Ed Advice

Q: "I'm an EA at a women's mag. I've been here for two years, with increasing responsibility and positive feedback, but still no promotion. How long should I stick it out before it will look pathetic to future employers?"

A: Have you ASKED for the promotion? Your boss may not even know you want one (she's too busy, she's blind, whatever). Or she could be waiting for you to bring it up. But let's assume you have asked and she said no. Ed consulted his friends at the top of the mastheads of several women's magazines and they all said the same thing: Two years is about the time to move on. But it's certainly not pathetic to stay a bit longer; the extra experience can only benefit you: You are more qualified for the next step than someone who only has only been on the job a year.

Now, your plan of attack:

1) Ask your current boss for a title increase to Assistant Editor if she can't create a new job for you. It's a free and an easy way to reward you for your
two years of hard work. Plus, it will buy you more time to find a new job at another magazine. Prospective employers will assume you were fully promoted (unless, of course you tell them the truth).

2) Start looking for a new job outside of your magazine NOW. Start applying
for Assistant Editor positions (and even for Associate Editor if you got that title increase!). Go to your human resources department and ask to speak to someone about moving within the company. Don't worry, they won't tell your boss. (If you're paranoid, just tell the HR rep that you want your conversation to be confidential.) Most magazine companies have a policy that says it's okay to move within the company after one year. Apply for every job you hear about (for Ed2010's WhisperJobs) and tell everyone you know that you're looking to move to the next level and to keep her ears open for you (spread the word at Ed2010's happy hours too. The more people who know you're looking, the better your chances of hearing about potential jobs. This might include other senior-level editors at your current magazine who you trust or even your own boss if you have a good relationship with her. She may surprise you by offering you advice or referring her to a friend of hers who needs an Assistant Editor at another magazine. When Ed was an EA his boss helped him find his next gig. His boss was sad that he was leaving, but knew that he was too good to be an EA forever. The same is true for you.

Good luck!

Love, Ed

Do you need to get a thank-you clue or are you an etiquette expert? Take this quiz to find out if you need to brush up on your thank-you note know-how.

1. When you’re done with an interview, you:

A—Wait and see if they hire you.
B—Send the editor a box of chocolates to show how much you want the job.
C—E-mail her and tell her how nice it was to meet her, and that you’re looking forward to working on the edit test.
D—Write a nice, handwritten thank-you card and drop it in the mail that day or the next morning.

—————————-

CORRECT ANSWER: C, D, or both. “People notice thank-you notes,” says one executive editor at a women’s magazine. “If I don’t get one, it seems weird.” Most editors say it doesn’t matter if you send an e-mail or a written card. You can even do both, if you say something different in each of them (send a “Thanks for meeting with me” e-mail right after the interview, and then later, in your note, mention a topic you discussed at the interview). But don’t go overboard. “If you send a present, it creates a weird power dynamic,” says another top editor. And don’t make your note go on for pages—five or six sentences are enough.

2. In your note, you make sure to:

A—Include a sentence or two about how much you loved the December green gift guide, and forward her a link to a cool article that she might be interested in for the upcoming green campaign she discussed in the interview.
B—Mention how when you Googled her, you discovered that you’re totally neighbors with her younger brother, and you can’t believe she wrote her college thesis on Gloria Steinem—she’s your hero, too!
C—Tell her how much you really, really need the job because you’ve been unemployed for three months and it’s getting depressing.
D—Ask for a timeline of when she plans to hire because you’ve got some more interviews coming up.

CORRECT ANSWER: A. While all the editors polled agreed that it’s a plus to mention something you spoke about that you have in common, you’re not “going the extra mile” if you do follow-up research on the hiring editor, herself. That falls into the realm of stalking. Also, steer clear of sounding pathetic. “You want us to want to spend time with you, not to feel bad for you!” reminds one Web editor.

3. If you’re sending a paper card, you use:

A—A homemade card you decoupaged yourself
B—Simple stationery from Papyrus
C—A cute, but tasteful, card with pretty colors or patterns
D—One of your current magazine’s note cards—may as well take advantage of the free stuff!

CORRECT ANSWER: All of them—except D. Surprisingly, the type of thank-you note you send may depend on the job you’re applying for. “Written notes seem too formal to me,” says one editor of a culture Web site. “Besides, I’ll probably have chosen someone before the note arrives.” If you’re applying for a traditional print job, though, your handwritten note will stand out in a mailbox filled with press releases. Most editors love them because they provide tangible evidence that you’ve taken time to think about the position.

4. You start your note off with:

A—Dear Hiring Editor
B—Dear [editor’s first name]
C—Dear Ms. [editor’s last name]
D—Hey!

