10 Steps to Landing Your Dream Internship

1. Create a Resume (no matter how short it is)
2. Find Contacts for where you want to work - use Ed2010 and friends
3. E-mail contacts and attach resume. This is your time to sell yourself!
4. Wait....(atleast 2 weeks) to e-mail contacts again. Be polite but show how much you want the job!
5. Prepare for the interview by researching the company and industry news.
6. Expect to answer questions like "Why do you love fashion?" "Why should we pick you?" etc.
7. Wearing something stylish to the interview, but dear God, please no cracks or cleavage!
8.Follow up with thank-you e-mails to the people you interviewed with
9.If you don't get your #1 job, keep trying. If you're smart and determined enough, you'll eventually get it!
10.CELEBRATE When you get the job! Then start researching everything about the company so you are the kick-ass intern who already knows all your bosses names!

PS... NOT just for Spring Interns

Hey guys I've had 5-10 peeps saying that people are only asking for spring interns on Ed2010.... but that doesn't mean you can't e-mail them! E-mail them and ask when they are looking for summer interns. This way, they already know who you are, you have their contact info, and you will be the first to apply when they are looking for summer ones!
Plus, a lot of people don't advertise for summer interns because most of the positions are already filled by the time spring comes around... I PROMISE people are already interviewing, even if they don't say so on Ed2010!
Good Luck!

I Am the Devil? Who says that?!

Hey check out this clip from Gawker.com about Larry King Live with Roberta Myers, the EIC of Elle with Posh, next month's cover girl.

The Elle Call Back

On Friday I was running around doing errands and blasting Coldplay. I heard my phone rang, picked it up thinking it would be one of my friends, and it was Kristen, the fashion assistant I had interviewed with at Elle! I was so embarassed because I didn't know who she was when she said "it's Kristen." She went on to inform me that they wanted me to intern this summer... and I had to politely inform them that I had already taken a job!
I was shocked because I thought I would have heard back from her sooner, and I didn't think that she liked me that much when I went to interview! So..
Lesson Learned: Always keep the company's you interview with in your cellphone book so when they call you, you aren't blasting music and therefore look like an idiot. And realize that while you might think an interview went awfully, it probably didn't. The assistants can't show too much interest when they interview you because they a) don't want to give you the wrong idea if they don't hire you and b) want to keep their options open. With that in mind... good luck with interviews over break!

While I was sleeping...

I had this crazy dream last night that I was interning at Glamour during my winter break and all of my friends in high school were interning as well and I was thinking,"wait a minute.. how the hell did you get here? And why is the Glamour staff working out of my house?!" And then I looked around and saw all the staffers with really butch haircuts and the cast from StarWars being photographed... strange i know!
Some people have asked me how do you contact the place you want to work? Good luck if you go through the human resource department - it will take you months to talk to the person you want to! Instead, go to EdBoard 2010 (link is to the right) and find the intern job whispers page. When you get there look at all the want ads and the e-mail addresses listed below!
While you may not be able to work for the term they need someone, you can definitely let them know you are interested in a summer job! So ask them when they are hiring for summer, and always attach your resume just in case they want to look right then. Make it easy for them, and keep the e-mail short!

Almost French

Almost French by Sarah Turnbull
304 pages. Gotham Books $13.00
ISBN 1-592-40082-5-5130

Almost French is the grown–up, European version of a Disney princess tale. When I was little I longed to sing like Ariel, be pursued like Snow White, and dress like Sleeping Beauty. I still dream of the same things, just now there’s a grown up twist. I want to kick-ass like Anna Wintour, have my frog of a boyfriend turn into a prince, and be dressed in head-to-toe Chanel. Alas, for me, these are still dreams. For Sarah, they come true.
Sarah is a poor, young, adventurous journalist in Eastern Europe. One night at dinner she decides to take a dashing man up on his offer to come visit him in Paris. When Sarah arrives at Charles De Gaulle airport she immediately panics. What was she thinking, coming to visit a man she barely knows who doesn’t even speak English! Despite some rather amusing cultural misunderstandings, Sarah and Frederic enjoy six weeks exploring Paris and its countryside. After the wonderful summer in France, Sarah decides she must get back to reality and her low-paying job in Romania.
After six months of phone calls and letters, Sarah makes a life-changing decision to leave her job and move in with Frederic. Sarah’s second time in Paris starts off as exciting and thrilling as her first. But after a few months of no work and no friends, Sarah feels lonely. So Frederic helps her sets up an at-home office to find writing gigs and they give up their spacious apartment in Paris’ suburbs to move to the heart of the city. This change of scenery gives Sarah new energy to explore and become a part of the French culture. She takes French classes, finally makes French friends, and even gets the ultimate French status symbol, a dog. More specifically, a West Highland terrier named Maddie.
After seven years trying to blend into the French culture, Sarah still doesn’t feel like she belongs. The words of a wise Greek man she once interviewed ring true: she will always feel “like an Australian in France and a Frenchman in Australia.” In other words, her heart will always be divided between her old way of life in Australia and her new one in France. After accepting this fact, Sarah begins to feel more comfortable in her own skin and finds that this is the key to Parisian acceptance.
This feel-good memoir encourages readers to achieve their own aspirations by describing the way that she realizes her own. The princess of this fairy tale describes the lifelong journey of a woman trying to discover her own identity in a city full of faux pas and facades. Although it has a predictable plotline, there are plenty of amusing anecdotes that make this book an enjoyable, easy read. Almost French gives great insight into the complicated yet rewarding Parisian lifestyle.

yay!

