It’s that time of the year again when potential interns are looking for positions and the inevitable email lands in my inbox: “I’m interested in VC, can I work at Lux for the summer?” My colleague at Lux @zacktrak recently quipped that there are four ways to break into venture: Entrepreneurism, Journalism, Nepotism and Internship.

You’re on your own with nepotism, but here are some tips on landing an internship:

Every fund is different. Early stage, late stage, growth, seed, incubator, accelerator, tech, healthcare- these are a few of the diverse types of venture funds. Know who you’re reaching out to, how they’re positioned in the industry and where your passion overlaps. A good way to get a better understanding is to look through a firm’s portfolio.

Timing is everything. Ask the question, “At what stage is the current fund at the firm?” Just raised? Fully invested? About to raise? First close? A venture firm will always need extra hands; they tend to run lean and there’s always too much to do between operations, deal sourcing and portfolio assistance, but it’s usually firms with capital or a good chance of closing a fund that you’ll have a better chance of not only winning a summer internship but also of that internship turning into a full-time position.

Interest. You’ve no doubt heard my partner @wolfejosh say, “Passion is the best predictor of success.” Dive a little deeper than “I’m really interested in venture.” Firms are often inundated with requests and you need to stand out. Have an understanding of the industry, current trends, hot companies, backable entrepreneurs, and out-of-the-box thinking. Scour VentureBeat, Dan Primack’s Term Sheet, Xconomy and TechCrunch and more. Our intern position posting usually asks candidates to “Email your resume, one company (outside Lux portfolio) you’d like to be a shareholder in, one technology area you think is underinvested and one clever, out-of-the-box idea.”

Persistence. Industry-speak alludes to “charging through walls” and “sweat equity.” Know that you’ll be knocked back. Know that it’s highly unlikely that your internship will turn into a full-time position. But also know that investors have long memories. They’ll only hire someone with whom they are comfortable and have a positive history. So stay engaged. Venture is a long, winding road with many intersections. Rest assured that if you do a good job, when those intersections arise, the team will remember you and help you out.

Luck. In the end, luck and chance play a huge role. But even if all the stars must align, you need to be in the game for something to happen. I firmly believe that “Luck favors the prepared mind,” so get prepared on all of the above.