TRICKS OF THE TRADE: How to Prepare for a Magazine Interview

Attention magazine majors!

It's that time of year again! Everyone is putting together resumes and cover letters in hopes of landing their dream internship. However, it is important to know key facts about the magazines you are applying for. The more prepared you are for an interview, the greater the impression you will make with the editor.

Check out the helpful link below from Ed2010, a great site with advice on how to be successful in the magazine industry.

http://www.ed2010.com/2008/06/10-things-know-you-interview

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Finding Your Best Internship by Kellianne Jones

Written by: Kellianne Jones, Blog Contributor

When starting out on my internship search last year, I remember sitting at my computer, staring at Google with my fingers hanging over the keyboard, and trying to think of news networks. I’d type in “ABC internships” and “CNN internships”. I think this is the way most students begin their internship search.

Unless you have been dreaming of working at a particular place your whole life, this method gets you nowhere. Not only are these big-name internships usually expensive (they require you to pay for college credit) and competitive (everyone applies for them), it’ll show if you don’t truly care about the company and what it stands for. You’ll send out a generic cover letter and chances are, you’ll never get hired. That’s why you should apply for internships at companies that do work you admire.

TIP #1: Think about what you like
Think about the show on Current TV you never want to miss or the website you love to check out to get your news. If you are digging Current TV’s journalists more than CNN’s, there’s a reason for that. It’s no secret that many of the mass media companies are in trouble- maybe the future lies within these smaller, obscure companies that are gaining a loyal following. Get an internship at a place like this and in a few years, you’ll be patting yourself on the back for making connections in a place where you can actually use them.

Examples of ways to find media you are passionate about:
- Take a walk through Blockbuster or Barnes & Noble to find some movie titles that intrigue you. Look for festival winners to find the names of some up-and-coming production companies.
- Think about commercials that you can’t get out of your head and find out the name of the advertising agency.
- Listen to talk shows on the radio.
- Look at industry or topic-related blogs that you subscribe to.
- Search around Twitter to find companies that are exercising great PR, and find out if they offer internships in their publicity department.

Look on the company’s website for internship details or contact information, and send them a persuasive cover letter and resume. If you decide that a big-name internship is still the best option for you, think about finding one in a web department or find a newspaper or magazine that has good online readership. This means they are working hard to survive in the new media environment.


TIP #2: Think of other ways to build your resume
Maybe you don’t land the internship of your dreams. Or maybe they only have you coming to the office 2 times a week. This does happen. There’s plenty of other ways to boost your experience.

Aspiring travel-writers can contribute to websites such as Matador or Glimpse to get some articles published. If you are a magazine major, I’m sure you subscribe to online magazines or blogs- see if they are willing to take you on as a contributor. An aspiring PR professional can become web-savvy by tweeting about the industry. Look for things that are web-based (since we all know that’s the way the industry is headed) so you can increase your presence online. Although you probably wouldn’t want these things to be your sole internship for the summer, they can serve as supplements that might just make your resume stand out.

Photographers can contribute to online photography sites such as Vewd or submit some of your work to sites like Burn or Making Room. You could even make contacts on these sites by emailing the photographer of a feature you loved to let them know you admired their work. If you are in a major city while you are interning, check out the gigs section in Craigslist. Professional photographers post there all the time looking for a production assistant for a day or weekend shoot. This will be a good way add some interesting experience to your resume and make some new connections.

Good luck and happy searching!

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Where to Keep Up With Fashion News by Sheri Bhirdo

Written By: Sheri Bhirdo, Blog Contributor

Want to know about and keep up with the latest trends in fashion? With the accessibility of the Internet and user-friendly blogging sites, almost anyone can create a blog and be considered a fashionista nowadays. But which sites are the cream of the crop? Here are just some of my top picks that never fail to inspire and that I promise will always keep you coming back for more!


The Cut
New York Magazine has a great fashion blog on their site that they feature called “The Cut.” Blogger Amy Odell’s posts daily on the season’s hottest trends, beauty tips, celebrity fashion news, and what is going on currently in the fashion world-both off and on the runway. What I really like about this blog is the variety of topics the reader has available to them. One day there will be a post about where to find “rare vintage finds at Saffron” in Brooklyn and the next day there will be a post about Vera Wang’s new bridal collection. I would say this blog is definitely appealing to many audiences with all different styles and interests.


Go Fug Yourself
This daily blog takes a humorous and witty spin on current celebrity fashion. We always think of the stars as stylish and constantly getting it right, but not here. On this site bloggers Heather and Jessica poke fun at celebrities by calling their fashion decisions as “fantastically ugly” or plainly put, “fugly.” However, sometimes the blog lets the readers decide what is to be considered “fugly” through its featured polls.


Frugal Fashionistas
Saving money can be tough in the current economy, especially for college students. That’s why “Frugal Fashionistas” is an awesome website that shows how easy it is to save money without sacrificing style. The blog features expensive celebrity outfits on one side of its posts, while displaying the money saving alternatives on the other. Most of the celebrity outfits featured on this blog can be copied for more than half of the cost! Now who wouldn’t love that?!


The Sartorialist
This blog is a favorite of mine, it is filled with so much inspiration and real down to earth style. Scott Schuman (aka “The Sartorialist”) is considered to be one of the first to begin street fashion photography. In 2005, after Schuman left his job as a fashion sales director, he decided to carry around a digital camera on the streets of New York City seeking stylish people. He began capturing peoples’ looks that he felt were appealing and unique, showing that the world that fashion did not just happen on the runways.

“The Sartorialist” shows that fashion--and more importantly style-- can be found simply on the streets among a variety of people. Daily a quick post is made on this blog, usually consisting a picture of a real, random person off the street. The pictures are mainly taken on the streets of New York but expect to find photos from Paris, Italy and other international hotspots!


Stitch Society
The Stitch Society is a street fashion blog that can be easily compared to The Sartorialist, however the great part about it is that it takes place right in our own Syracuse University! Starting in 2007 the team of bloggers began to look “for independently minded students who [were] fueling the fashion trends [on] campus.” On the site you can expect to see an array of photos taken of Syracuse University students going about their everyday activities, yet looking great and effortless while doing them. What I like most about this blog is that there is no one particular type of style or trend that is focused on. Through each post, a different person and thus style is shown-making the blog itself more personal and exciting!


College Fashionista: Syracuse Edition
This site focuses primarily on collegiate fashion trends from all over the country. However, the side bar on the left features various schools with their own individual college fashionista blogs, one of these schools being Syracuse University! When clicked, you can see the latest trends and styles students are wearing on campus. It is updated daily by SU’s very own fashion students-Hannah, Jenny, Stephanie and Maria Nicole. This is definitely a great site to keep updated on all the latest news pertaining to the fashion world of Syracuse University.


'Cuse Clothes Line
Also from SU is this blog, featuring a variety of posts including street style, how to be stylish on a budget, and commentaries on runway fashion. What I like the most about this fashion blog is that they have posts that show how runway looks can be incorporated to everyday life. For example, one post shows that animal prints are very popular on the runway this season and can easily be incorporated to everyday life through accessories such as scarves. There are many other posts just as these if you the blog out!