Intern season is right around the corner. As you are trying to gain real world experience during your summer vacation, whether you're in your home town or still on campus, your summer should definitely include an internship or two.

I don't need to tell you guys how it is in the job market; the news does that for you. Every industry is becoming more competitive, and you will rarely be considered even for entry level positions if you don't already have some type of background in what you're doing.

I have done 11 internships and I'm only a sophomore in college. Intern Queen Lauren Berger completed 15 by the time she graduated. Yes, I'm trying to take her crown, and I've told her that. The more background, the better.

Internships don't just give you something to do and don't just give you industry experience. They also teach you how to deal with people. Sure, being in public school all your life can do that also, but being in a real workplace will give you that experience face first.

Here are a few tips on your quest and journey during intern season. Whether you've never had one or if you've had many, I think you can benefit from these tips.

1. Apply early: Even as I'm saying this, if you're starting today, you're a little late in the game. Many companies like to get their interviews out the way, notify people if they got it, and start them right away. If you haven't already, start applying.
2. Apply for many: I have applied and interviewed for so many positions, it's ridiculous. There are so many interviews I just knew I aced, and guess what? I didn't get the position. Apply for as many as you can.
3. Don't let pay get in the way: If you've read my Recessionista Real World post, you may be thinking I'm contradicting myself but that's my particular situation. Most of my internships have been unpaid and have made up for lack of finances with lifelong connections. Many of these positions lead to full time positions in the future.
4. Meet everyone in the company: Whether it's a huge corporation like MTV or a small company with no more than 3 people not including yourself, make sure as many people as possible know your name. Everybody knows somebody that knows somebody.
5. Always be polite: There will be days where everything is going great, then there's that one grouch in the workplace who runs you over. No matter what, always be polite.
6. Don't allow people to take advantage of you: As an intern, a lot of companies (not all, but quite a few) see you as free labor. The New York Times did an article about illegal internships using interns and not giving them anything in return. I've been in this situation as well where the supervisor was using me for personal gain. If you get any kind of red flags, run it by your parents. If you all agree something isn't right, leave.
7. Communication is key: I just ended one of my internships and one of the reasons was because of lack of communication. Never assume your supervisor knows your schedule, even if it's in their Outlook calendar. Constantly remind them if you have other obligations. Treat it as if they are like Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates; they won't remember tomorrow.
8. Punctuality goes a long way: 15 minutes early is on time. Traffic can be atrocious, especially in Los Angeles and New York. If your internship is 30 miles away, leave an hour and a half before you're scheduled to be there. If you're running late, contact your supervisor immediately.
9. Unplug: A lot of companies hate when interns are listening to their iPods, text messaging, instant messaging, on Facebook and Twitter, etc. Unless it's your job (and some positions are; a lot of my internships deal with social media) stray away from social media and your phone. Turn it on vibrate or silent and keep it out of sight.
10. What are you wearing: It's best to start stocking up on summer intern wardrobes right now. Sure, jeans and t-shirts work for some companies with the casual, laid back atmosphere, but if you want to be viewed as a professional, you have to act the part. Look for a future post on intern wear.