What Education is Needed to get into Magazines / Publishing?

[smartarse]

If you want to write for a fashion magazine...

you don't have to go to a fashion school. 4 year college is best. They salivate an elite/ivy league school graduate. And for those in the United States , Columbia University has the best journalism program. Actually, it's the top journalism program in the country. B)

 

[MarryMeTomFord]

Does writing for an e-learning company (Content given by client.. we have to chunk it and make it in a teachable format) count as writing experience for a magazine job?
also anyone know any points of contact for a writers job in Mumbai?

 

[ingvildel]

I'm a graphic designer and I've worked at a newspaper for almoust two years, but would like to try something new and more creative. How should I proceed if I want to work in a magazine? Do magazines anounce graphic work or are these jobs so popular that there's no need for that?

And when it comes to lay-out/graphic design work, what do the "big magazines" value the most: A great portfolio or work experience?

 

[prosperk]

I cannot think of anyone with a degree in journalism amongst my contacts. In fact, I am not convinced that a degree is a pre-requisite. It helps if you can write but many magazines take on semi-literate people whose copy must then be knocked into shape. An awful lot of magazine journalists whose bylines you see here and there couldn't write their way out of a paper bag to save their coke-fuelled lives. Same applies to the editors. Any aspiring journalist, particularly if looking at fashion and style writing, has a clear choice: quality or quantity. Try to find a magazine with good writing in it and then get in touch with the Editor in Chief, saying that you appreciate the quality of the writing and content and would like to do an internship and the chances are that you will receive a positive or, at least, encouraging response. If you don't know the difference between good writing and bad writing, maybe you need to rethink your career aims. There again, some magazines and publishing houses do not appear to care much about quality of content: pile it high and sell it cheap. It really depends on your personal priorities. If you work for inferior editors at the start of your career, you will probably become one yourself. Try to identify the best out there and focus your energy on aspiring to those standards and you will be pleasantly surprised, if you have the basic talent, intelligence and determination to move yourself. Good recruits are few and far between, believe me, and we value them when we stumble across them...or they stumble across us.

PK

 

[cric-croc]

Hi people,

I have worked for few fashion houses in the PR departmentbut have lately been thinking about moving into magazines.
now, my only doubt is that I know almost nothing of how a fashion magazine is organized - having done PR , what would be then next logical step?
how is a fashion magazine divided into departments? what departments are they? I do want to stay in the fashion industry but I feel that I cannot and do not want to do PRfor labels and stores forever....thanks

 

[Deleted member 36123]

I was working at Shop Til You Drop; i emailed the editorial co-ordinator directly, and organized a week with her. Who you contact depends on the publication and the department you want to work in. I realized after i got there i should have called the fashion office co-ord, cause that's where i wanted to be.
Since you're in Sydney, i would recommend going in once a week for as long as you can, that way you can make some useful contacts who you will see on a regular basis as opposed to every day for a week then they will forget who you are and what a great job you did!
Just contact the mag you're interested in and let them know you're available to volunteer 1 day a week, or whatever.

Please people take my advice - DO NOT DO WORK EXPERIENCE AT SHOP TIL YOU DROP!

I organised to do a week's work experience there and all I did all day was ride the elevator up and down to collect the mail and then distribute it around the office, take down the posters of last months issue and put up the new one's , run around the building looking for a printer cartridge or sit there doing absolutely nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a complete waste of time and after the first day I didn't bother going back because I was told it would be like that every day. I didn't learn a thing and found the whole day quite insulting. I mean who needs a university degree to do the ****ty office jobs I could have mastered when I was 5 years old?

 

[Cicciolina]

sYdneY, it's unfortunate that it wasn't helpful, but at the end there are many many work experience places which are just like this. It's such a shame that there are so few places which actually want to help the intern/work experience student and show them the ropes or something interesting, but the fact is that many of these companies do not have the time or resources to train someone who's going to be there only for a week, or to show them something worthwhile. It is a sad part of interning/doing work experience though, you have to do your part in a really worthless, meagre job doing meaningless tasks, but in cases like this, it's the 'name' on your resume which shows that you were willing to do it for free for that amount of time, just because you enjoy fashion/magazines/etc so much.

