Good news, Edsters! I'm feeling much more positive since last week, mainly because I was able to get coffee with The Fitness Mag's EA, as well as Miss Editor. The EA kept rescheduling, so I was really relieved when she finally had an hour free to go get coffee and chat about her path to breaking in to the mag industry.
As you know from my earlier posts, I've been thinking a lot about the career path I want to take, and wondering whether I have what it takes to make it in this industry. Meeting with my EA really helped me identify my concerns and what I need to start doing to step up my job hunting game.
When I chatted with my EA, she told me about her daily tasks and how she landed her job. Basically it all came down to perfect timing and luck, and she didn't even have to take an edit test. She had interned with The Fitness Mag the summer before her senior year, and was hired on the spot when she came to visit the office after graduation. In fact, there wasn't even an open position. They created one for her because she had made herself that invaluable to the staff. This was her advice...
Be Pateient. She told me that I was doing a great job (which was awesome to hear!) and that something would come up if I stayed persistent. She said that one of her best friends from college had wanted to work for a magazine so badly and she was really discouraged because several friends landed mag jobs before her, but she kept applying. It took her friend over a year of applying and interviews, but she finally landed her first position.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. I'm admittedly shy and sometimes uncomfortable to flat out ask someone if they know of any jobs. But my EA said that as long as you contact a former editor every once in a while (she said once ever 2 months is good), you can ask if they've heard of any open positions.
The next day, I went to get coffee with Miss Editor. We got down to some real world advice, and she said that it may be really hard to find a job in this industry right now, but that she would love to stay in contact and refer me if any positions became available. She seemed pretty burnt out from the mag industry and made comments about the bad pay, long hours, and catty office atmosphere at most magazines. Here's what she had to say...
Broaden your horizons. She told me to look for positions at places other than magazines, because the pay is usually better and there's more room for promotions in other industries. She said that if I need something to pay the bills, I should take a non-mag job and try to freelance and stay in the game, then if something came along I would have recent writing experience to show. Most importantly, she told me that I'm 22, and I don't need to worry about having my entire life figured out. If I don't get a job at a magazine, I'm not necessarily giving up on my dream. Just....adjusting it.
What advice have your editors given you?
Till Next Saturday,
Fitness Intern
Thank you so much for making this blog! You give me hope in an industry that both excites and terrifies me!
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