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

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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.


Turns out, the gals at Women’s Lifestyle Mag are a super friendly bunch! Case in point: everyone on the web team said, “Hey how are YOU? We are SO happy to have you here,” before I could even muster out a measly, “Hi, I’m new.” Even the previous intern left me a Happy First Day card—could the girl get any sweeter! She wrote about how much she loved her time interning at Women’s Lifestyle Mag along with a few words of encouragement. She even gave me her email so that I can contact her with any questions. I’m definitely going to carry on this tradition. Her sweet note made me feel like I was part of the team.

Speaking of… the web team invited me to taste-test wine with the entire staff at the end of the day! Of course, I don’t expect to indulge in fancy drinks every day. After all, I’m here to help out and soak up all of the magazine knowledge I can! That said, a crazy cool way to end Day One, no?

Expectation 2: Fellow interns will surround me like the perfume at Abercrombie.

False (if you happen to be in a super small web department). The Mag’s web team sticks to one intern per day. I have decided this is both good and bad.

Good: I feel like I’m getting one-on-one attention! Exciting! Plus, I’m able to get settled in at my own pace (without worrying what everyone else is doing).

Bad: I still have the pressure to stand out. My supervisor knows what a good intern looks like. Her previous intern was clearly fan-freaking-tastic. So, the pressure of having other interns “around” isn’t really off. Besides, I want to be an amazing intern, regardless of anyone else! Even though I’m the only intern in my area, I’m still looking for ways to stand out and help out in any way that I can.

Also Bad: I start off shy when I first meet people, which is so unfortunate! Seeing as there are no other interns on the web team while I’m there, I need do a little extra work to make intern friends in other areas. I ate my lunch alone—total bummer. Hopefully, I can bust out of my shell on Day Two! If you happen to have tips on how to befriend other interns, I would LOVE to hear ‘em.

Which of your first-day expectations were totally wrong? Do you have any tips on how to branch out and become friends with fellow interns, even ones that might be at different publications? Sound off in the comments!

XOXO,
Women’s Lifestyle Intern