I'm writing about my journey into The Magazine. To read part one go here.
Before I really had much time to wallow in self pity I got a phone call from one of the editors I had interviewed with. She wanted to know if I would consider a different internship at The Magazine. A bit of back story here: The Magazine is actually under a parent company that produces several different publications. There's The Magazine, several smaller magazines and then a travel publication. That was with that one that I would be interviewing for.
I came in again, this time for a much shorter interview. A day later I got a better phone call, "we'd like to hire your for this internship!" I was so happy, so ecstatic, and in a strange way very relieved. It wasn't exactly at the flagship publication I had hoped for, but, once again God was at work here.
Initially I had thought the first internship I wanted was the best because I would be writing more. It turned out my internship ended up being very writing intensive. It's interesting how that works itself out. I chose three cities to profile over the summer: Omaha, Columbus and Norfolk. No, we didn't get to choose places like New York City, we were interns for heaven's sake! I loved learning about these places, none of which I'd visited. Each morning I'd call around and do major sleuthing to find the best restaurants, entertainment and travel hot-spots in each given city. I spent a lot of time on the phone calling long distance and interviewing people. I also spent just as much time scouting photos for the stories. By the time a city profile was done it was a gem of a project that had taken me weeks to put together.
In the meantime I wanted to make the most out of my internship. I knew actually getting hired on was slim. There were three times as many interns as spots, and let's rewind the clock to remember it was 2010, still in the thick of recession. Not too much was going on on that front. Let's just say I wasn't expecting a job offer come August. But, I did what I could do, I networked.
Here's where the magic happened. I could only do the internship part time because I had to nanny so that meant earlier mornings and often later evenings. My internship was about work and learning. Early on I had specific goals for myself: learn about the industry, decide if I want to work at a magazine and learn as much as I could from those who are more established.
A few editor's took me under their wing and gave me great ideas. They suggested I get coffee with a few other people. I followed up and did so. Sure it was kind of intimidating at times, but I think people were refreshed because not many other interns had done that. I really wanted to learn from people who had made it. Eventually it was suggested that I meet with some of the people over in the creative department. If you've worked in media you'll know that it's editorial and creative, so I was heading over to a different part of the publication all together.
Once there I kept getting asked about photography. I expressed a lot of interest in it, as I'd grown to love it, but never expected it to grow into a career. Surely that is too foolish I thought. Again, God had a different plan for me. As I met with people I was approached with the opportunity to do a short photography internship. By the end of August I had moved from editorial intern to photography intern and also from the travel publication to the flagship. I was excited, but had no idea what to expect.
Right away I knew I was doing the right thing. I was driving to take photos at II Gatto (no longer open) and while it was snowing and late, the streets full of traffic, I was happy and at-ease. I felt like I fit with what I was doing and it didn't feel like work. Well, these days my plate is a bit fuller and while my job is just as fun and rewarding as it was at the beginning it is certainly work.
I feel like my journey into The Magazine was nothing short of divine. From the opportunities I've had to the wonderful friendships I've fostered the experiences have really enriched my life. The funny thing is, during high school I couldn't even imagine having a job other than wife and mom. I knew I wanted to go to college, but didn't expect to ever love a career. I am really blessed.
