ed2010 job interview event update

For those interested in coming to just the panel discussion part of Thursday's Nail It: Job Interview Workshop presented by Ed2010 Toronto, we've opened up the first part of the night to allow more people to attend.

For $5, you can Join Ed2010 Toronto for the panel discussion part of the evening on how to improve your job interview skills, with special guests Bonnie Munday of Best Health, Megan Griffith-Greene of Chatelaine and Jenny Pruegger of Transcontinental Media.

For $25, meet individually with one of these top magazine professionals for a one-on-one conversation to test out their interview advice.

Thursday, November 26

6-8pm

Northern District Library

COST: 

$5 panel discussion only First come, first admitted. Pay at the door.

$25 panel discussion and one-on-one meeting Space is very limited for the one-on-one meetings, so reserve your spot today. To register, email toronto@ed2010.com for payment details. Please specify which editor you would like a one-on-one chat with and we will try to accommodate your request.

ed2010 job interview workshop

There are still a few spots open for this Thursday's Ed2010 event.

Nail It: Job Interview Workshop

Join Ed2010 Toronto for a panel discussion on how to improve your job interview skills with special guests Bonnie Munday of Best Health, Megan Griffith-Greene of Chatelaine and Jenny Pruegger of Transcontinental Media. Then test out their interview advice in a one-on-one conversation with one of these top magazine professionals.

Space is limited so reserve your spot today. To register, email toronto@ed2010.com for payment details. Please specify which editor you would like a one-on-one chat with and we will try to accommodate your request.

Thursday, November 26
6-8pm
Northern District Library 
COST: $25

blog: interns anonymous

Here's a blog for all you past and current interns (that's pretty much everyone in magazines, right?). U.K.-based Interns Anonymous shares the stories of interns from all sorts of industries, including journalism and publishing. Horror stories, success stories, encouragement, debate — there's a little bit of everything. And although the blog is not magazine specific, you'll find a lot to identify with. Check it out.

office spaces

Most offices are stuck in cubicleland, with uninspiring spaces that lack character and don't represent the kind of work that happens there. They're not very nice places to work. And although I question the practicality of some of the elements in these spaces featured on the Business Insider, I would much rather go to work in one of these offices than in a dull corporate space.

Gawker's steampunk-style offices

The offices of Blue State Digital

ht @lavrusik via @niemanlab

getting to know yourself

Every job you have is going to teach you a little bit more about yourself — about how you like to work and what you want out of a job. You discover more about your preferences, like how you can best keep yourself organized, the types of coworkers you dislike and your strategies for dealing with them, and whether you prefer communicating by email, instant message or by phone with the person in the next cubicle (personally, I don't understand the urge to pick up the phone and call someone sitting six feet from you).

Knowing these things about yourself will likely help you navigate the work environment, help you figure out how to either adapt to systems or introduce "your way" of doing things to make improvements for everyone.

Side note: I wonder, how much do your first "real" job experiences affect those preferences? Is one inclined to think the "right" way to do something is the first way s/he learned how?

what kind of networker are you?

There's an excellent post on Design*Sponge today about networking (it's aimed at designers, but the informations is quite general). In it, guest poster Sara Rosso identifies four types of networkers:

The Trendsetter: is curious and very up-to-date, and spends a great amount of time consuming and filtering information. They will be the first ones to tell you about a new idea or resource or tell you if someone else is already doing it.
 

The Guru: is an expert in a particular subject or subjects with in-depth knowledge at their fingertips and can serve as a source or give an expert opinion when needed. 

The Node: is well-connected with other people and groups. Maybe this person doesn’t have any direct answers for you, but they probably know the right person who does, and is willing to pass along your need/request to help you get an answer.
 

The Giver: is generous with their time, information and opinions and can serve as a person to give you excellent feedback across a variety of subjects. They are interested in helping your cause, teaching you something, or giving feedback on something you’re working on, and they are generous contacts to have.

Some people are going to be all four, or a combination of a few, or just one type of networker. What type are you? Knowing this may help you focus on and develop those skills, and make you more comfortable in networking situations.

And of course, knowing what type the people are in your network will help you figure out who to call when you're looking for specific information.

no mag experience? no problem

Intern. Editorial assistant. Assistant editor. Associate editor. Etc. It's a clear path, but not one you necessarily have to take. As the examples in this Ed2010 article show, if you have experience in another field and want to get into magazines, you can. The trick is to communicate how your skills are transferable and that you "get" magazines. And perhaps your non-magazine experience is a bonus that will make you stand out among all the other applicants.

using business cards right

You definitely need a business card. And you should definitely carry some with you wherever you go. But you should most definitely not hand them out indiscriminately.

In an interview with WalletPop, Chris Brogan points out that handing out your business card before you've engaged with someone — i.e. have had a conversation with him/her — is pointless. How is that person going to know whether they want to do business with you? What reason do they have to contact you? "Don't collect them just to collect them," Brogan says. "There's no value in collecting business cards."




