Name: Kara McGrath
Age: 23
Job Title and Description:Web Editor of Seventeen Magazine
College/Major: Hofstra University /Print Journalism Major, Spanish Minor
Website: I guess you could go to my tumblr, but it isn’t cool: Diosmioitskara
Twitter Handle: @diosmioitskara
What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
Kara McGarth: I’m editor of the site, but I mainly focus on fashion and beauty. Most of my days are spent writing blogs and slideshows, which include doing some photo research and the occasional interview. I also help out with the social media, particularly Instagram.
What is the best part of your job?
KM: The most rewarding part is definitely getting emails, Facebook messages, or even Instagram comments from readers saying how much they loved a story or asking for more advice! That’s the main reason I love writing for teens so much—they’re always down to tell you if they loved (or hated) something you wrote.
How did you end up working for Seventeen?
KM: I interned here for a year during my senior year of college. Two months after I graduated, I got an email from my old editor asking if I could start in the assistant editor position the next day!
What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
KM: This sounds corny, but how boring would it have been to know everything about the industry when I started? I love learning all the weird quirks, so I wouldn’t say there’s anything I wish I knew ahead of time. However, probably the most surprising things for me were: 1. How much free stuff editors get send on a daily basis, and 2. How much advertisers really determine the fashion and beauty content of [a] print magazine. Web has a little more leeway with what we include, which is one of the big reasons I enjoy it so much!
Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
KM: My first editor, Kelli Acciardo, is definitely my mentor. She’s awesome at what she does, but also taught me to remember that ultimately you’re just writing about lipstick. It’s totally important because it makes girls happy, but definitely nothing to EVER lose sleep about.
Is there a quote you live by?
KM: I don’t really have a mantra or anything, [but] I do have the Eleanor Roosevelt “Do one thing a day that scares you” quote tattooed on my ribs!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do you have a dream job?
KM: Oh jeeze. I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. I’ll definitely have a cat, though.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
KM: Come to New York ASAP!!! It sucks, but it’s really, really hard to get a job here if you haven’t interned a bunch in college. And if you do go to school in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, or anywhere close, don’t move home after college. Stay in the city and get a waitressing or bartending job and freelance because you never know when someone might ask you to start tomorrow.
If you can’t afford to live in the city for the summer one semester in college, reach out to your favorite online publications and see if they accept freelance writers. Smaller sites especially will almost always say yes as long as you have awesome ideas!