What's Your Story?

So why are you working your butt of this summer as an unpaid intern? Below you'll find my reason and my story for why I am. **Note: This is the essay I wrote to win the $1,000 of Ed's Trust Fund. (copyright is mine) Use it as an example to write your own 500 word essay and apply!


Tired Of Not Knowing What
You’re Supposed To Do With Your Life?
Find Out How One Girl’s Teenage Tantrum
Turned Into Her Life’s Calling


My obsession with magazines all started at the dramatic age of 13 when my dad grounded me for two weeks for throwing a temper tantrum, and a phone, at a family dinner. No one at dinner that night thought that my dad’s punishment would transform his little girl into a fashion maven.

After spending the first two days of my so-called solitary confinement of life without phone or friends, I decided I needed something to fill up my time. That’s when my childhood creativity kicked in and transformed my blank bathroom walls into a canvas. Every day I would come home after school and start ripping out fashion stories I loved, celebrities with unique looks, and models I adored (I knew Adriana Lima was going to be big even back when she was doing editorials for Seventeen!). Due to my precise cutting skills and refusal to post pictures just to fill up space, this project took way longer than two weeks. Even longer than two years. My grand project took a total of three and a half years.

Ever since I had my bathroom wall epiphany, I knew that I was meant to work in the industry, but I still didn’t quite know how my talents converted into a title on a masthead. In high school I found my fit as the editor-in-chief of the yearbook and up until my third year in college I thought it was my calling. After spending a summer as a fashion intern at Glamour, my passion for photography and fashion was revived. But I didn’t quite see myself as a Market Editor. So I poured through fashion blogs, magazines, and even Anna Wintour’s biography to find my place in the industry. That’s when I discovered Stylist by Sarah Mower. I devoured the pages of photography and learned how some of the world’s greatest stylists also served as creative directors. I finally understood how my eye for a certain look, my intuition about certain trends, my background with InDesign and my love of art all pointed towards a career as a creative director.

Since this “aha!” moment I have started to piece together my idea of what makes a good creative director. I changed my plans to study abroad in Madrid and begged my parents to let me study art and French in Paris. For five months I immersed myself in the French culture because I know a good director must understand the ins and outs of the world’s fashion capital. I now look at the world through different eyes. I am always on the lookout for prime photo shoot locations and look to architecture, paintings, and trends to inspire new designs and angles for a magazine.

My dad’s normal solution for handling a boy-crazy 13-year-old turned out to be a not-so-normal event in my life. My love for fashion magazines has taken me on a winding journey. And just when I think I have it all figured out and know what to do with my life, I am introduced to new aspects of the industry that I love. Yet I know that I am on the right track to living the life of my dreams.

Ed's Party

So for those of you who didn't go to Ed 2010's party... you missed out! Okay, I'll admit, it wasn't a raging party or anything but it was cool to find out what other interns do at different publications. It's a good networking thing! And...




I won Ed's Trust Fund award! During the summer Ed's Trust Fund gives two interns $1,000 scholarships. What's crazy is only 30 people applied... so the odds were pretty good! Ed also gives away one fall and one spring scholarship too. Check Ed2010 for more details.



Oh and one last thing: visit the Boat Basin Cafe on 79th St. and the Hudson River, it has an amazing sunset view!

Come to the Party!

Tomorrow night my favorite magazine go-to site, Ed2010.com, is hosting an NYC intern party. So come! There will be door prizes, free cupcakes, a chance to meet other interns and network with editors! I'm going and I would love to see you there!

Here is the address:
7th Annual Welcome to NYC Intern Party
Boat Basin Cafe (West 79th Street at the Hudson River)
Tuesday, June 17, 6:30-8:30pm

Visit their website for more information.

Post-Peabody's

I arrived at the Waldorf around 11:15 a.m. and my friend Andrew and I wandered around until we found the right ballroom (the hotel is huge!). I was a little surprised at how many "older" people were there. But really I should have known it would be a mostly older crowd... the people with the most experience are going to be the most talented!
At noon we took our seats at table 73 for the opening of the ceremonies. Michael Adams, the president of University of Georgia, gave an introductory speech and afterwards we ate a delicious lunch: steak, salad, potatoes and chocolate. Unfortunately Andrew and I had to leave as soon as the ceremony began, which was a little disappointing... but it was time for both of us to get back to work. On the bright side, I did get to see Stephen Colbert! Very charismatic and handsome, just like on T.V.
Even though I didn't get to see the ceremonies, here are some highlights:
- Lesley Stahl replaced Brian Williams as the emcee because Williams opted to attend Tim Russert's funeral (and rightly so).
- Heidi Klum was present to accept an award for Project Runway . Showtime's Dexter won as well.
- The Colbert Report , The Discovery Channel's Planet Earth won,
- ABC's Wounds of War – The Long Road Home for Our Nation`s Veterans, which is a series of reports by news correspondent Bob Woodruff, won a Peabody, along with many others.

Check out the press release to view more information about the 67th Annual Peabody Awards. So wish I had seen Heidi!

