The Square Life

A few years ago, I was where many of you are now. Almost graduated and in search of an amazing internship. I wanted to be a journalist. I wanted to taste success. I was hungry for experience. I managed to find a position over 7,000 miles away as an intern for Real Living magazine in the Philippines—it was just what I was looking for. This was my first glimpse into the world of magazine publishing and it was beautiful in my eyes. Internships give you peek of what’s to come and more importantly, what you can become. While not all of you are going into journalism, here are 3 essentials for getting the most out of any internship:

1 TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
As enthralling as filing paperwork and making coffee is, you’re not going to learn much as an office aid. Everyone is entitled to their amount of grunt work, but cutting press clippings all day everyday for ten weeks? You won’t learn much and you won’t enjoy it. Make your time valuable to yourself and the company you work for. If you get stuck doing meaningless assignments, ask for work. If you turn in quality work you will gain your colleagues trust and they will come to you with more significant assignments. You’re in charge of your internship experience.

When I started at Real Living, I knew nothing about home decorating. Or organization. Not to mention I was also an amateur in the kitchen. This was tricky because Real Living was a home décor/lifestyle magazine. Despite the lack of homemaking skills, I was excited to be a part of this publication. Even if I wasn’t the most qualified on a subject, I asked for assignments. Find ten uses for table salt? No problem. Do an interview with a merchandise buyer? It’s done. Need something on interior car organization? You got it. There wasn’t an intern list for me to check off, so I made up my own. Get as much magazine writing and exposure as possible? Check.

2 FIND A MENTOR
At the time of my internship, the editor-in-chief of Real Living was Fran Ng. Fran would read my work and then spend a few minutes going over her edits with me. She took time to help me understand why this quote was better in the next paragraph, the impact of a good word count, or how to describe a house without spelling out the floor plan.

At first I will admit being edited was blow to my ego. Hey, I’m practically a college grad. I’ve had some writing experience and I’ve been published. This intern felt like she knew what she was doing. Working close with Fran helped me realize all articles are edited, the good ones and the crappy ones. I understood more about editing for quality and for length. Editing isn’t personal—it’s professional. A good editor helps your work become even better, just like a good mentor will.

3 MAKE CONNECTIONS
Real Living is one of many magazines owned by Summit Media. The same floor is home to other publications like Good Housekeeping Philippines, Entrepreneur Philippines and Cosmopolitan Philippines. Making connections around the office gave me exposure to other magazines and their staff. I had opportunities to chat with editors about their work and see what aspects of journalism interest me.

As chance has it, at 5’11” I might have been the tallest Asian girl the Philippines has ever seen. Seventeen Magazine Philippines thought I was naturally a great candidate for their “Body Love” article. I was cast as the “tall girl” and the rest is Seventeen magazine history.

Besides my teen modeling stint, my favorite thing about my internship was going on photo shoots. I would accompany the stylist and photographer to various locations for homeowner features. It was so much fun it wasn’t even work. I was the writer on the job, and after my interviews I would watch the other Real Living members do their thing. Here were people really passionate about their work. Not only did their love for all things décor rub off on me, but I also gained a better understanding of the different positions and departments of the magazine. By making connections with other employees you broaden your comprehension of your own contribution. You can also develop a network for future potential employment.

After my time as a Real Living intern, I was offered a position as the staff writer. The job offer wasn’t the only rewarding factor from my experience in the Philippines. I also discovered how much I like working for magazines. Writing about people was fulfilling. Seeing your work presented in a great layout with beautiful glossy print was exciting. I even learned a thing or two around the house. Like any good internship, my horizons were expanded and I am a better writer because of it. A good internship will give you a sneak peek into your possible future career and allows you to train on the job. And who knows? Maybe one day you’ll even end up in a magazine.