It’s next to impossible to walk around Drexel’s campus without seeing a student dressed to impress either on their way to an interview or starting their daily commute. What draws people to Drexel is its top-notch co-op program. In this program, students are on co-op for six months at a time and graduate with real working experience. In today’s tough job market, these students’ beefed up resumes really stand out in a crowd.
That’s why we at Her Campus Drexel are highlighting students with awesome co-ops to show potential students what Drexel is about, to inspire current students, and to show the rest of the world how hard-working Drexel students really are.
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Aubrey Nagle is an English major from Yarley, PA. Aubrey’s final Drexel co-op was a job as an editorial intern for Marie Claire magazine. She found her co-op using Ed2010.com, which she says is the “leading website for magazine internships.” Ed2010.com is for “leading magazine journalist hopefuls down the path to finding a job.” It posts a variety of listings — from part-time to full-time, unpaid to paid, and freelance work — and holds many events in New York City for young writers to network.
As an editorial intern with Marie Claire, Aubrey was an assistant to the editorial assistants. If you think being an intern means running around and grabbing coffee for the researchers and writers, you’re completely wrong. Aubrey helped the editorial assistants research upcoming articles and packages, transcribed interviews, wrote in-house newsletters, and did a few administrative tasks. She was also able to pitch ideas to the writers and wrote for Marie Claire online. See her works here: https://aubreynagle.contently.com/
A typical day in Aubrey’s shoes required writing the in-house newsletter for the editors to prepare them for meetings that day. Aubrey’s work varied day-to-day: “I could be working on anything from transcribing an interview with Ariana Grande, to compiling a huge research file on an upcoming cover star, to tracking down the best kegel exercises,” she said. Marie Claire covers a plethora of topics, from things such as career advice (which Aubrey wrote an article about!) to feminist news, women’s health, celebrity interviews, and politics. Aubrey’s day-to-day work really depended on the topics of the upcoming articles.
Aubrey worked for Hearst Magazines, which owns magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, O the Oprah Magazine, and Good Housekeeping, and Marie Claire. Hearst is clearly a printing powerhouse, and Aubrey has nothing but good things to say about her experiences working for Hearst. The thing she loves most about Marie Claire? “Marie Claire specifically allows fashion and beauty tips to sit right next to foreign affairs, career-minded interviews, politics, and more without batting an eyelash. They frankly just ignore the female stereotype that you can’t be in love with lipstick and still know what’s happening (or not happening) in the White House and I love that,” she said.
The favorite part of Aubrey’s co-op was meeting amazing people. Since she worked for such a well-known magazine, Aubrey was able to work with some of the most creative people in the business. When Anne Fulenwider (the editor in chief of Marie Claire)’s executive assistants weren’t available, Aubrey was able to work directly with her. Aubrey also interned with Seventeen Magazine and was able to work with Ann Shoket (yes, the now former editor in chief) who also graduated from Aubrey’s high school!
Aubrey in the Seventeen office
Talking about her experience, Aubrey said, “My co-workers and advisors were incredibly helpful and welcoming, too, and I’ll be forever grateful for their advice.” Working at Hearst Magazines, Aubrey bumped into or was in very close vicinity to many stars, including Cosmo’s Joanne Coles, Nina Garcia, who Aubrey says is “just as glamorous as she is on TV.” She’s also personally met Becky G, Jeanette McCurdy of iCarly, and Amy Odell (editor of Cosmopolitan.com).
Journalism is a tough business to get into, and Aubrey credits her co-op experiences for being able to, as she says, “get her foot firmly in the door.” Interning helps you gain experience as well as interact with top-level employees, and Aubrey’s co-ops allowed her to do just that. She gained editorial experience, made new friends, and created incredibly interesting memories.
Thinking back on her interviews, Aubrey offers a few tips: “Every time I ask someone a question like this, I get the same answers: dress appropriately and do your research. You’d think by now everyone would know those two things, but from what I’ve seen it’s not true.” She said that no matter where you’re interviewing, sandals, tight skirts, and crop tops are not appropriate. She also recommends to do your research and know everything about where you’ve applied and about the people that have worked there. She adds, “But don’t fan-girl – there’s nothing more unprofessional than an intern saying, ‘I just love the idea of being in the Devil Wears Prada all day and meeting celebrities and being fabulous, and that’s why I want to intern here.’ It’s a job, not summer camp. Being able to speak intelligently about your industry goes a long way.”
Aubrey also has good ideas about dressing for co-op. Her go-to work outfit is an A-line skirt, tights, flats, and a sleeveless blouse in the spring/summer or a sweater in the fall/winter. She says that even though it sounds boring, she has that outfit in like, twenty different colors, so she mixes and matches. She often feels formal for an intern in a creative field, but she thinks that’s a good thing. She says, “I’m a big proponent of ‘dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.’ I’ve seen interns wear flip flops, Lily Pulitzer mini-dresses, jeans, too-big suits, and heels you’d wear to the club. Do not be that intern. As an unpaid intern nothing is really ‘affordable’ but I stick with Loft, The Limited, and J. Crew for work clothes.”
After graduating from Drexel this term, Aubrey is looking for an entry-level position in writing and publishing in Philly. Until she finds the perfect fit, she’ll be freelance writing on the side. She says, “I’ve realized I don’t like New York all that much, so Philly isn’t getting rid of me quite yet.” We at Her Campus Drexel wish Aubrey the best of luck after graduation!