How my twin brother got an internship this past summer

This is my twin brother Max.

He landed his first internship this past summer with Eric Siu (CEO of Single Grain, a digital marketing agency).

How?

By using one of my favorite opportunity-creating strategies called “The Public Pitch.”

Instead of sliding into someone's DMs or sending a cold email that ends up buried, you make your pitch a public social media post. You write out what you want and why you'd be great for it, and you tag the person or company directly. Out in the open, for the internet to see.

Why it works

A cold email is easy to ignore. A public post, with the person tagged in front of their own audience, is a lot harder. Other people are watching, and that creates a gentle pressure to respond.

The audience is the advantage. When you pitch someone publicly, their followers see it too. Ask a couple of friends to drop a vouch in the comments and tag the person, and now you've got social proof working for you.

Sometimes the person you tagged stays quiet, and a few other companies message you instead, thinking "wait, we want this person."

Effort is universally respected. One bold public post shows that you take initiative and you'll do what others won't.

How to do it well

Use the A.W.A.R.E. Framework:

1- Ask

State clearly what you want. Don't bury the lede.

"I want to work with [person/company] and here's why you should give me a shot."

2- Who you are

Who are you and why should they care? Keep it to two or three sentences. Your name, what you do, and one or two credibility points that are relevant to the role you're pitching for.

3- Achievements

Show, don't tell. Instead of listing skills, link to proof. A portfolio, a project, a result. For example, anyone can say they're a great marketer. Show them a campaign you ran and what happened.

4- Reason you want to work with them

Show you've done your homework. Reference something specific about their work, their mission, or their content that resonates with you. Your target should be able to tell this post couldn't have been written about anyone else.

5- Extra (Permissionless) Work

Do the work up front. Attach a pitch deck, content samples, or strategy breakdown. Show that you both want the opportunity AND that you can crush it.

If there's someone you'd love to work with, this is the boldest way to get on their radar.

The public pitch is one of four ways to create opportunities that I break down in Work With The Best. The book comes with scripts, examples, and templates.

Grab your copy here.

Give it a shot. Worst case, you get better at asking.

-Jay