Thursday!!

Hey All,

So it's Thursday and we are at the end of yet another week. What are you all up to? Is next week your last week? It's mine and I'm getting a little sad to be leaving- I'm going to miss working in Manhattan, especially after a year of interning, but I think about all the amazing things I've accomplished and learned in the past year and realize that eventually my magazine dreams will come true (with a little help from an Uncle I happen to know...aka ED!)

Last night the weather was CRAZY!! I actually changed my route so that I could take the subway below my building (gotta love Manhattan :D) and avoid all the rain. I hope you had a safe and uneventful commute home!

Did you all get clips from your summer internship? I didn't get any from this internship, and had hoped that would be different. I have loads from previous ones, but mostly online stuff- I've really stayed away from Print because I believe it's going the way of AM Radio- it's going to become obsolete. If you were lucky enough to score a print version, grab a bunch of the mags and sock em away, it'll be fun to look back years from now and see how you used to write, etc.

Okay on my way to work...have a great thursday!!

I'm going to see The Ugly Truth tonight, so I'll let you know if it's worth the 12 bux tomorrow, that's right movies are 12 bux nowadays, at least in NYC...

xoxo money chic :)

I'm Back!

Hey Edsters,

So sorry for the hiatus, I (thankfully) was on vacation and then got sick and so I have just started my last two weeks here in money land.

I hope you enjoyed reading my ideas/complaints/quirks and qualms throughout this Internship. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my favorite parts of NYC life and the trials of being an Intern in the summer with you! I hope you all enjoyed your own experiences and learned a lot from them.

Does anyone have an internship for the fall yet? I just accepted mine for a newspaper, and am quite excited. I LOVE LOVE LOVE magazines, but it might be interesting to try my hand at something new this fall.

I'm going into my senior year, as I'm sure many of you are, and I can't believe it!! If you're reading this as a freshman let me tell you- ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF COLLEGE- take advantage of each and every opportunity presented because before you know it, you're out there in the real world working and trying to create a life/career.

Anyway enough with the goodbyes...my words for today:

First I can't believe this weather! My hair grew about three inches as I stepped out of the subway this morning, and I'm sure yours did as well!!

This week is almost done (thank god it's wednesday!) and hopefully this weekend will be really nice. Last weekend I managed to hit up an amazing Mexican resturant- it's called Mamma Mexicana and it's on 3rd and E 49th. SOOOO Good!! It's one of those legit places that make the guacamole at your table- and their Sangria and Margaritas were awesome. Hit it up after work one of these weekends to give yourself one last NYC hoorah.

I'm working on some random projects, but mostly closing up some loose ends- and that's about it. I'm also listening to 20 on 20 xm radio via my computer which is quite fun and really breaks up the day.

As always, email me with questions/comments/etc- edsmoneyblogger@gmail.com

more tomorrow
xoxox money gal ;)

Top o' the Morning! (Er, afternoon.)

Don't mind the British-themed blog title — I'm just brushing up my accent for my trip to London this fall :)

I have tons of work to do today, but I wanted to share a quick find with you guys: The Intern Queen! Follow her on Twitter (@internqueen) and check out her blog, internqueen.com/blog. Today's post has some great tips on turning a boring internship into a great one!

Hope everyone has a mahhh-velous Monday, although I'm still mourning media legend Walter Cronkite.

And that's the way it is.

xoxo,
cyber intern

The Halfway Mark

Happy Friday, Edsters! Another week has come and gone, and I'm starting to wonder how half of the summer has already evaporated. Well, at least it's starting to feel like summer outside, even if the humidity is making my hair frizz. I just don't consider it true summertime until the dog days when I'm sweating it out the minute I step outside my air-conditioned office building. But I think that time has come!

I recently read an article on Salon.com about life after a print-journalism education. Now I'm not suggesting membership in a professional gun club like certain NYT articles (that'll make you curious enough to read it!), but there's an interesting overarching message amongst all the paranoia. It's ironic that information is permanent, but the world is in motion. Some people are paralyzed by the rapid motion — those are the people who will be left behind during this era of change. But you can't let the medium hold you back; there's tons of stories out there still waiting to be told. The human race loves a great sob story, a great comeback, a great "ohmigod" saga.

Speaking of sagas! I can't wait to see The September Issue, a documentary feature film about EIC Anna Wintour and the pseudo-reality that is Vogue. It looks hoity-toity, but isn't that what draws us in? It's slated for release on August 28, so mark your calendars and program your Blackberrys! (Fun fact: AP Style tweeted that the plural of 'Blackberry' is 'Blackberrys,' not 'Blackberries.')