AH so I got the internship I was dying to get! Even though I spent less that 24 hours in NYC, it was packed with so much stuff! I had 3 interviews: Elle at 9am, WWD at 12pm, and Marie Claire at 3pm.... which I didn't make cuz I took the job with WWD!!! WWD stands for Women's Wear Daily, which is what insiders call "the fashion bible". Do I agree? Hell yeah!
WWD is a daily paper that is on the desk of every major fashion editor by 9am. It is one step ahead of what magazines are going to publish a few months later. They talk about the business side of fashion and the upcoming trends. I remember last year at Glamour I had that on Sarah Meikle's desk way before she got into the office because it was the first thing she liked to look at when she arrived.
To say I'm excited would be an understatement. All I know is that this summer may be even better than the last and hopefully, put my foot in the door for a job 6 months later when I graduate!

what's ur story

Ah this weekend burned me out, thanksgiving and birthday. My brain isn't quite working right! So tell me, where have you guys interned? What do you know about the fashion industry? Who have you interned for? Lemme know!

Change of Plans

AHHH! On a whims notice an editor asked me to come interview next Tuesday! Of course I told her I could fly up to NYC, but now I am scrambling to finish my term paper that is due next Monday and also find time to celebrate my 21st birthday!

Luckily my dad will be in NYC on business so he can foot the bill, but I still have so much more to plan!

Ever had to change your plans last minute for a job?? Tell me about it!
Despite the stress factor, I can't wait to head back to the city, see all the Christmas decorations, and hopefully land an internship...wish me luck!

If the Devil wears Prada... do I?

I know one girl that thought just because she was interning for Chanel she had to wear Chanel every day to work. For the majority of us, that would mean over $40,000 in debt! The rest of the interns just laughed at her - no one at the office wore Thanel every day.
When I walked in the door at Glamour, I was surprised that half the staff was dressed casual in jeans and the other half in dresses and heels. That's what's great about working in fashion - everyone dresses in their own style. Even though there was no dress code, I wore chic, casual dresses to the office. It's better to dress for the job you want, not the job you have. It's the best way to get noticed as an intern!

Sell Yourself

I just got out of a seminar for college students wanting to enter the entertainment industry. Panelists had worked for Harpers Bazaar, E!Entertainment, William Morris Talent Agency and Allure Magazine. One panelist made a great point about getting into the business:
Popular agencies and companies receive over 200 resumes a week. So how do you separate yourself from the crowd? By selling yourself and telling them why they need you (even as an intern!). These are some of the traits he looks for in an employee

• How talented is this person?
• How passionate are they about the industry?
• Do they have a certain "look" or personality that sets them apart?
• What relationships, knowledge or connections can they bring to the table?
• How accountable are they? Do they bring any "baggage?"
• Do they have a 2nd skill they can bring to the position? (ie language, job experience)

He made another great point: Make your resume stand out. He strongly suggested creating another element to your resume by making a YouTube video, writing a blog, or using another creative outlet selling who you are.
So what do you think about the idea of "selling yourself"? Is it like selling your soul or is it just a necessary marketing tool to get your foot in the door?

Confessions of a Former Vogue Intern

Check out this article about a Londoner who moved to NYC to intern for Vogue's fashion department. Everything she describes is typical of what any fashion intern will do. Granted, she worked there in winter 2005, so remember that things may have changed since she's been there.

A Million Girls Would Kill For This Chance

Oh and by the way, I don't advise ranting about your former employer if you plan on working in the fashion industry! What comes around goes around baby!

Age... Does it Matter?

When is a good time to start interning? I use to think you had to wait til you were atleast a junior in college. And that it was really hard to get an internship as well. In reality, you can start applying as early as 18 years old. It may be harder to get the job, but I interned with one girl that had just graduated from high school. Granted, she interned during May, which is oftentimes a transition period between the spring and summer interns.
Some magazines offer internships to high school students. I've heard of some magazines that offer one week internship opportunities for high schoolers through school charity auctions. I've only seen them in the northeast because the schools are close to NYC, but there may be some at local magazines elsewhere.
But what's the average age of interns? Most are a junior or senior in college, or even a recent graduate!

I got the job... now where the heck do I live?!

