How To Deal With Downtime

Let's face it, we’ve all had lulls in the office, making us each wish the 378 Twitter accounts we follow posted more articles to read or that our boss did ask us to organize that messy supply closet. As far I have learned that having something to do, whether it is running across the city on errands or researching pitches, is better than having absolutely nothing. Yes it is true that there is never ‘nothing’ to do but after hours on end of drafting pitches or whatever your fill-in task may be, we all find ourselves waiting for the next email to come with an assignment.

The other day someone from the human resources department came and talked to the features interns at the magazine, as well as the other interns in fashion, features, photo, and marketing. First off, I had been waiting to meet the interns at the magazine because I have been dying to know what they do. The woman from HR gave a great talk on how to be a great intern, especially at the magazine, and how to manage the professional world of publishing. The interns asked questions from what college degree looks best on a resume to what is the best way to keep in touch with your bosses. And finally, the best question I had been thinking about was asked: what should we do in downtime?

Expectations vs. Reality: What Will Your First Day Really Be Like?

Dear Edsters,


Do you know that scene in 500 Days of Summer? It’s the one where Joseph Gordon-Levitt is walking to Zooey Deschanel’s party, and the screen splits in half to show the audience JGL’s expectations versus his reality.

On my first day of the Mag, it felt a lot like that. Here is my version:


Expectation: I was going to walk into the lobby and see glamazons everywhere.
Reality: When I walked in there was a long line of interns waiting to get their temporary IDs, all wearing various outfits I myself own.

Expectation: I need to prove myself.

Drinking on the Job: Do or Don't?

Before I launch into this, I want to preface it by saying that I am in no way, shape, or form talking about the pros and cons of bringing a water bottle full of vodka into your workplace and downing it throughout the day.

Okay.

Edsters, if you are interning this summer, there is a 99.99% chance you will be invited to go to a work-related event at some point. You will probably accept the invitation, because, as interns, we want to show that not only can we run errands and organize papers like a boss, but we can also attend posh events like we were born for it.

I got such an invitation last week at my entertainment internship. It was the first event I was invited to attend for them, and, even before the invitation had fully left my editor’s mouth, I was wildly nodding and repeating variations of “yes!” and “sure!” and “eeek!"

Luckily, I wasn’t held to any type of event coverage for the first go-around. This was going to be a piece of cake: Attend the event and meet more of the website’s team. The company that we work for was throwing the party, so the whole crew was going. And we were all on the VIP list.

We arrived (by taxi, not train!) and, in pro-celeb style, cut the line at the door and snapped on all-access wristbands. The party was a luau-themed event set on a terrace, which wasn’t as fun as it sounds considering this party was held on a particular Friday that NYC residents might remember as the day it torrentially downpoured for 14 straight hours. Thankfully, there was plenty of room indoors, and everybody still wore their leis with gusto.

Everyone in the group was ushered into the roped off VIP area, where the problem of the night immediately presented itself. There were literally buckets of alcohol everywhere, filled to the brim with everything from Heineken to Hennessy. Great! Time to start popping some bottles, right?

5 Ways to Banish First-Day Anxiety!

When I was in high school, I planned out my outfits for the first day of school meticulously, color-coded my notebooks for my classes, and read all of the books on the summer reading list —and then some. (I know what you're thinking, and yes, I was a total nerd). I'm the kind of person who believes in the power of the first impression, and I want to start everything — be it AP Biology or my first day at work — off on the right foot. 

Since I've arrived home from Italy, my entire life has revolved around preparing for my first day of my internship. When I'm not reuniting with every family member, doctor, and hair dresser I know, I'm spending my time obsessing over my first day back at Teen Mag. Here are five things I've learned about calming nerves on your first day:

The Power of Introducing Yourself

Hello Edsters,

Truth be told, checking in and out requested samples of clothes and accessories have been becoming a little monotonous lately. Therefore, when I was riding up the elevator this morning, I decided it was time to make a change. And we all know if we want things to take place, we must be the ones to act! 