Anyway, I've been super crazy busy these past few weeks. I'm growing to love my internship more and more as time passes. I've been writing online quizzes (and racking up the bylines!), interviewing some celebs, attending movie premieres and holiday gift guide events, and covering concerts. I'm also getting a hair makeover at a premiere NYC salon for a before/after feature on my mag's Web site, which I'm beyond pumped about. My hair is usually (read: always) a hot mess — it's super-curly and untameable. So I'm looking forward for a change-up, especially since I'm studying abroad in the fall! I'm trying to reveal some juicy deets, although I do have to keep it as vague as possible.

And to close on a happy note, check out this article about how J-Schools are still going strong. Love it.

xoxo,
cyber intern

The Best Things in Life

Today at work was probably one of the weirdest days I've had in my internship so far. Normally Mondays are painstakingly slow, but today certain departments existed in a flurry of activity (fashion closet, features department), while others waxed and waned between panicked and comatose (news, copy editing).

I've been charged with a short feature: interviewing a designer about her first collection of accessories for spring of next year (remember, fashion happens six months in advance). I'm to figure out her inspiration, her technique and the price points of her new collection. All this morning I was on the phone or typing away furiously trying to get in contact with her or the public relations person who might be able to put me in contact with her. When I finally did get in touch with the magic PR lady, I was told that they would get back to me by the end of the day.

Did that happen? It did not. But just in case, I sat near my phone and in front of my computer for the rest of the day like a puppy waiting for its owner to come home, hoping they would call me back. In between that, I stuffed envelopes and did research for one of the assistant editors, but I never got a phone call that pertained to my story.

So after crazy bouts of productivity and laziness, I came home and decided that I needed a one dollar slice of pizza. I was lucky to find 2 Bros. Pizza on St. Mark's. It was a bit of a walk for me, but if you live in the East Village, I highly recommend it. Buyers beware - pepperoni costs an extra 50 cents. If you show up with one dollar, you're only going to get cheese.

Just a tip: If you buy a pair of pants at Uniqlo, they'll tailor them for free! Go now before everything goes off sale.

Have a good night, interns! More tomorrow!

Welcome Back to Reality

Hey Edsters! Hope everyone had a fun July 4th weekend, but now it's back to the grindstone — waking up early this morning was rough. It was finally "real" summer weather! I was able to blow the dust off my bathing suits and take a dip, and I'm eating BBQ leftovers for lunch today. (To save $$, I mostly brown-bag it.)

I spent the weekend in Washington DC — unfortunately no Obama spottings, although the 4th was Malia's birthday! — where I went to the Newseum. For those of you who haven't been or haven't even heard of it, it's a must-see for anyone vaguely interested in the media, or even those who aren't. This 250,000-square-foot museum of news blends five centuries of news history with up-to-date exhibits on technology convergence and the 2009 election.

My favorite parts of the Newseum included the exhibit of all the Pulitzer-Prize-winning photographs throughout history; the 9/11 memorial floor (with never-before-seen video footage and an antenna from the WTC); and the cases of pullout drawers with front pages from newspapers dating back centuries. Oh yeah, and on the broadcast journalism floor, you can even record yourself on TV! Not gonna lie, I was pretty close to buying a shirt from the gift shop that read "Not Tonight, Dear — I'm On Deadline." Loved every minute of the 4+ hours I spent there!

Before I get back to work, I have another tidbit to share with all you interns, whether you're working hard or hardly working. I read an article called "Say Hello to Underachieving" by Alex Williams yesterday on the front page of the Style Section of the NYT. It's basically about the tough job market for college students and recent grads who are facing the longest recession period since the 1930s. One of the stats that hit home for me: the unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds is 24 percent, up from 16.1 percent just two years ago. Oy. And internships available to college students have fallen 21 percent since last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The article failed to mention suggestions for the jobless — like volunteering, freelancing, blogging, or even starting your own business (think: babysitting, offering graphic design/tech help to elderly folks in your community who can barely turn on a computer). There are options out there, but this article still sent chills down my back.

Anyway, sorry to end on that note, but I thought it was a staple for young collegiates like us. Stay optimistic!

xoxo,
cyber intern

Monday!

Hey Edsters!

It's Monday again, but at least the weather is nice!! I don't know about you, but I had quite a hard time getting out of bed today after having Friday off!

Anyway I hope you all had a great weekend and got to see some fireworks. The Macy's ones were awesome!!

