What advice can you give recent graduates?
The job market is brutal. It’s so important to just get a job—even something that’s only vaguely related to the industry—because you need to be learning. You want to make it your job for the first one¬-three years of your career to learn the most you can about the media industry no matter where you work. I also came out of school during a recession. I started out at The American Lawyer magazine. It wasn’t my passion to write about law, but I learned a lot and worked incredibly hard.
What are some mistakes you’ve seen interns or recent graduates make?
Gossiping and showing up late. When you’re first coming out of school, it’s so hard to understand the business world, but make sure you’re modeling your behavior after the executive level instead of the other interns or entry-level staffers. Stay focused on the next level up.
Do you have a most embarrassing moment at an internship or entry-level job?
I was an intern at Rolling Stone and I was petrified of the creative director, Fred Woodward. He was very tall and there was just something about him. One time I ended up on the elevator with him and was too intimidated to introduce myself. Now, I see interns who seem intimidated by me. Introducing yourself shows a lot of maturity and poise. But you also don’t want to go bursting into someone’s office to shake her hand. That might be taking it a bit far.
What do you wish you would’ve known when you were first starting out that you know now?
A hard lesson I learned is that this is a very small business and that the people you’re working with as an assistant are going to be the people you’re working with forever. There were a few times when I was younger that I burned bridges—very small bridges, but still bridges—and the people in this business are going to be in it for a long time. Just remember, life is long and the world is small.
What do you love most about your position?
I love that we’re in the business of ideas. I’m always looking for new ideas and teenagers push you to further explore new ground. It’s such an honor to have these girls trust us. I tremendously respect their trust.
What do you like least about your position?
The hours, but they’re just a small sacrifice. I like to work, and the hours don’t seem hard because I love what I’m doing. I only wish that we were back in 1984 when the industry was thriving.