After packing my lunch away in the office kitchen, I decided to go around and introduce myself to all the team members I hadn't had the chance to meet in the past few days.

Web Must-Have: 3 Ways To Master Any CMS

Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Hey Edsters!

I'm super excited to have finally gotten then hang of things at my internship. It's always such a relief to get past the yes-I'm-totally-new-here phase out of the way! This week I wanted to share a few tips on writing for the web with you.

First Impressions: Fighting With Printers, Compiling Gossip Packets & Taking It All In

Hello fellow Edsters!

I have officially completed the first week of my internship in the features department and feel like a thousand doors have been open. The first day was filled with a lot of butterflies, hellos, and questions, similar to the start of anything new. After pacing the street outside my office for a good 15 minutes before my start time, I worked up the courage to walk through the massive glass doors leading into the building. Intimidated by the beautiful publishing building and stylish ladies and gentleman going up the elevators, I held my cool and went up with them. After meeting one of my two bosses and another friendly intern, I was officially working at a magazine.

Although it shouldn’t surprise me, everyone I met was extremely nice and welcoming. All the editors I was introduced to seemed like great colleagues; they were willing to answer any questions I had and happy to teach me about the magazine world. After refocusing myself, I read through the intern packet given to me. At previous internships, I was never given a bible-like guide on how to be a superstar intern.

5 Expert Tips For Nailing Your First Month

Edsters,

I’ve been super nervous in the days leading up to my first week of work, mostly because I have so many questions. Will I like my fellow interns? Who will I get lunch with? How do I schedule informational interviews with editors of the three different magazines I intern for?

With all of these questions, I looked to the intern diaries of last summer. Not only have they assuaged my worries, but also gave me some great advice going into my first internship. Here are my favorite five tips from last summer’s interns:

Starting A New Internship Is Kind Of Like The First Day Of Middle School

The first few weeks of any internship are consistently the most awkward weeks. It’s the first stages of a budding relationship, when you and your editor are figuring out how everything is going to mesh and, by default, the intern always acts 110% excited about everything.

To illustrate, here’s a couple sample gchats from some of my first weeks in the past:

Editor: Hey, can you transcribe this interview for me?
Me: Sure, of course!! That’s no problem at all!

Editor: Hey, when you format this post, don’t forget to tag each person’s name.
Me: OMG! I’m so sorry, I totally thought I did! So sorry, it definitely won’t happen again!!

Editor: Hey, can you do a quick Starbucks run?
Me: Sure! I’d love to! Be right back!!

It’s not pretty. And as an introvert it’s even worse, because I’m forced to break out of my comfort zone of 25-30 words per hour in order to answer fun obligatory questions like: How are you adjusting to NYC? (It’s great. A ginormous rat almost ate me in the subway his morning.) Not like your hometown, huh? (I grew up on a grape farm. So, no.)

I thought this summer was going to be different. Because my entertainment editor and I had already worked together last summer, the relationship was supposed to already be established and I was going to glide right in there and pick up right where we left off.

Eh, not so much.

3 Things Every Web Intern Needs to Know

Hey Edsters!

It’s hard to believe that in just five short days I’ll be home in New York! I’m sneaking in every gelato I can before I leave. I’ve been spending my last few days in Italy thinking about how much I’ve learned during my time at the mag last summer, and how I want to be an even better intern this summer. Here are the three biggest things I’ve learned:

1) When in doubt, yes is the answer. This summer, you are Jim Carrey in Yes Man. Does your editor need someone to box prize packs for contest winners? Transcribe the millionth interview of the day?  Make an intricate timeline of Miley/Liam’s relationship? You’re going to do it, and you’re going to do it with gusto. The simple truth of the intern world is that, sometimes, you’re going to need to do things that aren’t as fun as interviewing celebs or going to press events. I know one of the reasons I definitely stood out in my intern class was because I took on jobs the other interns in my department were reluctant to, and I was just as enthusiastic about those tasks as I was about getting bylines. Your editor will probably return the favor when she knows there’s a project you’d be super excited about.