So a new week, a new month, and most of us are more than half way through with our internships. Any suggestions for possibly getting that last byline (or first) before the term is up? Perhaps I'll talk about that tomorrow...or at the very least at some point next week.

Have a great day interns, I promise I'll find a great topic for tomorrow =)

as always,

your faithful money intern xoxo

Fake Friday!

Happy Fake Friday Interns!!

It's fake friday because most of the big publishing houses (and companies in NYC in general) have tomorrow off for the holiday. Check your company calendars and make sure you get it off too!! (I wonder if we get paid because it's a company holiday-- I HOPE SO!!)

Anyway hope your week went well!! Any fun plans for the fourth? Anything I should know about ;)? Email me!! Edsmoneyblogger at gmail dot com!!

I'm heading down to Long Island this weekend to hang with some college friends and couldn't be more excited! I'm leaving from Penn Station this Saturday because the traffic is going to be awful!! But! the train is quick and clean (for the most part) and makes me feel tres New York!

This will be my last post for the week because I'm also getting ready for my younger brother to spend a month in Europe for college credit. It's exciting but also kind of weird because he's five years younger than me and although at his age I was doing the same things, I can't help but feel a little protective.

My internship has unfortunately not really materialized into what I had hoped. I keep trying to get more work, but it seems like the amount of work is dwindling, not increasing as I had thought it would. I think for Editors, to teach the Interns how to do something they could do themselves might be hard? But that's what we are here for!! I want to learn, I want to do work!! And yet, most of the time, my requests go unanswered. I'm still trying to learn as much as I can and really get a handle on this business they call publishing- it's absolutely where I want to be, I just have to find the right spot. Hopefully I'll be able to do that immediately after graduation.

Maybe Fashion Intern and Trade Intern could give me some advice (and of course Cyber Intern)-- Do you like your industries better? I feel like both Fashion and Trade get to do so many interesting things throughout the week and I'm thinking Fashion writing may be where I'm heading as my original dream--writing for the NY Times-- may be out since the NY Times may no longer exist in it's current form. Is that scary- yes of course!! I don't think the NYTimes will go out of business (it cannot! I rely on it so much!) but! i do think within the next year or so it will dramatically change.

OH!! I forgot to tell you about this interns!! I checked out Adobe Air- which is the platform that the NY Times Reader uses- and it's awesome! It's kind of like cover flow in iTunes and it has a similar apple feel. I'm going to download it on my laptop (macbook pro) and play with it. I'll let you know what I think of it.

Have a safe and fun weekend!!

xoxoxo $$ Intern ;)

Who runs the Board of Ed-

Hey All,

Okay so for those of you not familiar with the NYC education system here's the deal. NYC had a board of education run independently of the Mayor's office until about 7 years ago when Bloomberg (who I happen to like) took it over. This system has been working; but now with all the problems in Albany (basically a bunch of elected officials who cannot seem to work together as adults (this is obviously a strict opinion)) we still don't know who actully runs the schools as of today, July 1st. There's a great article about this in AMNY which is why I'm talking about it.

AMNY is, although it's free, a great paper and a great way to find out things about local happenenings. For example there was a free yoga class in Bryant Park (42nd and 6th to about 42nd and 5th) yesterday and it also gives a listing of all movie times at local theaters.

Basically it's short and to the point news perfectly fit to be read on the subway.

Anyway how are all of you!! Email me with some new questions or topics you'd like covered @ Edsmoneyblogger at gmail dot com. I'd love to address any questions you may have and i'd love to hear what's been going on at your internships. You can (of course) keep it anonymous!!

Enjoy the day interns and remember tomorrow's the last day before the three day weekend!!

XOXO
Money Chick

Tuesday!

Hey Interns!

Can you believe it's June 30th already!! Hard to believe I know! In two short months I'll be heading back to school, and I'm sure most of you will be too, with tons of knowledge and contacts in the magazine industry!

Keep working hard interns and also start filling out those fall apps!! I don't know how many of you plan to stay at your current internship, (or how many have been guaranteed a spot) but I always like to be safe rather then sorry.

Some great databases- Ed2010 (of course!), Cub Reporters, Journalism Jobs, JobFox, and of course the old staples like Monster. Another option is to go directly to the company Web site and search there. Nowadays many companies have highly useful and organized databases for jobs and internships and they allow you to post your resume, apply for the job and keep tabs on your status all from their website. Craigslist is also good, although some of these aren't paid. MANY OF THE JOB SITES I LISTED HAVE PAID INTERNSHIPS!! Hey, I know it's hard being a college student (I am one!) so why not get experience and some moolah? Go for it!! This summer's experience will definitely help, but if you haven't been interning, never fear, you could still find a great internship for the fall.

