Building Strong Relationships With Your Editors: A User's Guide

My editor once told me it's not what you know—it's what you know and who you know. As you probably have already gathered, it's darn near impossible to make it in this tiny industry without knowing someone. Therefore, it's been really important to me to establish good relationships with my editors and to meet with editors whose positions interest me—at TeenMag.com and at Teen Mag's parent company—this summer. 

When I was at school last summer, I emailed my editors at TeenMag.com as often as I could. I asked my editor if I could stay on staff as a contributing writer, and she said yes! I pitched articles and blog posts as often as my school schedule would allow, and I told my other editors anytime I was up to anything exciting. Granted, I don't think anyone really cared when I told them about a cappella concerts I covered for my school newspaper, but it was really important to me that everyone knew I was doing everything I could to become a better writer when I couldn't be at Teen Mag. It was more difficult to contribute when I was studying abroad, but I always would send a quick message about things in my new life that pertained to Teen Mag, like when Justin Bieber came to town and fangirls waited for him outside his hotel—which was on my street. (Some things are universal.) 

3 Things To Do Before Your Internship Ends!

As July comes to a close and August arrives, my internship also begins to wind down. At the end of every internship, there are always important steps I think every intern should take to exit your company properly and leave a good impression.