It's been a while--sorry for the temporary hiatus! The transition to DC, interning at a non-profit, and getting used to living with my grandparents has taken some time. But,
As a scary thought, I've already seen postings for Fall internships show up on Ed2010.com and Internships.com (in addition to some last-minute Summer ones), which means it's time to start cracking on that resume and cover letter! If you've always been wanting to break into magazines, or are looking for your first internships, I wanted to give you some tips to maximize your chances of scoring an interview and (hopefully) getting that internship.
The most important thing to know upfront is: There's no one right way to do things! One of the biggest assets you can bring to an internship is the fact that your experience is different from other people's, so you have a different perspective.
That said, I totally understand how difficult it is to get your foot in the door to get a fabulous media internship. Jobs and internships in the glossy pages of magazines are extremely competitive, very limited, and almost always unpaid. Yet the supply of amazing applicants for the jobs never ceases, because they are fun, interesting, great experience, and a surefire way to make contacts for networking.
Part I of this internship guide is all about how to beat out the other applicants on paper, because that's the first contact you'll have with editors, and the first opportunity you'll have to make a good impression. You need to have some of the right experiences on your resume in order to get past the circular filing cabinet...
So, with that, here's my guide for getting your foot in the door for the internship you want:
First priority: Pad Your Resume. If you're applying for an internship and don't already have a connection, then you will be competing with potentially thousands of other applicants to try to make yourself memorable to get an interview. This part is most of the battle--you want to market yourself in such a way that they look at your resume and remember it.
Here are some easy steps to do that:
1. Get Involved in Extracurriculars! Just like for my high schooler's guide to internships, I'll say it again. It's important to get experience in activities that support your communications skills. Try out writing for the newspaper or magazine at your college (so when internships ask for "clips", you've got them), or get involved with debate, Model UN, or a journal on campus. Extracurriculars are a double-whammy because you can list them as an activity on your resume, or (if you don't have any work experience) as your "Relevant Experience" position(s).
*1. As a corollary, don't forget about your classes and GPA! Taking science classes and having a 2.0 GPA will not get you interviews--make sure to take an English class (writing is a plus!) and keep your GPA above a 3.0.
2. Write Some "Clips"! This is journalist-speak for published samples of your writing. Often internships that don't require any writing at all "on the job" still want to see samples of work that you've done. Blogs can count for this, but a clip itself is essentially the photocopy of the "clipped-out-of-the-newspaper" version of your story. Make sure that you've got the name of the publication and the date of the original printing included on your clips! And make sure to give it a once-over to check for spelling, grammar, or factual errors. Mistakes are high stakes at magazines--when I was at
Seventeen, if we miscredited a beauty product, we would have to make it up to the brand in some way (often with free ad pages). Show the magazine that you've got the attention to detail that won't cost them $$!
3. Make It Pretty: Take a look at these for inspiration. If you're applying for a graphic design-type internship, making your resume look like you put thought into the design can be an asset. For everyone else, don't try to make it too fancy. The best thing about most of these designs is that they still leave a lot of white space, but they guide your eye where it should go.
Now, having the best-looking resume might be great, but I've heard from more than one employer that (especially when received as e-mail applications), the first thing that employers look at is the cover letter, and that's when the first round of cuts happens. SO...
1. Write A Great Cover Letter!! Your college's Career Center ought to have materials available to you (and maybe even someone to read it and give you feedback). The best cover letters are brief (no more than a page!), spell out your specific qualifications, and detail why you would be a great fit for that particular job. If you've done your homework, your resume should look great, and writing about how you're perfect for XYZ internship won't involve BS. The more BS it takes, the more you know you aren't applying for the right job (and you'll be wasting the editor's time).
Check back soon for Part II: Finding and Applying!
xoxo, Lisa
Latest Comments