Another helpful hint- keep an excel sheet (I prefer to use the one available through gmail, as it is easier to navigate then Microsoft's) with the headings: Company, Job Applied for on, Emailed Resume, Sent Resume to HR (and list contact), Put Resume on the Company Site, Heard Back on, and comments. This way you can keep track of the jobs you apply to and the status of each application.

And finally, use TWITTER, Facebook, MySpace, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you can think of to connect with the outside (hiring) world.

Good luck! And keep working hard!! And enjoy the gorgeous day- I think I might even treat myself to some Tasti D Lite today =)

xxx Money Blogger

She Told Me Her Name Was Billie Jean...

It's the end of an Era my friends. Michael Jackson- The King of Pop, Wacko Jacko, MJ- whatever you chose to call him, is dead. As I sit listening to Billie Jean, I cannot believe it. He is iconic. Although I was born at the end of the 80s, as I'm sure many of you were, 80s music has always been part of my life. It's been the backgrounds of birthdays, sweet sixteens, and weddings throughout my entire life, and now suddenly he is gone.

Another tragedy struck the media/entertainment world yesterday as well- The original Angel- Farrah Fawcett died. It is unbelievable to me that both these 70s/80s stars are gone.

Anyway, no real big news except that I've been reading "Your So Money, Live Rich even when Your Not" By Farnoosh Torabi- it's a gold mine!! Literally it definitely helps all 20-somethings' monetary planning needs, and doesn't suggest that we live on tuna alone for a month to afford those Manolos.

So basically, read the book, tease your hair, turn on some MJ and moon walk your way through the 70s, 80s and 90s this weekend...it looks like it's gonna be really nice out- more Monday Edsters...

-- money intern

Undercover, Under Pressure

That's so scary that Fashion Intern has been found out! I'll be honest, though - I've definitely been trying to figure out who my fellow intern bloggers are. (Cyber Intern, I thought I almost had you for a second, there - there's a girl in my building who also went jazz-club hopping this past weekend, and I totally thought it was you!)

That said, I think it's important that we do everything we can to protect ourselves as anonymous insider bloggers. Money Intern, Fashion Intern, Cyber Intern and I are all performing what seems to be a pretty valuable service. And although not every post gets a deluge of comments, it is clear that we have a dedicated group of followers who are looking for ways to improve their chances at the office.

At the same time, we're all working for companies that have serious confidentiality clauses. We may or may not be risking our internships by posting every day. I've done what I can to protect my anonymity (including sometimes, ahem, blurring certain details about my day), and I know the rest of us are doing the same thing. My heart goes out to Fashion Intern - if human resources asks you about this, lie like a dog! It seems to me like you're doing a really great job at whichever publication you're working for, and that anyone who might try to use this blog against you is just damn jealous of your success.

Just a tip: If you do get a to write something, check every word twice, then check every word three more times. Just because an editor tells you that something is spelled one way does not mean that's how it's actually spelled. Plus, you'll just end up feeling like a complete failure if something like that gets past you.

Have a great night, interns! More tomorrow!

- Trade Intern

Tomorrow = Free Pinkberry Day!

Happy almost-Friday! Actually, I think Thursday might be one of my favorite days of the week. It's leading up to the culmination of the week, and anticipation is always the best part. When I leave work on Thursdays, I often feel like it's Friday, though, which can be a tad disappointing.

Fashion Intern: Glad to hear you're part of the Twitterati as well! Thanks for the shout-out, and you gave some great additional tips. (Confession: I get breaking news in text alert, too -- in fact, just received one from CNN about Michael Jackson in cardiac arrest?!)

I've been super-busy today with various projects, so I'll do more of an update tomorrow. But for now, here's some suggestions to perk up your Friday:

-Get a FREE small Pinkberry tomorrow in one of the new flavors, coconut and passion fruit! Mmm, dee-lish.

-Bored of the same old salad for lunch? Check out Chop't (in NYC and DC only) to mix up your options - and your ingredients!

