I love music. Not love it, like "Of course I enjoy music. I like ice cream and rainbows too." Uh-uh. I mean, love it. Music is what makes me happy, defines my moods--I live it, drink it, devour it, can't get enough of it. It's my passion. That's why, when I was in college, the only thing that mattered to me was landing a career that would allow me to totally immerse myself in music. The perfect career for me was obvious. I needed to get a job in radio.

When I was in high school and college, the message I heard repeatedly was that if I wanted to get my "break," I'd have to move to a tiny city and work miserable hours playing awful music I didn't like for shockingly bad pay. That belief tends to scare a lot of talented people away. I didn't buy it, however, and neither should you. I found a way in, right here in my hometown of Chicago, at a radio station I liked. That way was an internship.

A radio internship can be like a full-time job, just without a salary. Or business cards. Or a guarantee of a "real" job when the semester's over. But it's a huge "in," an opportunity to interact with working professionals and get noticed. When I locked my internship at Q101, the "alternative" station in Chicago, I made it my goal to treat it like a paid job. I volunteered to work extra events. I created projects for myself. And, sure, there were perks--I got to go to concerts free, meet celebrities, and take home free CDs--but I never lost sight of the fact that I was at the station to work.

Two months before I officially graduated, I segued (radio term, can't help it) from the internship to a legitimate paid job as a programming assistant. Among other things, I sent out playlists (weekly lists of new songs played on the station) to industry trade magazines. I tracked down new music to play on the air. I took weekly phone calls from independent record labels. I started at a poverty-line rate of $5 an hour, but it didn't matter. I was in. I was (and remain) a firm believer that if you like what you do and work hard at it, things like success and money will eventually come. And they did.