How to Get Work in Fashion Magazine Publishing (see Post #1 for related threads)

[BetteT]

There is a thread about resumes which probably has a lot of tips:
All about Resumes / CV's and Cover Letters for Jobs and Internships

 

[YoninahAliza]

I want to write for magazines/newspapers however I also am interested in styling for photoshoots. Do you think it is possible to do both? I really don't want to have to give up one or the other. Also if you could give me some names of people who have managed to do both, this would help me out a bunch!

 

[Cicciolina]

There are definitely editors out there who can both style and edit. One of the more recently well known ones is Liberty London Girl (her blogging name http://sashawilkins.com/

 

[EnVogueLove]

Sorry if this was already asked. I didn't read the whole thread. I will do it later today. Is it a good idea to send to magazine some of street style pics of people which I shoot and tell them that It will be great to have also street style in their magazine. I want to be a fashion editor, but I know that I need to start from a bottom. I can't lose anyting to send them my idea, right?
I mean I will be an assistant if I have to, but I thought that my idea was good to start with.
Should I also send them my biography?
What I do now is studying art hisory and I write articles for some online magazine and I was published twice in some monthly magazine,but I want to be fashion magazine editor .

Please tell me what do you think about my idea? Tnx you very much

 

[BetteT]

I have just moved some posts around to more applicable threads:

Discussion about who does what on a magazine (job descriptions) can be found here: Careers / Jobs / Positions in Magazine Publishing

Discussion about education for a career in publishing is here: What Education is Needed to get into Magazines / Publishing?

 

[BetteT]

Sorry if this was already asked. I didn't read the whole thread. I will do it later today. Is it a good idea to send to magazine some of street style pics of people which I shoot and tell them that It will be great to have also street style in their magazine. I want to be a fashion editor, but I know that I need to start from a bottom. I can't lose anyting to send them my idea, right?
I mean I will be an assistant if I have to, but I thought that my idea was good to start with.
Should I also send them my biography?
What I do now is studying art hisory and I write articles for some online magazine and I was published twice in some monthly magazine,but I want to be fashion magazine editor .

Please tell me what do you think about my idea? Tnx you very much

Normally, for any job, an applicant would need to send a resume (also called a CV, if you are in Europe) and a cover letter ... more can be found about that here: All about Resumes / CV's and Cover Letters for Jobs and Internships These would includes facts about your education and related experience and a statement illustrating how that would make you a good candidate for thier company.

If you wished to include some of your work (your photos or anything you have written) with your resume it might get their attention ... if you are applying to be a fashion editor. But ... if you don't have formal experience doing that, then you must start at the bottom.

Starting at the bottom means, at best, being an assistant to a fashion editor. But it's very likely it will be as a clerk or receptionist or doing something else for the company.

So, if you are seeking work as an assistant, or any other entry level job, it might backfire on you ... I would suggest that you not send them anything about your "ideas" at this point. An assistant is not asked to write nor edit anything. They just need to be able to support the person they are assisting. An assistant might need a car, may need to do other things like computer input, should be organized and can work very hard. Yes ... having a good art and fashion knowlege would be a plus ... but at this point they would not be interested in your photos nor your ideas about how to improve the magazine. That should all come later, after you have proven yourself as a good employee ... and then only when you know the time is right and the person is interested.

 

[YoninahAliza]

I adore LLG blog, and its great to know that I can achieve this goal because other people have done the same.

 

[Marie Ó Rouge]

Human Resources of VOGUE USA

I would like to talk about the team of VOGUE USA and especially about the selection of magazine staff. What do you think?

I have some questions, and maybe some infiltrators could report on it.


For example, why it's so common in VOGUE USA that womens (unlike men) are rich socialites and well-born?
What is the usual way to select VOGUE USA staff?

I think it's an interesing and succulent topic.

 

[BetteT]

I've merged your thread here, since this is where we talk about how people get to work for fashion magazines, such as Vogue. They are all similar in nature.

It's a lot about connections and who they know ... if you read the previous pages you'll see some discussion about this. So, socialites are connected from birth. It's true for Russian fashion magazines too. Take a look at all the threads in the "Behind the Lens" forum where we have information about various magazine editors, fashion editors, etc. from around the world. Lot's of them were "connected" and got in that way.

But, many staff members get in via entry level jobs or internships out of fashion school and work their way up from there. Some come in via other departments ... accounting, graphic arts, typesetting, distribution, the mail room, receptionists, ... there is a wide variety of jobs at any fashion magazine like Vogue ... almost like a small city.

So it's not all socialites at all ... but, yeah, they often are offered the high profile jobs like fashion editor or art director because they know the boss. And some of the internships may be given to the young women from the best schools because the boss knows their mothers socially .... a fact of life in fashion, not just magazines.

 

[Marie Ó Rouge]

Thank you for your information.

I would like to read the discussions about this, ¿can someone give me the links?

 

[BetteT]

Links to the various editors?

Since you are a fairly new member, I went into the "Behind the Lens" forum here and did a search for you to find threads about editors.

I used the keyword "editor" and this is the results ... 3 pages listing threads about various editors and fashion editors of fashion magazines from around the world. You can read about any one of them that interest's you ... and most likely, somewhere in that thread is information about their background and education, etc.:
http://forums.thefashionspot.com/search.php?searchid=16180835

 

[Marie Ó Rouge]

Thank you again Bette T

 

[thefrancofille]

Is it possible to get a job in Magazine publishing if you are older (30) and out of college and in another field. Most internships seem to be for those who can get college credit. Thanks!

