Dear Ed,
I’m entirely new to the magazine business. I have spent the past few years gearing up my resume to be a lawyer, and after finishing my first year of law school, I know it is not for me. With that said, I have no previous experience or internships that would make me a marketable candidate to any magazine companies. Is there any advice you can give to me as far as starting off? I have no “clips” to speak of, but I was an English major, went to Cornell University, am tenacious and willing to get coffee for the coffee filter changer if it means I can eventually work in the industry.
Thanks,
Meri, New York, NY
Dear Meri,
People come to work in magazines from all walks of life, but you will need to get some writing experience before you’ll be considered for on-staff jobs. So first, get some clips! The easiest thing to do is start a blog on a topic you’re interested in. From there, pitch ideas to small newspapers and magazines, and Web sites. Even though it sounds like you’re done with
law, you may be able to parlay that into some valuable writing experience. There are lots of political magazines in Washington, D.C. that look for writers and editors with solid law/political experience. There’s also American Lawyer Media in New York City that looks for that same experience.
If those are out of the question, you should be open to temping and interning. Try calling someone in Human Resources at a magazine publisher and ask them who they use for temps. As for internships, you’ll need to find the ones that don’t require you to earn credit. They’re out there, but you’ll be in the best position to get those spots once you have some writing experience under your belt.
Love,
Ed