Fashion Intern Firsts: My Messenger Run All Over New York City

Hi all,

So after thirteen hours and a few blisters later, I successfully completed my first week at my summer internship! After starting off the morning being literally nervous to the bone, I quickly found myself jumping right in since the big task for the day was to rapidly help pull and pack for an upcoming photo-shoot. While we were making our to-do lists (and checking it twice!), I managed to introduce myself to my fellow summer interns, and I must admit, I was surprised by how friendly everyone was! In an industry so cut-throat as this one is sketched out to be, I never would've guessed I'd make a handful of friends so soon, but somehow I got lucky!

And then it happened. My supervisor snagged me to go out on a messenger run for her. As cool and collective as I tried to make my face portray, inside my nerves were twisting in all kinds of ways since I'm still not quite used to the vigorous New York subway system. Yet after about the fourth run I had to go on (one right after the other!), I shocked myself by how fast I was catching on. Yes, it was about this time that Google Maps officially became my new best friend.

Want to Keep Up in the Magazine World? 4 Easy Ways to Prioritize!

Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons 

My first few days at Women’s Lifestyle Mag have been incredible. It’s been a lot to take in, but I love that there is so much to do. There are no coffee runs here!

Now that I’ve learned the tedious things, like how to work the magazine’s content management systems (more on this later, promise) and the login information for a social media account, I’m ready to roll.

I have a list of tasks that need to be accomplished each day and it’s my job to get them done! Then, there are also the occasional side projects, like transcribing or running items to the freight closet, which I’m also responsible for.

I’ve learned very quickly that the key to tackling a long list of things-to-do is prioritizing. I need to be good at judging which projects need to get done and when.

During the school year, I work a 40-hour week and still attend class full time, so I’m not too shabby at managing my time! But, I have to admit; the mag world is fast paced, even for me! I’m slowly getting the hang of things, but I’m still learning. I’ve made a list of four things I’ve been doing to help me prioritize my time.

Did You Google Stalk Your Fellow Interns?

Hello fellow Edsters!

I am quickly developing a fear of the unknown. As I get ready to start my internship next week, I keep thinking about what I’ll be doing, whom I’ll be meeting and what I will gain from the experience. I have always been someone who wants to know exactly what is going on, all of the time.

The other day I received an email from my boss with more information regarding our first day and orientation. The other interns in my department were CC’ed and their full names included. My brain jumped to Google searching my co-workers. 

Dress Code Disaster: What Does Stylish Yet Appropriate Mean?



Courtesy of Banana Republic

Hey Edsters,
Finding out the dress code at my internship sent me into a tailspin. "Stylish yet appropriate" is really magazine-talk for business casual. I hated business casual, mainly because I didn’t know how to do it right.

Last semester, I worked at my university’s business school in its events department. The job required business casual attire, so I would go to work from class and change in the bathroom before entering the offices. I typically stuck to a dress/blazer and pants/sweater combo with flats. Despite my best efforts, my boss revealed at the end of the semester that I didn’t wear the business casual attire that the job required.

Networking For Extreme Introverts

We’ve all heard it a million times: This industry is about networking. Oh, your friend talked to her mom who talked to her coworker who talked to her cousin who works at Condé Nast to score you that huge interview? Well, of course, that’s how everybody gets in.

Except what happens when you’re looking to break into magazines and the only industry connection you’ve got is a great-aunt’s friend who works in the art department of a local Alaskan lifestyle magazine?

For the longest time, I thought that all the connections I needed were a resume, a cover letter, and access to Ed’s website. That was all I had when I scored my first internship the summer after my freshman year, and that was all I had when I got two big, sparkly fashion internships as a sophomore and a junior. One of my fashion mag co-workers and I would joke about how our friends reacted after we got the job. The most common response tended to be: ‘How did you get this? Who do you know?!’ And then we’d quip wittily: ‘Uh, he’s this great guy, Ed. You should really meet him...’

