I had nothing to wear to a tour of my dream company. I soon found out that my clothing was the least of my worries. I knew I had to go business casual so I went to Forever 21 and bought a $10 clearance blazer, paired it with a white blouse, Levis and black shiny booties. As I strutted down Broadway looking like a wannabe Jane from The Bold Type, I was nervous to see the place I knew I belonged in. I sat down in the waiting room, alongside other fashionably dressed college students who share the same dream as me. I was intimidated, and it showed. Two girls started talking to me, telling me how one is a freshman and is already interning at the NYPost and the other is a highly intelligent marketing student. I hate telling people I work two internships, but this was the only place I felt it was acceptable to share it. The tour started and I was hit was awe of the clean and chic looking offices. I got to catch a glimpse of an editor's space. It filled with magazines (of course), books, fresh flowers and to top it all off a gorgeous view of Manhattan. We all stepped into a meeting room and were greeted by two editors; Maya Allen and Brie Schwartz. They both were unique in their own way. Maya a young hip beauty editor for Marie Claire and Brie a poised but warm deputy editor for Oprah Magazine.
I am going to share with you what I learned from the 45 minutes Q&A.
1. Network, Network, Network. Make contacts wherever you go because you never know when someone might remember you and offer you an opportunity.
2. Read and Write. If you want to become an editor you better know how to write. In order to become a better writer, you need to read constantly. This is why I am starting up this blog again because I am fully aware I am a terrible writer. (Feel free to call me out on it.)
3. Cover Letters are IMPORTANT: Treat your cover letter like your college essay. You're given a chance to show your personality and say why you fit for the job. Give it your all and most importantly proofread it!
4. Everyone has their own journey. Many young aspiring journalists like to follow people who they want to become but sometimes their path won’t get you to where you want to go.
5. Rejection is okay. Maya shared that she applied to many internships and got rejected one after another. I myself have experienced this, my freshman year I applied to over 50 internships and went on many in-person interviews and got rejected until I finally got one. It all works out at the end if you keep ongoing.
I left the Hearst Tower feeling inspired and nervous but excited for my future. I know that if I continue to hustle and work hard I to can become a magazine editor and someday help others achieve their goals like Maya and Brie do.
