You’ve probably figured out by now that landing your dream editorial or magazine job isn’t exactly as easy as Jenna Rink’s magical “13 Going on 30” transformation from her 13th birthday wishing dust moment to 30-year-old life as an editor at Poise Magazine. But making your career dreams a reality is certainly *not* impossible. No matter your experience level or year in school, here are some must-know tips you’ll want to have in your arsenal during your pursuit for an internship or job.
- Start your job or internship search early, but be strategic when you apply
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While your BFF in the business school might be interviewing in October for summer internships, us media gals — and anyone pursuing some sort of creative career — typically won’t start applying to internships and jobs that start in the summer until the spring semester. That being said, don’t wait until spring break to begin scouring job boards, LinkedIn and career pages for your favorite brands — get started ASAP, and get in the habit of reading job descriptions early and often.
One thing I found useful was taking screenshots of listings and opportunities that caught my eye or had requirements I felt were in line with my experiences and interests, and I saved those screenshots in a folder to reference months later, when that company was finally searching for post-grad candidates.
In short, pay attention to the term you’re applying for; it might be January and you assume any editorial internship listing you find has a June start date, but that’s not always the case. In media, companies move quickly with hiring — especially with post-grad jobs, most media brands want people who can start ASAP and who already live in the city where the job is located.
- Create a system to track your applications, deadlines & career listings
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It’s no secret organization is key when embarking on any job or internship search, no matter your industry or career goal — but when you’re on the hunt for an editorial position, it’s especially important to keep track of what you’ve applied for and when you submitted your applications. This is because in the media world, it’s unfortunately pretty common to simply not hear anything back from your applications unless you get an interview. But if you know exactly when you’ve applied for a position, it might make it easier if and when you do choose to circle back with the hiring contact via email. Plus, in general, it’s helpful to know when exactly you completed your applications — it might make for peace of mind if you freak out and worry that you didn’t actually press “submit.”
I recommend making a spreadsheet with a running list of all career boards for companies, publications and brands you admire or even remotely spark your interest. This makes it easy to regularly snoop on job boards and have all links in a convenient location.
- Be professional, but don’t hide your personality
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One of the biggest mistakes I see students make (and something I definitely did at the start of my college career) is writing in an overly formal style that doesn’t sound like your own words. Whether you’re pouring over an email to a connection in the industry or penning a cover letter for an application, it’s possible to be professional *and* conversational. Before sending the email or submitting your application, read through the materials you’ve written: Do they actually sound like you? Do they match your real voice? If not, you may want to rethink some of your word choices. If you had to use a thesaurus to select longer, more challenging words, get rid of those and swap them for words you’d actually use.
At the end of the day, if you’re applying for a creative position, your application and personal brand as a whole *should* show your personality, what makes you unique and your interests. Don’t make your Twitter private — if you have a hidden talent of writing memes or humorous cultural commentary, that’s something you should showcase! Your social media profiles are places for you to make mini-portfolios of your work and your personality, so leverage these online opportunities and use them to your advantage.
- Interviews are two-way streets — don’t forget to ask good questions
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(Note: Read “good questions” like Ina Garten would say “good ingredients.”) So, what is a good question to ask in an interview, anyway? It depends — but in general, it’s a good idea to make a list of questions (especially if you’re having a phone interview, which is standard, especially for the first round) about anything you’re remotely interested in learning more about that might not be answered in the actuall interview. Evaluate during the phone call — maybe the interviewer happens to answer something you wanted to ask. In that case, maybe ask a follow-up question or ask for more details about the job, projects you’d potentially be working on and the interviewer’s expectations and vision for the role.
For editorial positions in particular, it’s crucial to show the interviewer that you know how to ask interesting, meaningful questions, as that’s a huge part of the job of a journalist, writer and reporter. If you don’t ask anything or ask something that was already clearly answered earlier in the call, it may be a red flag to the people interviewing you.
- Before you take an edit test, make yourself a total expert on the job role and company
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An edit test is a routine part of the interview process for most editorial positions. These assessments can vary depending on the company, vertical and nature of the job, but typically, they test applicants’ writing, copyediting and pitching skills. Definitely expect to showcase your grammar and AP Style chops, be prepared to pitch a ton of ideas — even for sections of the website or publication you may not envision you’d be writing for — and, of course, write. In order to be successful on the edit test, it’s vital to become well-versed in absolutely everything about the company, website, magazine, etc. Pick apart stories and take note of patterns in terms of writing style, article formatting, headlines — you name it. How are stories being promoted on social media? What kind of art is used in most articles? Don’t forget to devote time to researching the corporate side of the brand to get a sense of its values and the story behind the company.
Doing a ton of research about the job you’re interested in is something that may seem like common sense, but taking time to digest literally everything about the publication or brand is a huge step that will prepare you for the edit test. The test is not only an opportunity for you to wow recruiters with your writing and editing skills, but it’s also a chance to show you took time to learn about the company beyond the surface.
- Having an online portfolio isn’t optional
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As you accumulate more writing clips or samples, it’s important to have a single website where potential employers can easily find your work. If you don’t already have an online portfolio, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Contnently and Adobe Portfolio are great resources worth exploring (with various pricing options and packages).
I’ve found most applications for journalism internships and jobs require applicants to include their portfolio link. Plus, having all your samples in one spot makes it easier on you when it comes time to share specific links to your work in a cover letter, email or in the application itself.
- Be persistent, even when the job/internship search gets frustrating
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The application process, specifically for a creative or editorial career, can feel intimdating. You may apply to more than 20 internships or jobs and only hear back from one (which is pretty typical of the industry — a.k.a. you usually won’t get a response to an application unless you made it to the interview round). You may accept a job or internship but hear back from another opportunity a month later — or you might get a response from something you applied for with less than a month to relocate. But in the midst of the stress, remind yourself why you started.
It may not be what you want to hear now, but the right opportunity *will* come along at the right time. Keep applying, keep networking and keep putting your absolute best foot forward, because your persistence will pay off.
In time, you’ll find that when the right opportunity comes along, the work you’ve been doing throughout your college career will shine and speak for itself. Keep these tips in mind and trust yourself (and the process) — and you’ll be on your way to a career path you love.