Janelle Grai, originally from Oxford, Michigan, is what most girls on campus would consider a super woman. She balances high positions in student organizations, a double major in Communication Studies and Psychology, career goals and aspirations, and a college social life without missing a beat. Janelle has interned in New York City for O, the Oprah Magazine, and was the Account Executive for the Campus Special. As Executive Director of SHEIMagazine and the President of the Michigan Association of Communication Studies (MACS), Janelle tells HerCampus how she found her career path along with some tips of advice for other career driven girls who want awesome summer internships in the media.
Q1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to discover your major and career path in Communication Studies and Psychology.
I did not know exactly what I wanted to do my first semester; I was still thinking about applying to Ross School of Business, so I took economics and absolutely hated it. By the end of that semester, I knew that I wanted to try out a communications class, so I dove in headfirst my next semester with COMM 102, COMM 101, and COMM 111. It was a decision that I will never regret, because I loved all the classes and knew then that I was definitely getting a COMM degree. Sometime in my sophomore year, I realized that I was going to have a lot of random LSA credits if I did not take up on another major, so I started investigating what went well with Communications. I ran across Psychology, and someone said that the combination of the COMM and Psych was great for students interested in advertising or public relations. When I took my first Psych class, I knew that I was really going to enjoy Psychology.
I am still not positive what my career plans are. I have always wanted to go into PR, but I am very interested in fashion and event marketing as well. My current plans are to move to New York City after graduation and look for a job in entertainment PR, because I am obsessed with film, celebrities, and the entertainment industry.
Q2. You are deeply involved in several student organizations as not only a general member, but also great executive board positions. Give us some more detail about what you do on campus.
I am the President of Michigan Association of Communications Studies (MACS). As President, I oversee a committee of about 15 members. Our biggest responsibility is to plan events where speakers from communications-related fields (advertising, broadcasting, marketing, etc) come and speak to MACS members. These events are great places to learn information about internships and future careers, as well as to network. I have been in MACS since I was a freshman and last year I was on the PR committee. I have loved my time as president because not only has it as allowed me to get to know all the members on board really well, but it also allows me to reach out to other COMM students and to work closely with the faculty and staff of the COMM department.
I am also heavily involved with SHEI Magazine, which is a student run global fashion and pop culture magazine on campus. I have been involved with that for three years, last year I was the PR director, and this year I am Executive Director. That means that I oversee the business side of the magazine, which consists of PR, Marketing, and Finance. This is a huge commitment and comes with major responsibilities, including securing advertisements and sponsorships from local Ann Arbor businesses, event planning and marketing the magazine. I have planned five fashion shows for about 200 people in the past two years. SHEIFest is our biggest event of the semester; not only is it a fashion show, but a launch party for the newest issue as well. Every detail must be planned to a T at this event, including risers, decorations, food, securing entertainment, programs, and gift bags. I am also in charge of ticket sales, VIP seating, and handling the entrance door. I have also planned model calls, fundraisers and restaurant nights.
Lastly, I am the campus rep for Victoria’s Secret PINK. As a brand ambassador for PINK, I hold a lot of events to increase brand recognition. In the past two years, I have planned a PINK fashion show, 2 fashion show viewing parties, and a PINK yoga event. This year, I was also able to participate in focus groups, give feedback about the latest apparel and products, and sample the newest clothes.
Q3. Your involvement on campus is remarkable. What internships have you had and what did you learn from them?
The summer after my sophomore year I worked as an Account Executive for the Campus Special, which is a campus coupon book. This was the first time I worked in sales and it was a lot different than I expected. Although I realized that a job in sales was not the right thing for me, I did learn a lot from the internship. It really helped with my communication skills because I had to talk to about 10-15 business owners and managers a day. I gained confidence as well, because it took a lot of stamina to walk into business after business and talk to the owners. I also learned to be pleasantly persistent, which was the reason I got a lot of my sales. I would push the business owners, but not in a rude or annoying way. I had to be concise and straight to the point, which helped me land sales.
The summer after my junior year, I interned with O, The Oprah Magazine in the fashion closet in New York City. I was originally hired as a general fashion and accessory intern, but within the first month, I was promoted to head accessory intern. This meant that I predominately worked with jewelry (and boy, was there a lot of jewelry). I was responsible for checking it in when it arrived, keeping it organized while it was in the closet, and sending it back when it was not needed anymore. I worked pretty closely with the Accessories Assistant and helped her with everything she needed. I also got to work on a photo shoot, which was a fantastic experience, because we shot both still life images and models.
I learned a lot from this experience. For one, I learned a lot more about fashion than I originally had known which was exciting. I also learned to do everything I was asked with a smile and not complain. Interns sometimes have to perform unglamorous jobs and it’s important to do them with grace and dignity, and eventually someone will notice your hard work ethic.
Q4. How do you balance all of your student organizations on top of your academics, career aspirations, and social life?
I admit that sometimes it can be hard and overwhelming, but I think for the most part I keep things pretty balanced. I have two calendars – one on my computer and an agenda that I carry around everywhere. Keeping organized is key to balancing different jobs and responsibilities. I try to keep as up to date with my emails as possible, because that is where the vast majority of the communication is occurring. I file the emails into the specific folder when finished and can go back through whenever I need something.
And when all that fails, delegate. Having a great committee is essential to being a leader because they will go out of their way to help. I have realized throughout the past two years that it is okay to ask for help.
In regards to my school work, I just try to keep ahead as much as possible. I will do my readings for the next week during the days of the weekend and then I will go out at night. I try not leaving anything to the last minute; I will usually work on papers the week before they are due so I never feel that crunch time pressure. My social life is very important to me, which is why I like getting my homework and studying out of the way so I am able to go out a couple times during the week.
Q5. Any tips on how to score a fabulous internship for any other girls who hope to follow in your footsteps?
Be persistent and follow up. You may feel as if you are bugging people, but these are busy people are sometimes they just forget; it does not mean they are ignoring you or not interested. Network as much as possible and go on as many interviews as you can for the practice. Talk to people everywhere, from someone you met at an airport to your doctor, because you never know what connections they might have. Ask employers that you are interested in for an informational interview and ask them as many questions as possible.
For my internship search, I first used the Career Center resources to look up internships and applied to those. I then looked on ed2010.com, which is great for internships in the magazine industry, and on fashionista.comand freefashioninternships.com, which both give postings for internships in the fashion industry. I also looked up companies I was interested in working for (Hearst, Conde Nast) and applied on their general website.