fashion magazine
How To Land A Fashion Magazine Internship
November 15, 2011 | 
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Landing an internship at a fashion magazine seems like a dream to many girls. Surrounded by glamour and celebrities, styling shoots and being surrounded by tons of designer clothes. And let’s not forget the perks: free designer items. But it’s a tough job, and before you can even find that out aspiring fashion magazine interns have to compete with thousands of other girls to get the job. Here’s a few pointers on how to do it.
Always approach a fashion magazine internship like you would any other job. You’ll want to submit a resume, cover letter and references unless stated otherwise. Depending on the magazine they might want writing samples as well. Tailor your cover letter to each individual magazine. Be sure to mention recent company events in the cover letter. For example, congratulate them on a special issue or increasing their circulation; this let’s them know you’ve done your homework.
Close your cover letter with your objective, but leave this off of your resume. You want your objective to show you will benefit them, not vice versa. If you want to learn from the experience and hopefully turn your fashion magazine internship with them into a full time job that’s great. But spin it in such a way to make it sound like you will be giving them something.
Be sure you know your stuff before going in to the interview. Of course this includes company information, but it’s certainly not limited to that. Even the fashion magazine interns need to know everything there is about fashion. Know designers, know the models, know the stylists, know the photographers. And not just by name, know their styles and what makes them different. If they ask you what designers you would pull to put together a demure look, don’t say Cavalli or Versace. If they ask you who your top three favorite models of the moment are, leave anyone with a Victoria’s Secret contract off the list. You get the picture.
This probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyways: even those wanting a fashion magazine internship need to dress to kill. Many fashion magazine editors have said that they look for girls who can mix high end pieces with discount pieces and a touch of vintage. Your looks should definitely be trendy but still appropriate. Accessorize, but don’t over accessorize. Wear good shoes that look expensive.
Hopefully these pointers will help you land a fashion magazine internship. Always remember to be professional and of course be fashionable!
How To Find A Fashion Magazine Internship
It’s the job a million girls would kill for – the fashion magazine internship. If you’re looking to get into fashion magazines as a career, an internship is one of the only ways to break into the business, especially if you want to work for a top level fashion magazine like Allure, Elle or the highly regarded Vogue. But the biggest question of all is how to find these highly sought after fashion magazine internships. Here are a few tips for getting your foot in the door.
Go Straight To The Source
One of the best ways to find a fashion magazine internship is to go straight to the magazines themselves. You can call the front desk and ask if there are any openings for interns. Or better yet send a resume and cover letter over on your own. They’ll be impressed about how driven and proactive you are.
Go Straight To The Source…Online
Many of the major fashion magazines are owned by the same company, such as Conde Nast or Time Warner. Their official websites have job searches. Give the search a try, a fashion magazine internship lead just might come up.
Start A Blog
How would you like to be handed a fashion magazine internship without even applying? It doesn’t happen in all cases, but running your own fashion blog can get you great opportunities and recognition. You can also use to show potential employers your writing skills and how dedicated you are to fashion.
Through Your School
If you go to a fashion school it shouldn’t be too hard to find an internship at a fashion magazine through your schools connections, depending on the area you’re in. If you’re not at a fashion school it’s still worth a try and hopefully one of your counselors can track down leads especially for you.
Finding a lead for a fashion internship is actually the hard part, it’s landing the job that’s hard! But you’ve got to take these first steps, and it’s important to search, search, search to find those leads. Good luck!
What To Expect At A Fashion Magazine Internship
The movie “The Devil Wears Prada” left many aspiring fashion magazine interns wondering if the interning at a fashion magazine is really the way it was portrayed. It may be a surprise to many but most of what is seen in that movie is not an exaggeration; after all, it was written by someone who worked for Vogue magazine editor in chief Anna Wintour.
It’s A Seasonal Position
Of course every magazine will have a different schedule. Top fashion magazines, like Allure or Marie Claire for instance, hire fashion interns for the season. Usually the fashion intern would start in late December or early January and work through May for the Winter/Spring season. If you impress the boss during your fashion magazine internship, they will keep you on longer.
You’ll Work Your Manicured Fingers To The Bone
One of the most accurate parts of “The Devil Wears Prada” was the long hours that Anne Hathaway’s character had to work. The amount of hours your scheduled for means nothing. Expect to work 12 hour days, maybe shorter, maybe even longer. Most of the work will be running errands, going to showrooms to pick up items, answering phones and emails, and organizing the fashion closet.
When your work is done a lot of times you’ll be asked to stay later until the fashion assistants are finished with their work. And it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have any interaction with the editor; at Vogue magazine interns are told never to look Anna Wintour in the face and not to look in to her office. The fashion assistant will be your boss, but that doesn’t mean they’re not demanding.
Enjoy The Perks
After you’re established in your fashion magazine internship, you might get the chance to fly across the country or perhaps out of the country, just like Lauren Conrad of The Hills did for her internship at Teen Vogue. Part of your work will probably include assisting on shoots and styling the models, which is a lot of fun for any fashion loving girl. And even interns are gifted with high fashion designer label items from the closet.
A fashion magazine internship certainly isn’t a walk in the park, but it’s a good test to see who can and can’t make it in the industry. And if you’re looking for a careers specifically it’s basically the only way to get your foot in the door.
Posted in fashion magazine | 
Tags: Answering Phones, Seasonal Position, Spring Season | 
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