 

[prosperk]

I did. I was 36 when I had my first fashion-related piece published. I was over forty when I was recruited as features director of a leading men's title. And I didn't belong to any of the usual "mafias", being straight for one thing. But then, I wasn't coming into it as an intern, albeit a thirtysomething intern. I'd been working in other fields of journalism, starting with motorcycle testing and music writing, progressing through "social reportage" and the Balkans to a very dark place indeed, at which point she-who-must-be-obeyed ordered me to stop trying to be James Cameron and to take a nice, quiet desk job. Actually, I had a ball working for fashion mags. The publishing house in question was still full of gloriously batty old Absolutely Fabulous types and wonderful, generous, extrovert queens, rather than the gimlet-eyed suits and hard-eyed little jailhouse-style queers and grasping rentboys who seem to have taken over since I saw the future and walked away to get another life somewhere else. But don't let me discourage you. You can still have fun. But interning? Better, surely, to try to get some freelance reporting or features writing under your belt and promote yourself as a journalist rather than a willing slave to fetch and carry for the editors. After all, anyone can be a journalist today. They're even handing press cards out to bloggers. So don't undersell yourself. If you have what it takes, that will win through in the end and you will be published and you will end up with a staff job somewhere. How long you last there afterwards is then merely a matter of politics and your tolerance levels.

PK

 

[envogueforever]

Hello everyone, not sure if this has been asked or if a thread for it exists but how can I get started in the freelance business?

I aspire to become an art/fashion/style consultant for magazines, ad campaigns, fashion shows, luxury brands etc.

I'm in my last uni year in Magazine Publishing, so I need to think ahead on how I'm going to proceed after I graduate... Thank you in advance, any advice would much appreciated!

 

[Cicciolina]

You *usually* only get to a consultant after lots of experience in the industry, or, if you have limited experience, amazing contacts.

It's a bit difficult to just be a consultant straight out of school

 

[envogueforever]

^ Lol I'm aware that I won't be one straight after uni

I meant that later on, that's what I'd like to do! But for example, if I'd like to be a freelance fashion editor for various magazines, how do I break in? I would prefer to work for various publications than to be employed full time by one... Thanks in advance for the advice

 

[octopi]

Hi everyone!
I come from 3 years of fashion industry experience (worked in fashion design for 2 years) and now I have realized that my talents are ambitions are more suited to a career in fashion publishing.

I've contacted a Canadian fashion magazine regarding internships and was told that their next round of interviews will commence in early spring of next year (does this mean March-ish? Or earlier?) and now my question is, what should I do to prepare for the interview process, or to make my application stand out amongst the many others?

Here is a list of my qualifications/experiences:
- Fashion designer (women's wear) for 2 years, one in China and one in Vancouver, Canada
- Styling experience from that 1 year in China, putting together outfits/pulling accessories for their magazine/catalogue shoots
- With my current job, I work for a women's wear company and assist with creative direction of the collections, putting together trend stories for the design team
- I keep my own fashion blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, and online portfolio
- Well-traveled

Is there anything I should add to the list of things I already do, in order to better prepare me for an internship/career in fashion publishing, and to make myself more appealing for the hiring manager?

Thanks in advance for your advice! Please let me know if there's any interest in viewing my blog/portfolio/LinkedIn/Twitter etc to see how it might look to a potential employer.

 

[BetteT]

First thing I would suggest is to see if you can find out more about their internship program ... specifically the requirements to apply and the timing. I'm sure someone there is in charge of that, so I'd see if I could get to that person for more information.

If you have read the thread about interships, you'll see that in most cases they will require that you be getting credit for it in school. It seems to be the most common requirement for any internship, not just publishing. So check that out with them, before you waste your time applying if you are no longer in school.

If that's the case ... you need to go back to your school and see if there are any courses that you can take short term where you can also do an internship for credit.

With your styling and design background, I would expect that you might be considered to work in the fashion editor's office ... rather than in copywriting or art design.

Now ... you also said "potential employer" ... so are you actually talking about a paid job ... not an internship? If that's the case you may disregard what I said about internships and just apply for a job. Expect to start at a very low rung ... but focus on working in editorial and possibly in the fashion editor's office, because that is where your experience would be most helpful, I would think. Take anything ... a gopher, a receptionist, an assistant to an assistant ... just get your foot in the door, so they can see how you work and eventually what your talent and skills are.

 

[octopi]

Hi BetteT! Thanks for your advice!

- The person I contacted is a friend of a friend. I forwarded my application to her as well as the person in charge of hiring fashion editorial interns, and she replied to me saying that she will pass my application onto said person who hires interns, and that their next round of interviews is in early spring (which I'm assuming is late Feb-early March).

- I indeed have gone through the Internships thread as well as other related ones, and I realize that most internship programs require student status. Luckily this is not the case for this magazine, not most of the Canadian magazine internships I have looked into

- When I said potential employer I meant "company that might give me an internship" but actually I was browsing the job listings for the magazine I have applied for an internship at, and they had posted an editorial assistant job. I'm sure it's already filled, because the post date was last month but when I read the job description I thought, "It sounds like I can perform all of these tasks!" It's mostly fact-checking, contributing story ideas and administrative tasks. But now that I have already applied for an internship, I don't want to seem scattered or unfocused by applying for this job (which is a pretty old posting anyway). But maybe the opportunity will arise in the future and then I can apply.

Now, do you know of any questions that are commonly asked in a typical magazine internship interview process? I am prepared for the usual "why do you want to work for us", and "what makes you an ideal candidate" etc but was wondering if there's anything else they might ask that I can prepare for.

Thank you Bette!!