Q: I had to do an internship in my last quarter to graduate with a bachelor's degree in advertising. The internship paid nothing, but I got credit as if it were a class. Our administrator seemed nice enough, but she should not have approved the organization. They were supposed to teach me real life experience in advertising.

It was a total waste of time. The woman in charge knew noting about advertising. She coordinated programs where experts come together and lecture to people interested in the topics. I thought it would be like working for TED and be exciting. Instead, she did everything last minute and threw booklets and flyers together that were nothing more than white papers. There was no advertising other than an email to its members. Now I have to find another internship on my own to gain the experience I was supposed to get from this one. The woman at the school was of no help, so how do I find a worthwhile one?

A: Your school administrator should have collected samples of the pieces produced by the organization before approving the internship, and you should have looked at those pieces and learned enough by the end of your bachelor's program to know this was not what you wanted.

Your internship experience did serve as a good lesson in job hunting. Interviewing is a learned skill, and you are not to passively listen to what the interviewer tells you without asking questions. You are to ask for samples of the event collateral produced by the agency or organization. If you don't like the material you see, thank the person for his or her time and find another agency, on your own if necessary, since the school administrator didn't properly do her job. You could then bring the agency and the woman together to get her approval for the internship. This is obviously not a last minute type of project.

All schools' advertising programs are not equal, and range from top-notch to the lowest level possible. By the last year in school, you should have already developed a portfolio of all your school projects, so your internship serves as the life experience introducing you to the workplace at large. Do your research on advertising agencies if that's what you want as a career. Create an online portfolio (there are schools and companies that offer students space, either free or at minimal charges) and list that link on your resume.

Finding a job is hard work, as is finding an internship. If you are willing to accept another free internship without receiving college credit, it should be easier than your last experience. You won't have other classes to worry about completing. You may even find an agency willing to pay minimum wage. If you do, take it only if you like the work product. You may only be allowed to do "grunt" work, but you will learn by seeing how a professional agency works with clients and assignments.

You may need to live with roommates (or your parents) and get a part-time minimum-wage job at night to make ends meet, but you'll be gaining the experience you need for your future. Don't take shortcuts. Thorough research of each company pays off. Write an informative and enticing letter to the creative directors and follow up with a phone call. Be persistent but don't be a pest. You don't want to be labeled obnoxious. Write a list of questions, but interview with an attitude of gratitude. Most of all, don't talk about your "bad" experience. Explain you want to learn more to you can be the best employee the agency has seen. Your goal is to become valuable so you're offered a real job. When that happens, take it and stay at least a year if not more. Surrounding yourself with professionals in a creative environment will give you the real life experience worth far more than your salary.

Email your questions to workplace expert Lindsey Novak at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @TheLindseyNovak and Facebook at Lindsey.Novak.12. To find out more about Lindsey Novak, visit the Creators Syndicate Website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Bill Abbott