An Intern goes to the Peabody's

YAY! So you know how after you get home from working all day and you are too tired to do anything? Well... this was me on Thursday, but I did not feel like sitting home alone so I went to dinner with my Paris roommate,Savannah, and her friends from the South. And oh how glad I am that I went!
We went to Paradou's over in the Meatpacking district and I met some guys who work on Wall Street. (all those guys who work in finance get amazing tickets to stuff!) One guy happened to have an extra ticket to the Peabody's.... and I finangled my way into receiving that ticket! Ahhh I am so excited.
Skipping work is not acceptable, even to go to the Peabody's, so I am going to skip my lunch break and come in an hour early in order to go.
NBC's Nightly News anchor Brian Williams is the emcee of the 67th Annual Peabody Luncheon luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Even though I am only going for an hour of it, it should be pretty exciting! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Oh and the point of the story? Make the most of your summer and be social! Go out (I don't mean get drunk and make a fool of yourself) and have fun! In New York City, you are surrounded by the most interesting mix of people in the world; you never know where you will catch your big break!

Style.com's Intern How-To

Style.com collaborated with editors, designers, and PR firms to bring this summer's interns a list of what to and what not to do. This slideshow gives tips on what to wear, when to give your opinion, and what they don't want to see you doing in the office (is that your phone I hear ringing?).

What to Expect at Your Summer Fashion Internship

Finals are over and many students are looking forward to the next challenge: a summer internship. Internships are a great way for students to learn if a job or professional field is right for them. A job in the tough and competitive fashion world is no different: Some students realize they are on the right track. Others learn that this isn't the industry for them.

Hilary McCanse, a senior journalism major at the University of Wisconsin, realized she was going in the right direction after her internships. McCanse spent her 2007 summer as an accessories intern at Glamour magazine. It was her second internship in the fashion industry. She worked at Chanel in London in 2006.

McCanse’s job as an accessories intern involved returning purses, shoes, and jewelry to the designer after the magazine had used them. She also organized the fashion closet, a room where the magazine holds all their samples, delivered accessories to photo shoots, and did many Starbucks’ runs.

McCanse got the Glamour internship by asking a friend of her dad’s for an editor’s contact information. Several e-mails and one phone interview later, McCanse got the job. She didn’t even have to interview.

“Honestly I think I slipped through the cracks,” she said.

The application process starts early for students who don’t have connections to help secure an internship. Some students start applying for summer internships in the fashion magazine industry in December. Conde Nast has a January 31st deadline for its summer intern program. Others are able to find internships at the online site EdBoard2010.com a month before it starts.

Some professionals warn that students who really want the job need to step up to the plate, get their paperwork in, and be persistent.

Nick Axelrod, a fashion assistant for Women’s Wear Daily, is surprised by how many students don’t follow through with the application process.

“I only ever actually got responses from people after following up at least two or three times,” Axelrod said.

Axelrod recommends that intern applicants follow up at least once a week with the editor responsible for the hiring. This shows the editor how much you are interested in the internship.

Don’t worry if your boss has not told you the details about your job in the days leading up to your internship. Editors have busy work schedules and sometimes don’t have time to answer e-mails. They are used to receiving new interns and will answer your questions, but it is better to wait until the first day of work.

People in the fashion industry dress stylishly, but appropriately, while on the job. Interns wear summer dresses or jeans with a cute top and flats or comfortable heels. Male interns should pair a nice shirt with jeans and either open or closed-toe shoes. You will spend the most of the day on your feet, running errands and making copies, so be comfortable. Many New Yorkers wear flip-flops on the metro and when they are a block from work, change into their dress shoes.

If you are wearing a dress, make sure it is long enough because you may find yourself working on the floor creating storyboards. Storyboards are made up of the looks editors want their assistants to get samples of to use for a photo shoot. When you are working on storyboards, the last thing editors want to see is your underwear.

McCanse said she wore a skirt or dress to work almost every day.

“You are in the fashion industry…get creative with what you wear. I love thrift stores and wore many vintage outfits. What ever you wear, don't look sloppy,” she said.

Holly Bauman, a senior at the University of Texas, also spent last summer working at Glamour. After her experience at Glamour, she decided to spend her following spring semester working at D Magazine in Dallas. She was surprised by the casual, laid-back atmosphere.

“At Glamour, we barely had a moment to eat lunch. At D they give us an hour break and let us work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” Bauman said.

The New York City market is more fast-paced than other cities’ work environments. If you have a job in New York, be prepared to work non-stop. But just because you work hard doesn’t mean you don’t have fun.

Bauman said her most memorable experience was the friendships she made with the other interns.

“We all became so close because we were working on top of each other all day. There is no way we could all have gotten our work done without the help of other interns,” she said.

Whether it is an internship in the Big Apple, or in the Big D, make sure to enjoy your experience for what it’s worth. Before you know it, the summer will be over and you'll be back hitting the books.

Get a Career Head Start

I started my internship at WWD last week and have really learned a lot! Working at different publications helps broaden your horizons and better understand different facets of the industry. I've even received some insider tips from other interns. For example, have you heard of Model Mayhem ?

It is a website dedicated to helping new photographers, make-up artists, hairstylists, models, and stylists make connections. You can create a profile and post ads to look for models, photographers, stylists, etc who are willing to work with you to create a portfolio. Some people pay, some people don't. The whole idea is to network and help each other create work to use in your portfolio. (For those of you who don't know what a portfolio is, it is a file of all your work and experience to show to potential employers on interviews)

So! If you are like me and panicking about having a job upon graduation, check out this site. Start creating your portfolio! Find models and photographers who are willing to work for little or no pay and get your name out there. It is never too early to start!

Finally! I'm Back

Ahh I am so sorry about this confusion over the past month. When Blogger (the host of this blog) switched their server over to Google.com, the system wouldn't accept my information. So after many e-mails and help postings to Google, I am finally set back up! Check back for daily posts.