CORRECT ANSWER: B—usually. If you established a good rapport with the editor, then use his or her first name. But if you’re writing a note to the HR person you also met (and you should!), to the editor-in-chief, or another high-ranking person, a formal Ms. or Mr. might be more appropriate. Never use Hiring Editor, which makes it sound like you don’t even know who you spoke with!

5. You send your thank-you note:

A—Right after the interview
B—Send it? You write it before, then pull it out as you finish up the interview. How impressive is THAT?
C—A few days after
D—When you haven’t heard from the editor for a while. (Hey, a note might influence her to give you the job!)

CORRECT ANSWER: A. Not only will the interview be fresh in your (and their) mind, but being prompt also drives home how much you want the job. Just don’t be too eager. Handing the editor a note as soon as the interview’s over doesn’t show initiative—it only proves that you don’t care enough to reflect on the interview after it’s taken place. And while sending a thank-you won’t necessarily save a less-than-stellar interview, it may make a hiring editor decide to call you for a second interview, says an articles editor for a national women’s magazine.

Follow this advice for a resume that gets read—and gets you interviews.

1. Make it easy to read.

Most editors don’t have time to decipher an illegible, disorganized resume, so keep yours neat. Don’t use colored ink, more than two fonts (and avoid crazy ones!), or big font sizes (your name can be slightly larger, but making it HUGE looks juvenile). Italicize all publication titles and spell out the months in your dates of employment, instead of using numbers. “February 1999-present” and “Feb ’99 to present” are both fine, but be consistent throughout.

2. Delete unnecessary stats.

Sure, grades matter in college, and a great GPA could indicate that you’re a hard worker, but they don’t mean too much to editors. Listing your GPA plus tons of honors such as every time you made the Dean’s List may actually do you a disservice: It could come off as overcompensating for being unqualified for a position.

3. Keep your resume to one page.

You’re trying to be an editor, so show that you can edit out less important info! Generally, junior-level candidates don’t have the experience necessary to warrant a 2-pager, anyway. To fit everything, play with your margins and font size, as long as it’s still readable, and leave off references because they take up too much room. But don’t forget to give your references a heads up before you give out their contact info to editors.

4. Give details where it counts.

Tailor your résumé to each position you apply for, almost to the extent you would in a cover letter. Leave out your summer job at the Orange Julius, and don’t wax poetic about you’re a cappella group’s repertoire, but elaborate on your magazine projects. If you researched a story for a major publication, say “Interviewed organic clothing makers for the green issue.” And be specific about the amount of work you did: “Fact-checked at least 20 stories per issue.”

5. But if there’s space, let your personality shine.

Editors receive résumés from numerous qualified applicants, but meeting basic requirements isn’t always enough. In an “Activities” section, include extracurriculars and hobbies unique to you that show you’re well-rounded (you play softball, you’re in an editorial organization, or, if just out of college, you were in a sorority or fraternity). Make sure they’re appropriate and keep descriptions short so there’s still enough to ask you about in the interview!

6. Skip the profile/objective statement.

This is an old career services requirement that is outdated. If you’re sending your résumé to an editor she knows you’re interested in a job at her magazine; you don’t need to say so in your resume. Don’t waste the space. Besides, it just sounds stiff and business-y, not very magaziney at all. Be specific about the position/responsibilities that interest you in your cover letter, instead.

7. List all relevant information first.

When writing up descriptions of past jobs you’ve held, list experience directly related to the position you’re applying for first, even if it wasn’t the biggest part of that specific job. Also, make sure to list your titles (if you’ve had more than one at the same place) with your most recent at the top, and if, during an internship, you filled in as an editorial assistant, list it before your other duties because it’s eye-catching.

8. Talk the talk.

Use terms editors use, such as “wrote,” “edited,” “proofread,” or “fact-checked” in descriptions of your jobs. Include skills editors recognize, such as proficiency in Lexis-Nexis, InDesign, and Quark/QPS. List Photoshop and/or Illustrator if you’re applying to an art position. But don’t list programs/skills you better know/have like Microsoft Word, e-mail programs, or faxing.

9. Describe small publications you worked for.

You know what Ed2010 is (your secret weapon!), but some editors don’t, and people who don’t work in magazines definitely don’t. Say what Ed is if you’re listing that you belonged to your school’s Ed on Campus chapter. The same goes for local or school publications. Explain what subject or location the publication covered and any noteworthy awards it’s won. You may also want to mention if it’s a tough publication to break into.

10. List your education last.

Editors say this tip is one of the hardest for applicants to follow. Going to a prestigious school is fantastic, but it means almost diddly if you don’t have magazine experience. Put it close to last (after experience, but before activities) unless you haven’t graduated yet or are only a few months out of school.
—Kristin Granero