But, as is normal when I make fun of things I don’t understand, I was quickly forced to eat my words.

New Wardrobes, Post-Abroad Shock, and Pre-Internship Jitters!

Hey Edsters,

Ed’s other Interns may be starting up their internships this week, but I’ve still got two more weeks in beautiful Italy! Though I’m lucky to have more time studying abroad, it’s not all pizza and gelato: I’ve got to finish up my final exams, harass my professors in the US to write me letters of credit from afar, and find a new work wardrobe—I’ve only got four days at home before I start my internship!

Here’s what I’m most looking forward to about heading home:

Seeing all of my family and friends! Facebook Chat and Skype can only take you so far for six months. I can’t wait to tell everyone I care for all about my semester abroad in person!

Heading back to my internship, of course! Though I’ve emailed and tweeted my editors and continued blogging for the site, I CANNOT WAIT to see them every day and get in the thick of the fun that I’m lucky enough to call work.

The pace of life! I’ve definitely learned how to take it easy in Italy, but I’m ready to head back to the constant posts, photo shoots, interviews, and staff meetings. I wouldn’t want it any other way!

And what I’m least looking forward to:

What to Wear for Your First Day as a Fashion Intern

Well Edsters,

Here I am trying to pick out an outfit for my first day at my summer internship. Since I’ll be working at one of the most popular fashion magazine, the pressure is definitely on. My mind is at a torn–do I overdress to impress on my first day, or should I try and recreate some of the casual outfits I always see in the magazine itself? Decisions, decisions…

Although this may seem like a small dilemma to some, I believe your first impression can say a lot about who you are as a person, and the work you can deliver. Therefore, I want to look sharp and polished, without trying too hard. Yet, I’ve come to find out that you can never get the true sense of the office wardrobe until your first day when you can spot what others are wearing. 

Day One At A Women’s Lifestyle Mag: What To Expect (And Not Expect!)

Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Hi there, Edsters!

I just finished my first day as a web intern for Women’s Lifestyle Mag! Now that it’s over, I can hardly wait for day two. But I was INCREDIBLY nervous for Day One. I had no idea what to expect, as this was my first in-office internship at a magazine. Needless to say, I was prepared for the worst.

Here’s what I thought would happen on my first day on the job…and what actually went down.

Expectation 1: Everyone will be super serious and no one will talk to me.  

LOL.

Introducing The PR Girl Turned Magazine Junkie

Edsters,

I have to admit, I haven’t always dreamed of interning at a magazine. In high school my life revolved around being a program director and editor for the radio station, slaving away at correcting beats and creating playlists for the following day’s shows. When I got to college and starting studying in a school of the communication, I decided to step away from journalism and major in Public Communication and minor in Marketing. Very quickly I became immersed in the public relations industry with my first PR class and involved in my school’s social media club. It wasn’t until halfway into my freshman year that I joined my school’s online magazine for women after searching for a creative outlet outside of the classroom.

I went on that summer to intern at a small tech and consumer PR firm, picking up all the skills necessary to write a press release, collect journalist’s emails on Cision, and brainstorm client promotional ideas. Over time I realized not being the one creating the content was limiting and I wanted to try something new.

Introducing the Shelter Intern Who Sent Out 34 Cover Letters

Fellow Edsters,

My search for an internship has been very comparable to searching for a partner. For the past four months, I’ve thrown myself out there; I have scoured Ed for internship listings, wrote countless cover letters and updated my resume. I felt like pre-New York Carrie Bradshaw, single and looking for someone to love me (and then give me a job).

As a college freshman, I had little expectations but large ambitions. I would not let up until someone hired me. So I wrote 34 cover letters.

You heard me, 34. Hey, I was desperate.