From @chrisbrogan

random useful information & bright ideas

A roundup of some of the things I've been reading in the last few days.

• Top five resources for folks making the transition from print to online, from Phillip Smith (via @kattancock)

• What would your copy wear? Tips on giving your cover letter the proper tone. (Hint: consider who your audience is.) From The Urban Muse.

• Wise words: "The only way to make a magazine better for the advertiser is to make it better for the reader." A sign on the wall at Western Horseman magazine. Through MrMagazine.com.

• How to persuade people (including your boss). From Smashing Magazine.

• Sometimes setting boundaries is the best way to come up with good/fresh ideas. Seth Godin on traction and friction.

• How to blog almost every day, from Chris Brogan.

new paid internship

The Canadian Living Journalism Prize just got better. The two grand prizes now each include a paid 12-week internship, worth approximately $6,500. That's about $13 an hour. I'm not holding my breath, but let's hope this inspires other magazines to start paying their interns.

Related post: Canadian Living Journalism Prize launched

ed2010 toronto happy hour, oct. 14

Time for another infamous Ed Happy Hour:

Join us for a night of mixin' and mingling, and get to know others in the magazine biz. From student to intern to senior to EIC, everyone is welcome — we're a friendly group! Bring your business cards, your magazines, your questions and your beefs. And $5 to enter our Chat-with-an-Editor Raffle: you could win dinner with Chatelaine Senior Editor Rebecca Caldwell (visit Ed2010.com for details). And bring all your editor friends!!  

The usual time and place:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
6:00pm - 9:00pm
The Duke of York, 2nd floor conservatory (go upstairs to the back).
39 Prince Arthur Ave. (near the Bedford exit of St. George subway station) 

RSVP to the event on the Ed Toronto Facebook page. 

Oh, and if you don't know: Ed2010 ("ed twenty-ten") is a purely volunteer networking group and website for aspiring editors who are looking to reach their dream magazine jobs. I am the Canadian Director. And if you would like to join our email list, please send us a note: toronto [at] ed2010 [dot] com.

dealing with the boycott

If you haven't heard yet, the Canadian Writers Group and the Professional Writers Association of Canada are urging all freelancers to boycott Transcontinental over the company's refusal to make amendments to its master contract.

My heart goes out to all the editors at the Transcon publications who will have to hunt harder for contributors, or have to take on extra work to meet their deadlines. It's a horrible position to be in. Editors are the writers' connection to a magazine, and often the writers' biggest advocates, and unfortunately they are the ones who will hurt most from this action.

Transcon editors, how do you plan to cope? Do you think it will affect you much? Have you had any writers speak to you about the boycott yet? Have there been discussions in the office to develop a strategy? Will you be taking on more work yourself?

Non-Transcon editors, chime in too: how would you cope?

create your own job

There's a lot of chatter these days about the the death of the current publishing model. Recent grads are looking for jobs in an industry landscape that's very different from when they entered school four or so years ago, and veterans are clamouring to keep on top of the sea change.

Some of the more entrepreneurial types are saying screw pounding the pavement, I'm making up my own job and launching my own site. (Ok, most of them aren't giving up their day jobs, but they're not relying on climbing the career ladder to get to the top, either.)

Mashable talked to five ink-on-paper pros who have gone digital and compiled their tips for creating a startup journalism site. They cover startup costs, advertising and sponsorship, tech and design, and audience development. So, if you're eager for the next entry on your resumé to be publisher/editor/writer/designer/ad manager/tech support, you might find some useful tidbits in How To Launch Your Own Indie Journalism Site.

keep the welcomes coming

Starting at a new company can feel a little strange, particularly because all the little daily things you never thought twice about have become a minefield of conundrums. Where is the extra photocopy paper kept? Who takes care of replacing burnt out light bulbs? Is it ok to put personal mail in the out box if you put a stamp on it?

And it's surprising how long after your first day questions like these come up. For example, start a job in the fall and you'd be well ensconced in the company by the time summer hours roll around. No one mentions the office closes early on Fridays and you could find yourself with an unexpected free afternoon the first weekend. Nice, but it would have been nice to know too.

So if someone new joins your team, consider that you may need to show him the ropes long after he's become part of the family.

canadian living journalism prize launched

If you're a full-time Canadian journalism student looking for an internship and a chance to build your portfolio, check out the new Canadian Living Journalism Prize. Apply and you might get your story published in Canadian Living, secure an internship at said magazine and even receive a little hard cash.

There are two grand prizes of $1,500 and a 12-week editorial internship each, two second prizes of $500 and two third prizes of $200. All winners will have their stories published in Canadian Living or on CanadianLiving.com.

Go to CanadianLiving.com/journalismprize for application details. Deadline: Nov. 6, 2009.