Ed recognized not one, but two superstar Trust Fund winners this summer, who are willing to do whatever it takes to make it in this industry, including taking unpaid internships.
One of our two recent winners is Jaclyn Turner, a senior multiplatform journalism and American Studies double major at the University of Maryland interning at Seventeen. When she’s not hard at work in the Hearst building, you can find her trying to catch a Broadway show or on a bike at SoulCycle, or also hanging with her family and friends (and her dog!), taking photos, or binge-watching Netflix.
Check out what she says about intern life, and make sure to read her advice on how you could be Ed’s next Trust Find winner!
Why did you want to intern at Seventeen? Seventeen was a large part of my life growing up, and I like to think its message to be your best self helped shape who I am today. I could only hope to have that influence on girls today, and I think wanting to work at Seventeen was step one. This opportunity has truly been my dream internship, as cliché as that sounds.
How did your past internships prepare you for this one? I’ve interned with non-profits, global advocacy groups, e-commerce sites, as well as publications, each one giving me a new skill set to work on from social media to writing to event planning. My first magazine internship with Modern Luxury last summer as an editorial intern helped me strengthen my skills in fact checking and research, as well as writing tight copy.
What’s your daily schedule like at your internship? I start off my day with a morning email with a task list of what interns need to do—usually, they are syndications. Then, I spend a lot of time helping editors come up with ideas for listicles and do photo research, as well as pitching ideas of my own or fun news that Seventeen hasn’t covered yet. If the pitches are strong enough, I’ll get to write the post. I’m also tasked with being on the lookout for interesting “real girls” who have a compelling story to tell.
What are your favorite magazines, and why? My two favorite magazines are Glamour and Cosmopolitan because they both do a good job of juxtaposing fashion and entertainment with important features on women’s issues. Glamour creates beautiful fashion spreads and Cosmo has just always been a fun magazine to read.
How did you hear about Ed? I’ve been using Ed2010 since I was a freshman in college. I really don’t remember how I came across it, but it’s been an invaluable tool ever since—especially to know what’s out there in the world of media.
What do you think made your Ed Trust Fund application stand out? I tried to mimic the tone of the Ed voice in my essay—a little sassy, a dash of conversational. It’s important to keep it engaging. I also think starting with an anecdote is a captivating method.
What advice would you give to aspiring interns? In getting the internship: Be persistent. Send a follow up email a short while after. Once you’re there: Always stay positive, accept all projects given to you, and try not to make the same mistake twice!
What are your post-graduate plans? Although my mother would like me to move back home to Atlanta, I want to move to either New York City or the Washington, D.C. area; basically whichever gets me a job first in the magazine or media industry! I would love to start out as an Editorial Assistant and eventually become an Executive Editor. I’m also interested in working in social media.
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