Everyone getting pumped for 4th of July weekend? Hope you all have some fun escapes planned, seeing as we'll all have off on Friday the 3rd! Personally, I'm trekking down to Washington, DC for what I've heard are the most spectacular fireworks around.

xoxo,
cyber intern

This is Where the Title Goes

OK. I know it might seem like I'm being a brat about balancing all of the cool things I'm getting to do with all of the mundane tasks that have to get done before I can enjoy the cool stuff, but the reality is that sometimes, a bunch of smaller, simpler tasks can be more fun than one gigantic assignment.

For example, one day last week, I had to schedule and confirm a lunch for our editor in chief, schedule dinner for the news director, mail out about a thousand back issues (that I hand addressed!) to advertisers and friends of various market editors, round up the girls in the fashion closet for an impromptu intern lunch, then help them with returns, call up a few buyers for quotes on a story that one of our editors was working on, and make sure that all of our satellite editors could get on conference calls so that they could participate in our news staff meeting from their offices in Los Angeles, Detroit and Atlanta. At the same time.

All of this was interspersed with coffee runs, distributing mail, organizing various little bits of fashion all over the office and generally making sure I had a spoon stirring every pot on the stove at all times.

The day was great! It went by super fast and I was proud of myself because I accomplished a lot and really helped a lot of people get a lot of things done.

What did I do today? I sat around for eight hours (because there was literally nothing else to do) waiting for ONE person whom I absolutely had to talk to to call me back. When he finally did, he talked to me for five minutes, then got a call on his other line, flashed over and never called me back. As happy as I am to be getting bylines, it's pretty frustrating when you have to deal with people like that.

Look, the fact of the matter is that we're all in this for the long haul. I wouldn't be busting my butt everyday if I didn't want to impress my bosses and try to get a job at some point in the future. I guess I vent here sometimes because I think it's a safe place, a sounding board for all of our complaints and issues. Being an intern is a great opportunity, especially in an economic climate that's making people in our industry think three times before hiring someone. Any intern who complains all the time about the perils of the job that a million other kids would kill for is crazy. But any intern who's afraid to admit that, sometimes, being an intern sucks is even crazier.

It's a Media Revolution

Something I've been talking a lot about lately is Twitter. Please don't roll your eyes; hear me out. I've chatted to most areas of the spectrum, and divided peeps into 4 major categories:

a) Anti-Twitterers. They know what Twitter is all about, and they still think it's stupid and pointless. (Or at least that's what they say - who knows if they have a secret account!)

b) The "we don't get it" crowd. They don't like Twitter for the sole reason that they don't understand its advantages and think the craze is fleeting.

c) The average users. These Twitterers have accounts, and might update occasionally when they've seen a fabulous movie (Transformers, anyone?) or hit up an awesome sample sale.

d) The addicts. The Twitterati (I swear it's a phrase, coined by Twitter obviously) love to tweet night and day, but it's often with purpose. Not gonna lie, I'm included in this grouping.


I've attended several meetings and info sessions on social media for my internship, and Twitter has been a focal point. I mean, I even heard talk that Twitter creators are in the running for a Nobel prize, but I'm pretty sure that's just heresay. Lots of top execs are struggling to comprehend Twitter's changing role in society, and how to tweet most effectively. For example, do you tell the world about your delish sandwich at Whole Foods, or do you wait until you've found a really interesting article in the Times?

My position is the ladder. Twitter is about sharing a scene, photo, link, or story so it can spread information massively and quickly - or to tell a story (in 140 words or less, that is). It can empower people and enforce change. This has been especially demonstrated by its role in the Iran election (read more on that here).

What I'm trying to say is that you, the intern, still have valuable skills to share with CEOs and Editors-in-Chief. You're the one who can give them the scoop about Twitter, about re-Tweeting, about achieving a proper following-follower balance. If your mag has a Twitter, volunteer to help monitor it (fabulous bragging rights). If it doesn't, volunteer to create one! Since I've become a Twitter addict, I use it almost more than my Facebook. While trusty ol' FB is great to chat with friends and upload photo albums from a weekend at the shore, it's pretty much confined to my network of friends and acquaintances. On Twitter, I can also follow celebs (Tina Fey, Michelle Obama), the media industry (Ed2010, The New Yorker, Huffington Post, the AP Stylebook), brands (Pinkberry, Crumbs cupcakes) and news updates (NYT, CNN, Perez). I'm even following some co-workers and professors. I can log on, and in a page or two, I can see what's going on in all spheres of my life.

I hope this was inspiring to those of you in groups A and B - the anti-Twitters and indifferent-Twitterers. On a completely different note, if any of you are considering a change in career paths, click here for a slightly more lucrative option.

xoxo,
cyber intern