finding an internship

I've had a lot of people ask me lately about how to find an internship. Most magazines offer them, it's just a matter of doing a little research. Here are a few tips:

Determine which magazines are published from your area and which of those you might enjoy working at. How do you find them? To start, Magazines Canada offers an online listing of all their member publications (consumer), as does the Canadian Business Press (trade). Also check out the links to the right of major publishing companies.

Then contact each magazine to ask whether they offer internships. Either call the editorial assistant to ask who you should speak to, or contact the managing editor, who is most often the person in charge of interns. Some magazines also post information about internships on their website.

From there, follow the application guidelines, treating it with the same professionalism as when applying for a paying job.

One final note: Don't be picky. Internships at the larger and more well-known publications are highly sought after and very competitive. Apply to smaller magazines and trade publications as well. It may not have the impressive factor of working at a big-name mag, but you'll learn more. Smaller mags have smaller staff so often rely on their interns to fill in where needed. Editorial internships mostly involve fact-checking, but a good one will offer the the chance to write and get more involved with things.

from the horse's mouth

As per my earlier post, Kim Pittaway's complete list of tips on how to bulletproof your career can now be found online here.

recommended reading

It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden, Phaidon, 2003.

Looking for some motivation without resorting to cheesy self-help books? This well-designed pocket book is well worth the read. Some of my fave wise nuggets:

Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have.

Aim beyond what you are capable of. Try to do the things that you're incapable of.

Do not seek praise. Seek criticism.

If you can't solve a problem, it's because you're playing by the rules.

pitch etiquette

If a pitch of yours has been declined...
DO ask why it wasn't suitable for the publication and how you could better tailor your pitches in the future.
DON"T ask the editor for her suggestions on what other magazines you could pitch the idea to.

will work for free

At the recent Ed2010 Toronto Happy Hour, I was asked about volunteering and writing without getting paid. At some point, every writer and editor feels the pressure and need to work for nothing in order to build up his or her resume. But whether it's money or some other benefit, you should always get something for your time, effort and talent. Here are a few quick thoughts; watch for more on this subject (and about internships) in the coming months.

• Volunteering for a cause or nonprofit organization is a good thing. Getting involved with groups like Ed2010, the National Magazine Awards or your charity of choice gives you an opportunity to learn, network and give back to the community (yes, the magazine industry is a community worth giving back to).

• Writing for free makes sense only if you need the clippings. If you're not getting paid, there needs to be another benefit to doing the work. If you're at the beginning of your career or trying to cover a new beat (say, you're a business writer aching to wax poetic about food), sometimes the only people willing to give you a chance are the ones who don't pay. Advancing your career is a perfectly good substitute for cash.

• Working as an editor for free is an entirely different thing than writing for free. Taking on the editorship of a small independent should exempt you from doing an internship. And it's much better experience.

• Don't do it forever. No matter how much you love it, eventually you'll burn out. Always ask yourself, "What do I get out of it?"

recommended reading

The British Columbia Association of Magazine Publishers (BCAMP) produces a set of magazine publishing guides called the In Print Handbooks, covering business strategies, circulation, distribution, editorial management and marketing to advertisers. For students, anyone starting a magazine or for those who just want to know, the series is a great resource. At $32 a set, it's inexpensive too.

think community

Check out this site created by faculty and students in the Masters of Publishing (MPub) program at Simon Fraser University in B.C. It covers industry news, events and has job postings.

Stay ahead of the pack

Last Thursday I attended the latest event held by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors (CSME). The session was called "Bulletproof Your Career" and featured special guests Kim Pittaway (writer and former editor of Chatelaine) and Laas Turnbull (executive VP of Brunico Communications Inc. and former editor of Report on Business Magazine and Shift).

Here I've paraphrased a few of Laas and Kim's expert tips on how to stay ahead of the pack in the magazine biz:

BRAND YOURSELF
Figure out what you excel at and sell that. Are you a phenomenal writer, packaging wizard or display copy virtuoso? Do you constantly have your finger on the next big trend? Can you coach and nurture writers to excellence? Figure out what your strengths are and promote that aspect of yourself in your resume, cover letters, interviews and at work. Work at becoming known for what you're good at.

DO YOUR JOB WELL
In an industry such as ours, you never know when the next opportunity is going to present itself. Or, for that matter, when circumstances will change and you'll be on the hunt for it. Doing your job well is the best thing you can do to market yourself. This is a small industry and people talk. Editors often pick up the phone to call a friend and find out what what's-his-name is really like. (I've done it myself.) Or, they'll be looking for a person who's particularly good at such-and-such and asking for recommendations. Word-of-mouth is a powerful thing – make sure they're saying good things about you.

PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE
By networking -- such as being a part of a community like Ed2010, doing freelance work or volunteering for things like Magazines University or Magazines Canada -- you're making connections in the biz. Again, this industry is small, so getting to know people at other magazines, as well as meeting people in other industries, is important. You never know when you'll be working with them, or when they'll be in a position to lend you a hand (or when you'll be able to help them out). For example, some job opportunities aren't advertised and the only way to find out about them is by word-of-mouth. If you're hooked into the grapevine, you'll hear about those opportunities.

Good luck!