A pizza job internship hack landed Ayala Ossowski, 26, her first work experience after more than 100 failed applications, and she is now a PR manager on Cisco‘s communications team.
Ossowski, a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., had been working 20 hours a week at a pizza shop in what she describes as ‘one of the wealthiest, most influential neighbourhoods in the world’ when she devised her plan.
Unable to land an internship without experience, and unable to gain experience without one, she decided to wear her university baseball cap on every shift to signal to customers that she was a student in the job market.
The pizza job internship hack that changed her career
‘I was a first-gen college kid utterly perplexed by the internship paradox,’ Ossowski told Fortune. ‘I needed experience to land an internship, but I couldn’t get experience without one.’
The cap worked as a conversation starter. Customers would spot the American University logo and ask whether she studied there. Ossowski used every inquiry to deliver a rehearsed pitch: ‘Yep, I’m a student there studying public relations and marketing. I’m actually currently looking for an internship for the spring if you know anyone who’s hiring. Enjoy your pizza.’
Many customers reacted with nervous laughter. Ossowski pressed on regardless.
‘I didn’t care because I knew it would work. I knew this would be the only way to get my first foot in the door,’ she recalled.
After roughly a month of puzzled responses, one customer handed her his business card. The hiring manager told her later that he had also watched her handle a difficult customer immediately before she pitched to him, and that her composure was ‘a big reason why’ he offered her the opportunity.
‘I’ve spent many years in the service industry, so I dealt with them with grace, helped solve their problem, and they left happy,’ Ossowski said.
From one internship to Cisco’s communications team
That first placement led to further experience, and Ossowski is now a PR manager at Cisco, according to Yahoo Finance.
‘Those experiences that I had helped me get the job today,’ she said. ‘If I hadn’t worn that hat and if I hadn’t gotten that first internship, I don’t know where I would have ended up.’
Ossowski first shared her story in 2024, when she described the job market as tough. She says it has worsened since, with young people facing an uncertain economy, AI-driven redundancies, and what she calls the worst job market in 37 years.
Her core message remains the same: use personal strengths, keep the elevator pitch brief, and do not let social media distort your sense of progress.
‘If you’re constantly reading negative comment sections or comparing your journey to someone else’s highlight reel, it’s going to affect how you see yourself and your situation,’ she said. ‘The job market can be hard enough without letting the internet talk you out of your own potential.’
Her advice to graduates: ‘Trust yourself, tune out the noise, and keep going.’