 

[octopi]

sYdneY, it's unfortunate that it wasn't helpful, but at the end there are many many work experience places which are just like this. It's such a shame that there are so few places which actually want to help the intern/work experience student and show them the ropes or something interesting, but the fact is that many of these companies do not have the time or resources to train someone who's going to be there only for a week, or to show them something worthwhile. It is a sad part of interning/doing work experience though, you have to do your part in a really worthless, meagre job doing meaningless tasks, but in cases like this, it's the 'name' on your resume which shows that you were willing to do it for free for that amount of time, just because you enjoy fashion/magazines/etc so much.

well said i think it's a bit naive to think that on your first day as an intern at an established company, you're going to see and learn amazing things. truth is, with any industry you always have to start somewhere, and more often than not, it is at the very bottom. but hey at least you're in the door! who knows where it could lead and Cicciolina i agree, having an important name like that on your resume looks very good. i think if you take the tasks given to you, no matter how menial, and go above and beyond the expectation, then your employers will soon see your passion/work ethic and give you opportunities to move onto bigger and better things.

 

[Ilkish]

Hi!! I was wondering how important it is to know French or Italian if you want to work in a magazine, is it a must in certain positions or it just gives you extra points?

 

[octopi]

^i imagine that it depends on which publication office you work at...like if you were working at vogue italia then you'd probably need to know italian, if vogue paris then french...so on. but at 'english-speaking' publications it's probably not required but it may come in handy from time to time.

however i have never worked at a magazine, this is just my own personal speculation so maybe some of the others with magazine experience can help you out

 

[Cicciolina]

Yep I agree with octopi Karama to you!

It may be useful if say, you're at an English speaking publication in the US, going over the Paris for fashion week some French may come in hand for the showrooms, but often the large ones would be equipped with someone who knew some English... still languages are always a plus, and they can serve you well in the future if you want to explore other career paths.

 

[Ilkish]

oh ok thank you for your replies girls!

 

[Giorgia*]

Hi!
I'm new, I live in Italy, I'm 22 and in July I'll graduate from University:
undergraduate degree in Communication and Linguistics (Journalism courses are very very rare in Italy).
I was thinking to move to London and taking a post graduate certificate course in Lifestyle e Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion, then some short courses during summer at CSM in styling.
Plus I would like to attend an Home Study Image consultant course at Limpert Academy.
What do you think guys?
It would be sufficient?
I lack of practical experience because here in Italy we do not have college newspapers, we do not have any kind of opportunities actually....

 

[Big Apple Kate]

What should I study in college for Fashion?

I really want to work for a decorating/fashion geared magazine. I would really like to go into publishing. I always wanted to work for Domino Magazine, but it tanked. My question is, to achieve this, what should i study in college? I am in junior college now, but i want to be ready and know what to do.

 

[BetteT]

Merged with the ongoing thread about education and publishing/magazines.

See this thread too ... for more information about various magazine /publishing careers and what they are:
Careers / Jobs / Positions in Magazine Publishing

See this one about how get in and then to work your way up:
How to Get Work at a Fashion Magazine & Get to the Top

 

[jetmeiko]

I'm graduating high school next year, and I'm applying to mostly art colleges (parsons, pratt, academy of art u., university of the arts, etc), and my first choice is Franklin College Switzerland. My major would be Visual & Communication Arts--do you think if I graduated with that major (or an advertising major), I could get my foot in the door for layout design or other creative design work at a fashion magazine? I've looked around a lot online about majors, but everyone advises journalism--I don't really want to write articles, though.

 

[Miss-V]

Which is better English Literature or Fashion BA honours for working in a fashion magazine? i mean which is more likely to be preferred

 

[Cicciolina]

It depends where you would like to work in a magazine. Art/Design (ie laying out the magazine, giving it its look), Features (articles, interviews, trend sections) or Fashion (styling, what to buy, editorials, etc). They all require different work experiences and qualifications (though 'qualifications' is debatable - if someone has amazing experience, they will probably be chosen over someone with the 'qualification').

In regards to something like features (which I'm most familiar with), I'm in the camp which believes that an English Literature major, or Art History, History, Sociology, etc will be much better than a 'Fashion' degree. Some may disagree though, but from my experience it has been more preferred.

Have a look in the rest of the Careers section for more information about other aspects of careers in fashion magazines.

 

[turnofflights]

I'm really interested in becoming a Booking Director/Editor. Since this is very specific, what should I study in university in order to accomplish this?

 

[Patryk Kin]

In those days i rather belive that you will start fashion magazine career if you have fashion blog and it must be popular About photographers you dont need school you need first of all good photographic sense and you must be personal assistnat of some good photographer thats all