in the industry, you’re not expected to know everything. That’s why Greg believes it’s so important to go into your internship every day with an open mind.

“One of the biggest challenges I faced professionally was understanding that you may not always be right. Listening to the roles and opinions of those around you is crucial for growth and success.

“As long as you go into whatever you do both personally and professionally with an open mind, unafraid to ask questions and with a drive to do something great (that is backed by hard work), everything will fall in place.”

What to do once you have your foot in the door

Wondering where to even start? Landing that first internship and proving your potential can be the start of a great journey towards your career goals.

Greg says that when you're first starting out, you can often feel like a small fish in a big pond, particularly as a young uni student. But he believes that being persistent and keeping his dream goal in mind helped to push him in the right direction towards success.

“Set your sights on goals, continually work towards them and have them in the back of your mind when working through your daily routine.”

Image: Supplied