Campus Celebrity: Anna Davies

This week’s campus celebrity is Anna Davies, Barnard alumna and writer at Cosmopolitan Magazine. She graciously answered our questions about her time at Barnard, and her experience in the field of writing. For those of you collegiettes™ interested in writing and publishing, keep reading! Anna gives some excellent advice.

What did you study at Barnard?
English with a creative writing concentration. I graduated in May, 2005. 

How did you know you wanted to work for magazines?
I knew I wanted to be a writer. I’m not sure when I knew I wanted to work for magazines. My parents think it was always in the back of my mind—I always had a ton of magazine subscriptions. But at Barnard I had a ton of different internships. My first was being an assistant to the two feminist authors Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner. About a year later, Jen mentioned her sister, who was an editor at Seventeen, was looking for interns so I interned there for a summer, and I was hooked. I love that magazines drive cultural conversations, and I love how magazines are so experiential. And I love the fact that I’m working on something different every month. Working at a magazine has taught me so much; I love that I’ve been able to talk to scientists at the forefront of research, psychologists who’ve blazed paths when it comes to figuring out how we work in relationships, and celebrities.

What exactly is your position at Cosmopolitan Magazine?
I’m an associate editor. I split my time between writing and editing, and work in the features department, covering relationships, psychology, and sex. 

What has been your most memorable experience so far regarding your job?
I remember one time, early in my career and at a different mag than Cosmo, I ended up being the only person on staff who could attend a photo shoot for one of my stories. Ordinarily, you have a few people from the art department there as well. But it was just me, and the shots weren’t working and the talent was getting antsy and testy. I kept calling my editor, the photo editor, everyone, but no one was answering. Finally, I was able to talk the subject down and we ended up finishing the shot list, and I think the story came out really well. But I remember the barista at the coffee bar right outside the studio was trying to comfort me as I was running in and out, more and more frantic. I think he was the one that talked me down. But then when it’s so stressful and then everything comes together and works, well, that’s what you’re always waiting for.

What are some challenges you face regularly?
I think I came into magazines at a time when so much was changing in the media field. I graduated in 2005, and it took me six months to find my first job, at Family Circle magazine. I moved to Redbook magazine in 2007, and then in 2008, the economy crashed. A lot of friends and colleagues were laid off, and I realized how important it is to never take anything for granted, and to always be thinking big picture. I think you’ve got to be flexible, because the people who can only do one thing (like, people who only want to work in magazines and wouldn’t consider jobs online or in social media) are the ones who are going to be left behind.

What lessons or experiences did you have at Barnard that have helped you in your career?
So much! I think I learned tenacity at Barnard, and I think Barnard also teaches you grittiness. When you come to New York City at eighteen or nineteen, you learn how to speak up, how to navigate the subway system, and how to go after what you want. I loved the fact that I was able to do a bunch of internships at Barnard, and I also love the alumnae network. I definitely hit up alums when I was looking for jobs, and I think that definitely helped me in my career. 

What advice would you give to Barnard students looking for a career in writing such as yours?
Just to go for it! When I was in college, I tried writing a novel. Every single agent in New York rejected it, but the first three chapters of the novel were what I used as a sample that scored me a major ghostwriting gig (pseudonymously taking over an already-established-series-turned-television-show about the scandalous lives of Upper East Side teens). I think establishing clear goals and pushing towards them is key. So many people say they want to write a book or an article, but then they try and give up. You’ve just got to push past the point where you want to give up.
The second piece of advice is to really be interested in the field you’re going into. A lot of my assignments and jobs have come from networking, but I think a lot of people don’t really know what “networking” is—it’s a word with a bad rep. Networking is finding role models and establishing connections BEYOND what they can do for you. So many people ask for advice without giving anything. But when you’re authentic and tell an idol you’re asking for their advice because of specific things she did or worked on that you found inspiring, well, now she wants to help you because you’re establishing that you admire her, specifically. So to keep up with networking, don’t just e-mail a former internship supervisor when you want a favor. E-mail her if you read something cool she recently wrote, or forward her an article she might be interested in, either for her work life or her personal life. That’s the best way to establish that networking connection.