10 Fashion Magazine Internship in NYC Honest Takeaways

Nicolette Muro

5 years ago

Authorized use of image by Laura Chouette via Unsplash

Fashion magazine copies — Authorized use of image by Laura Chouette via Unsplash

This summer, I worked at Interview Magazine in New York City. It’s a fashion, entertainment, and art magazine founded by Andy Warhol in 1969. It’s famous for its celebrity-on-celebrity interviews, where a celebrity will interview a celebrity they’re friendly with. In this post, I’m giving you the full run-down of my responsibilities and an honest review of the position from my perspective. Here are 10 Fashion Magazine Internship in NYC Honest Takeaways.

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My Media Background

I studied journalism and public relations during undergrad, and I’m currently a journalism graduate student in New York City. My concentration is arts and culture, and I cover the fashion beat. As part of my grad school requirements, I had to intern at a publication this past summer for school credit. After applying to several places, I was fortunate enough to get hired by Interview Magazine.

The Hiring Process

There wasn’t a job listing online for this internship. I emailed the editorial assistant directly, and he forwarded my resume to the managing director to look over. If you’re interested in working for magazines, I recommend directly emailing an editorial assistant or a senior writer/editor to inquire about a position. Try to make the email as personal as possible without sounding fake but feel free to mention articles you enjoyed reading. Most fashion magazines don’t list intern positions online. However, if you keep your eyes peeled, once in a while, there’s a listing on Indeed, LinkedIn, Internqueen, Ed2010, or similar websites.

The interview process was simple. The managing director was easy to talk to, and we discussed my past experience working for magazines and the job responsibilities. I was hired on the spot, and she emailed me shortly after asking for my availability. The in-person interview is the most important part of the process and your best chance to wow the editor. Please keep in mind that most fashion magazine internships are unpaid.

Magazine Job Responsibilities

I worked in the editorial department, and the editorial interns handle social media accounts, website management, occasional interviews, research, writing, deliveries, and SEO/CMS for the website. Before my start date, I thought the job would be more glamorous. In reality, I work in the office most of the day. I wasn’t used to sitting in an office for a journalism job as most journalism work requires reporters to be out in the field.

At the beginning of the internship, I had much more to do but then my roles began to slow down once July hit. I was a little disappointed by this because the editor made it seem like I would write more. We did receive invites to a few events, but I usually couldn’t attend on such short notice. After expressing my interest in contributing more to the website, I finally published four articles, although I wish they were longer and had more substance.

Weekly Rundown

My weeks usually went by the same schedule, give or take an extra task or meeting. My job ran from 10 am-6 pm, Monday-Friday, June-August. When I first arrived in the morning, I usually took time to answer emails or Slack messages, check in with my editors and finish up whatever I was working on the previous day. Then, I was assigned a task by the associate digital editor or the editorial assistant. The tasks could range anywhere from loading posts to the website, researching a potential interviewee, or taking an interview.

The tasks usually took me a decent portion of the day, and I reached out to the editors for more work once I finished. Every Tuesday at 12 pm, there was an office-wide meeting to discuss the print magazine run-down schedule for the month, and every Thursday at 4 pm, there was an editorial meeting where we pitched stories or discussed potential interviews for the website.

What I Enjoyed

I loved collaborating with the editorial staff. Everyone was friendly and willing to help with any task. I got along well with the other interns too, and we had a lot of fun working together. I thought it was neat that Interview has the print archives from every magazine ever published in the office, and the interns were allowed to go through them.

It was helpful to improve my social media, website, and research skills and hone my writing craft. I learned how to interview celebrities too. I also found it interesting to see the flux of clothing delivered to our office for future photoshoots. Oh, and meeting Rihanna’s old stylist was pretty cool.

What I Didn’t Enjoy

I would’ve liked more opportunities to write. The fashion section at Interview is mainly market stories or professional photos of models in luxury brands, but I think the magazine would’ve benefitted from serious coverage of the industry. I also felt it was unfair for me to do the interview and then have a writer occasionally take over the story from me.

Moving Forward

My internship was a good learning experience overall, but it’s not the endgame publication for me. I recommend working for several magazines while in college or grad school to find the best fit. I’m thankful for all the experiences that shaped me into the writer I am today.

Copies of past Interview Magazine issues

Misconceptions About Magazine Roles

“You Have To Major in Journalism“

I worked with four other interns, and not everyone studied journalism. One studied English, one studied fashion, and one studied philosophy. If you can write and you’re capable of interviewing people and learning social media, SEO, and website management, then you can write for a fashion magazine too. A strong resume, connections, and a good academic standing also increase your chance.

“You Have To Major in Fashion“

I didn’t major in fashion, but I did take a few electives in college. Entry-level editorial roles like internships won’t have you do much with the fashion department unless you’re interning there. Once you advance in your career, you can declare a specific beat, such as fashion.

“It’s Impossible To Get Hired By a Magazine”

It’s not an easy ride, but it’s not impossible. Network with people in the industry, reach out to writers you admire, apply to every position you can, and reach out to people who work at the publication. Also, you don’t necessarily have to work for a fashion magazine as your first journalism or magazine job. Build up your resume with experience, and then apply.

“Magazine Jobs Are Always Glamorous”

Sure, there are a lot of glamorous elements to magazine jobs, but writing for a magazine is also a lot of hard work and time.

“Magazines Aren’t Real Journalism”

Fashion magazines are capable of producing quality writing and reporting. Read publications like Glamour, Women’s Wear Daily, Business of Fashion, and more for long-form pieces, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

“Interns Only Get Coffee”

I never got coffee once during any of my internships in college or in grad school. Sure, you may have to deliver photos or pick up something here and there, but most internships will have you work on the website or do something editorial for most of your time.