Ed knows that not all of you want to work at a women’s magazine, so we got in touch with Jim Meigs, EIC of Popular Mechanics, the Hearst men’s magazine about science, technology, cars, and electronics. Meigs, who has spent his last five years in this post, told us about how he worked his way up the magazine ladder, the merits of working at trade magazines, and how a lack of typing skills almost got in the way of his success.
Did you always know you wanted to work in magazines?
I grew up reading magazines, starting with Popular Mechanics and Boy’s Life and adding Rolling Stone and The New Yorker by the time I was in high school, but I didn’t really think of a career in magazines until I graduated from college. Actually it was my father, who was then a college professor, who encouraged me to pursue writing and editing. If it wasn’t for his advice, I’d probably still be working in a pizza joint somewhere.
How did you get to where you are today?
I landed my first job at a trade magazine called Videography that covered professional video technology, cable TV, and home video. I didn’t know much about the field, but I learned fast. One advantage of working on a trade magazine is that you get to do a lot more right off the bat. They had me writing a short column after my first month or so on the job. After a couple of years, I took what I’d learned there and got a job at a magazine called Video Review, aimed at consumers interested in home theater and movie collecting. This was an exciting place with a lot of talented people. Eventually I became editor of that magazine, which was fun while it lasted.
How did you transition into bigger consumer mags?
I used my video background. When Entertainment Weekly started up, I joined their staff as a senior editor, initially in charge of video coverage. After a shakeup in our first year, I took over all of EW’s movie coverage. That was a wild ride, cranking out cover stories, getting schooled in the insane negotiations for celebrity cover stories, and, once again, working with an incredible constellation of talents (some of whom are still at EW). It was the hardest I had ever worked and it gave me the skills to go almost anywhere in this business.
Why should wannabe consumer magazine editors consider working at trade magazines?
I started out working on a small trade book, but I was able to take the expertise I built up in that particular field and use it to move progressively into more mainstream titles. For some people, working on a trade magazine or niche consumer title can be a very rewarding career. But I always wanted to do journalism at big magazines that have a real impact on the national dialogue. The key to getting from a small magazine to a big one is building up some specific knowledge that can be useful to the next magazine. For example, if your dream is to work at Vogue, you might look for work on small fashion or beauty trade magazines or websites. Build up some expertise, make some contacts, write some good stories, and then you’ll have a lot more to offer at a major magazine.
What was your most embarrassing moment as you rose to the top?
It’s probably hard for anybody to believe in our keyboard-centric world today, but I could barely type when I started out. Fortunately, nobody thought to ask me about that in the job interview, so when I showed up my first day at Videography, they handed me a couple of cassette tapes and asked me to transcribe a two-hour interview. Gulp. I labored over that thing for days. Fortunately, my fellow staffer Rachel Basch (today a noted novelist) got tired of watching me hunt and peck and helped me finish the job. I’ve always depended on the kindness of co-workers.
What do you wish you would’ve known then that you know now?
To get to know as many good writers as possible. It seems hard to believe, since so many people want to be writers, that most magazines have trouble finding really good writers for specific stories. Any editor who comes in the door with a long list of contacts—writers you’ve worked with and whose strengths and weaknesses you know—will be a huge asset to any magazine.
What advice do you have for recent grads?
Networking can get you the interview, but it doesn’t get you the job. I find far too many job candidates come to interviews unprepared. They haven’t really researched the magazine, and they can’t make a strong case for why they want to work there. Do your homework and pay attention to follow-up. Even in an era where e-mail is ubiquitous, there’s a place for a nice hand-written note—or a quick email, followed by a nice note.
