An intern’s almost fairytale

Once upon a week in the editorial department, a London intern found herself with little to do. It’s been one of those slow weeks; the kind that comes right after a crazy one where you can barely take a lunch break. Eager to assist, in any way she could, to learn anything new she could about the fascinating process of magazine production, she moseyed into the photo department to see if help was needed.

And indeed it was.
With a two-week photo deadline, and a small staff, there was plenty for her to do. So she jumped in to assist the Photo Editor, and quickly picked up the basics: calling and e-mailing to request images, calling and e-mailing to chase images, scanning, converting to high resolution, labeling, organizing, and filing, writing credits, sending them to the art director.
After a few days of doing this, she was surprised at how naturally she picked up the task. The editors kept complimenting how well she was doing.

Then, it happened. The thing that every intern hopes for: a right-place, right-time, job opportunity.

Later in the week, she was told there was an opening in the department for an assistant photo editor, and asked if she was interested. She could work solely in photos beginning the next issue, on a part-time basis.

At first, she was speechless. She could feel her mind slip off into a daydream…
This was amazing, the opportunity to have a paying magazine job! Not exactly the department of her choice, but it was a start somewhere, right?
She could see herself doing a great job, and getting promoted to full-time after a few months; eventually getting hired within the editorial department, where she wanted to be; all the while, learning more and more about the magazine business with every issue that went to print.
But wait.
Wait a minute… she still had a year of school left, a fall internship that she was looking forward to, and she had always planned on interning in NY before she actually started looking for a job.

Though it would sound so glamorous to say she actually worked for a magazine, the timing just wasn’t right. She told them it was an honor to be considered, but that she would have to leave for school in August, as planned.

Of course, it was no big deal. As is usual with the magazine world, there were other people they could offer the position.

She wondered if it was out of convenience, or pure impression, that they considered her. Either way, she was flattered. Even though the timing wasn’t right, it gave her hope that she could get the perfect magazine job for her, eventually. When she was ready, one would be open, and waiting.

The End.

--Ed’s Intern #4