A few girls have wondered about how in the world you find housing in the Big City. I got really lucky. I forgot the date for NYU summer housing registration and totally missed the deadline. So I scrambled around and after a LOT of searching, found an awesome master bedroom on Craigslist.
Granted, the $2250 rent was a little much so I shared the huge room (and a bed!) with one of my best friends. The $1,125 a month I paid is almost the exact same cost I would have paid had a lived in an NYU dorm. Believe me, I got the better deal! My beautiful apartment in Chelsea was only 2 subway stops from my job in Times Square - not to mention the 24/7 security, terrace and workout facilities!
So if you are looking for a place to live this winter or spring, my advice is to check Craigslist - and be persistent! It took me a month to find the perfect fit!

Don't Miss the Deadlines!

So it's finally the time of year where we find ourselves so busy with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, finals, papers, gift shopping, gift wrapping and..... intern applications! Yes, it is time to start applying if you want to get a leg up on the 100s of girls who will soon be applying for that New York internship! So how do you get started? View this list as a starters guide:

• Create a Resume with ANY experience you have, especially if you have any that relates to the field you want to intern for
  
• Find out who you know, your friends know, your parents know, that could give you an intial contact in the field
  
• Clean up your Facebook, MySpace, etc BEFORE you even think about applying! Every boss checks these sites to get your scope (believe me, I watched a fellow intern meekly supply facebook information about future interns for her boss!)
  
• Go to Ed2010 to see what internships are already posted
  
• study up on the industry! Visit the sites on the left of the page to get you started
  
• write a short e-mail to the intern coordinator -- attach your resume.
  
• apply to various places, you never know who you will hear back from

Finally wait patiently to hear back from them. Some coordinators will tell you its too soon or too late. be persistant and see what pops up. But please, don't call them unless they ask. E-mail is the way to go, I promise you assistants check their e-mail constantly! Wait a few weeks to hear back from them. If they don't respond, send a polite e-mail reminding them of your application/resume.
Any questions? Feel free to ask!

MK+A in Paris

So I am extremely jealous that two of my girlfriends got to meet and hang out with Mary-Kate and Ashley in Paris after the show of their high-end line, The Row. So how did they get so lucky? Well it turns out that my girlfriend’s mom, Stacey, who owns a boutique called French Pharmacie , sat next to Mary-Kate at her show during New York Fashion Week.
Mary Kate proceeded to ooo and ahh over our beloved Staceface, since this woman is o-so-gorgeous -- and she's had 4 kids! the best part is that MK keeped on asking Staceface about her Angelina-sized lips. The woman is naturally blessed with the huge things, but MK kept on talking about how she was thinking about getting collagen injections herself!

Fashion Editor Resigns

Last week Page Six reported that Ashley Baker, a fashion editor at Glamour, had resigned. This summer she attended a law firm conference to give advice on what to wear at the office. Apparently, in front of a group of African-American female lawyers, she said “afros were out.” A few months later an article was published in a law journal complaining about her comments about the natural state of black women’s hair. EIC Cindi Leive was shocked and embarrassed by the article.
I met Ashley while I interned at Glamour, and thought that she was great. Everyone I saw Ashley working with seemed to think highly of her as well. But in the sake of journalism, read the following stories below to get the scoop and make your own call:

The New York Post: Glamour EIC reacts
Gawker: Everyone loves Baker
Gawker: Staff disliked Baker
Jezebel: Ashley sets story straight

Glamour Daze

This is a pic of some of my fellow interns my 1st week at Glamour. This is a mix of the old interns that worked the month of May and the new ones that were working for the summer. The month of May is kind of an awkward period because interns are coming and going - it's the transition between spring interns and summer interns. Normally interns work for a whole season, but May ones are typically there for only a month. Lucky for me, I had an awesome group of girls I interned with this past summer. I've heard some horror stories -- always watch out for the bitch intern who thinks she can boss everyone around! And NEVER be that girl - no matter how ridiculous, slow, or lazy the new interns are!

*Lesson Learned: Always be nice to everyone, because you never know who you are going to work with again. The girls you intern with are more than likely going to be the girls you work with at some point or another.

The Life of a Fashion Intern

So this summer I had the adventure of my life in NYC. For anybody that's ever wondered what it'd be like to live in the Big Apple, go do it! And do it while you're young! Life in New York was a dream for me - mainly because of my job.
Monday through Thursday I woke up at 8:20 and was on the subway by 8:45 to make it to the 16th floor of the Condenast building in Times Square. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I interned for the fashion department of Glamour magazine. I remember how intimidating it was on that first cold rainy day (June 4th!) to walk into a stark white closet filled with the most beautiful, most expensive clothes I had ever seen in my life. Yet it soon became second nature to stand on my feet all day and make calls to Bottega Veneta and check in diamond encrusted Dolce and Gabbana gowns. Ahh the life!
So throughout this blog I am going to recount my dream internship to give you the inside scoop and show you how to get an internship at a major magazine. PLEASE. Feel free - comment, ask me questions, tell me what you want to see!