Ed’s excited to announce that starting today, you will be hearing from a whopping six new intern diarists — our biggest cohort yet — who are ready to expose every dirty detail of working in the magazine industry. From networking tips to cupcake-run mishaps, these whippersnappers are sharing it all.
Follow Ed’s Edit, Web, Fashion, Features, Fitness, and Women’s Magazine Interns as they divulge their stories of success (and yes, sometimes humiliation) all summer. Something tells us this will be as informative as it is entertaining. Read on for your first sneak peak!
Keep Your Cool At All Times
“‘You’re in for it today,’ a stranger laughingly commented as I passed him on the sidewalk. And he was right. There I was, trudging along the streets of the city in heels and a dress in a torrential downpour. My umbrella kept my outfit semi-dry, but the humidity defeated my hair, turning it into a frizzy mess— not exactly the look I was going for on the day of my interview with one of the chicest fashion magazines. I made sure to arrive early to ease my anxious nerves. I parked myself at a nearby café and dried myself off and tamed my hair as best as I could (which isn’t saying much). Finally, interview time rolled around, and I did my best to walk into the building’s lobby without shaking. My interviewer came down to meet me and led me to the magazine’s office, where I played it cool while I was actually bursting from excitement on the inside! It was my first interview with a magazine. Over the past five months I’ve sent my resume out to about 30 different publications. This mag was the first to respond—a huge surprise, considering its reputation and my lack of prior internship experience. I was offered an internship on the spot and immediately accepted. While it is a fashion internship and not an editorial one, which I would have preferred, I know an opportunity when I see one!”—Ed’s Fashion Intern
Don’t Give Up After Countless Rejections
“As I type, I’m sitting on my bed with mounds of clothes covering the floor. I’m trying to compress my entire life into one suitcase so I can move 500 miles for my summer internship in New York City. This will, indeed, be my first internship, and I’m so excited!! I’ve already learned a lot. Mostly, it’s that big magazines will keep you waiting. Don’t get discouraged! After sending out 67 applications (resume, cover letter and clips if requested) and a slew of follow-up e-mails, I finally heard back from a few magazines. When I saw the Men’s Magazine in my inbox, though, I almost fell off my library chair! I had found the posting for it here on Ed2010, and I’m so glad my professor had suggested it to me. After a 14-minute Skype interview, the mag offered me a position on the spot! I’ve been dying to start ever since, and as my first day keeps getting closer, I’m getting more and more nervous! Fingers crossed I dress well enough for the fashion world!”—Ed’s Web Intern
Little Gestures Can Get You the Job
“I am originally from Atlanta, Georgia and I absolutely love all things southern (read: this might be a difficult adjustment for me). After a visit to a fitness magazine, I emailed the assistant managing editor and sent a hand written “thank you” card. I didn’t hear back and felt really discouraged, but I finally followed up about two weeks later. She later told me that my second email had made all the difference and showed that I was really serious about landing an internship. So, here I am, a few weeks away from moving to New York for the summer. My internship is only three days a week, so I’m looking for part-time positions to help pay the rent. My main concern is landing a position (preferably as an EA) after my internship, so networking is going to play a huge role in my life this summer. I am excited for this adventure, but don’t know what to expect. Wish me luck!”—Ed’s Fitness Intern
Do Your Research Even After Getting the Internship
“In four days – four long days – I will be an editorial intern at the major national mag that is the reason I got into journalism in the first place. I could ramble about how excited I am for ages, but in short, this is basically my dream internship. I haven’t received many details from the mag, other than that I am to arrive at 9:30 a.m. on my first day. The job description said the position consists mostly of research and writing, though, so it sounds like there could be some substantial work. Of course, I’m up for anything. My past internships have been with newspapers, so I’m excited to see how a monthly magazine works (especially the magazine that has been my favorite for the past 10 years). I still have more than a week to wait, though, and the butterflies are already starting to nest in my stomach. Luckily, I’m all done packing, so I can spend the next four days reading back issues of the magazine.” —Ed’s Edit Intern
Impress Your Editors from Day One
“Summer’s just beginning, and I’m a week away from the start of my big internship in New York. It’s an exciting leap forward after interning at magazines and newspapers in the D.C. area, because I’ll be working at one of the country’s biggest magazines and away from home. A quick introduction: I’m a journalism major from Maryland. The story of how I’ve snagged each of my internships is a very different tale, but the one common thread between them is my persistence and patience. I entered each of my internships a little nervous and clueless. I’ve exited each more confident and ready to tackle what’s next. And a great deal of that confidence is built (believe it or not!) in the first couple weeks when I’m getting oriented to the office. Imagine: you’re on your first day, and your editor is going over your jobs with you. He’s showing you the office, introducing you to so many faces all while going over where to file this, what copier to use, what password to use here, where NOT to put that paper, etc. It’s overwhelming, definitely, but you know in a few weeks’ time those tasks will be second nature. So how do you get to that point without letting your nerves get the best of you? Follow the blog to learn a few tips I’ve learned (and plan to use this year!)” —Ed’s Women’s Mag Intern
But All Is Not Lost if Your First Impression Wasn’t Your Best
“This entry marks the closure of one of the most exciting and overwhelming weeks of my life. I am speaking, of course, of my first week interning for The Mag. Cue the Hallelujahs. I wish my first week hadn’t gotten off to such a rocky start, but at least now I can share my humiliating mishaps with you smarter, savvier Edsters, so you can learn from them. (I know I have already!) After a night of tossing, turning, painting my nails twice, and changing my mind about my outfit more times than I’m willing to admit, I ended up getting almost no sleep. That wound up being a huge problem: I proceeded to oversleep and miss my alarm and was woken up by my well-meaning but clueless mother about ten minutes before I had to catch the train that takes me from my New Jersey hometown to the city. I wound up showing up half an hour late. If you’re wondering if I was scolded, I will say yes, and gently. Tip number two: if you’re working at a magazine, you must be able to handle criticism. Though I wish I’d shown my more exemplary side this week, this is only pushing me to work harder—no way am I going to let the stress scare me away from my dream job!”—Ed’s Features Intern
Already hooked? To learn more about their exploits, be sure to follow Ed’s Intern Diaries.
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