Introducing the Former Graphic Designer Turned Pro Celeb Blogger

I was dragged into writing kicking and screaming, fighting it the whole way down to the registrar’s office. Okay, well, not literally. But I definitely did not think in a million years that I would be staring down the gaping black hole of my senior year with this crazy idea that I was going to make a living off of writing words, and maybe somebody would be nice enough to pay me for it.

It didn’t start out that way though. In elementary school I was the queen of Accelerated Reader. (Anyone else remember that program?) I actually just cashed in two savings bonds that I won through the AR rewards system in 3rd and 5th grade in order to pay for my Metrocard this month. Thanks, little self!

In 4th grade I wrote a 20-page fiction piece on the Iditarod that left my English teacher speechless. The next year, my parents bought me this book for Christmas called So, You Wanna Be A Writer? and I was like YES.

But then something went weird. In high school I had that quintessential teacher—you know, the one who will leave an impact on you for the rest of your life. She was my English teacher and the advisor for the high school yearbook, which I reigned over during my senior year. She encouraged me, challenged me, and told me that writing was worth pursuing. But it seemed like the more papers I wrote, the more A’s that I got, the higher the pressure was to be some kind of brilliant writing machine.

Introducing the Web Intern Who’s Blogging About All Things Beiber

Hey Edsters!

I’ve been obsessed with the Internet ever since my parents would let me near a mouse. AIM? I was SmarterChild’s favorite buddy. MySpace? Ed would’ve been in my Top 8. When I wasn’t harassing SmarterChild or social networking, I was reading teen magazines obsessively and stalking my postman until the next month’s issue came. Though I’ve since graduated to Facebook, Tumblr, Wordpress, and Twitter, I couldn’t imagine a better way to merge my passion for magazines with my love of the Internet than pursuing a career as a web editor!

I scored my dream web internship last summer at my favorite teen magazine, where I blogged about all things boys, blush, and Bieber. I never thought I’d be interviewing talent and getting bylines—but I did! Sometime between writing posts, testing products, and stalking celebs, I feel head-over-heels with the magazine industry. I’m now serious about pursuing a career as a web editor—so you can only imagine how excited I was when my editor invited me back this year! In the world of web, like fashion, what’s in one day is out the next. My internship taught me that I want to write content that people will read across the world—and I’m so ready for the challenge!

Introducing the Small Town Girl Who Scored Her Fashion Internship Via Facebook

Hello Edsters,

Wow. It seems like it was just yesterday when I received the email stating I landed the internship of my dreams with one of my favorite magazines. With what seemed like a long shot when I took the chance and applied, it's crazy to believe now here I am, unpacking my overweight suitcase for my upcoming summer in the city.

I still remember all those times I would flip through the latest fashion issues and think just how fascinating it would be to actually work in the place that brings these pages to life. So when I finally put my thinking cap to good use, I started to sort out strategies of how I could transform this dream of mine into reality. I know you've probably heard the saying, "It's not what you know, but who you know." Well, as much as I wish that wasn't true, life lessons have come to show me that sometimes it is.

I knew I had to somehow make connections  so that I could find people that had ties to these publishing companies.

Introducing…The Tech Junkie With Her Dream Web Internship At A Women’s Glossy

Hi there, Edsters!

I’m here to tell you how to land an internship at your favorite magazine—after you failed to land it the first go-round.

Never give up. We’ve all heard the cliché a thousand times. “Never give up? Um, Obviously! Life 101, duh.”

This past winter, I applied for an internship at my favorite women’s glossy with grandeur dreams of New York City only to find out that I (drumroll please) didn’t get the internship. Admittedly, it had never been harder to keep my chin up. How are you supposed to “never give up” on your dream internship when you get the dreaded, “Sorry! Not this time.” Isn’t that the end of the road? Shouldn’t you just pack your bags, cut your losses, and find a new dream?

The answer is no. You should make that stupid “never give up” cliché the background of your cellphone, so every time you start to play Words With Friends, you remember that you have better things to do—like land your dream internship!

OK, Rant over. Here’s how to turn that “No” into a “YES!”