By Anisa
Arsenault, FCRH ‘14
It was the start
of spring weekend. I was sitting in my bed, gearing up for the Rose Hill Rush,
and panicking about the fact I didn’t have a summer internship yet. Where were
all my acceptances? I pulled up the Career Services CareerLink page yet again,
scouring the site for any new journalism opportunities. In a final moment of
desperation, I fired off a resume and cover letter to apply for an editorial
internship at The Knot, a wedding
magazine. “Guys, I just applied to a bridal
magazine,” I announced to my roommates, refusing to take myself seriously.
It turns out applying was the best move I could have made.
Fast forward
about a month, and I’m taking a test-run to make sure I’ll know how to get to
my internship. I bought a copy of their New York regional magazine, and sat
down to read it in a nearby park in front of City Hall. I was impressed by what
a well-done, nice looking, and informative publication it was. My attitude was
starting to change.
I settled in
quickly at The Knot. The staff was
all young and beautiful and friendly. They were eager to show me the ropes, and
apologetic when I had to do basic, intern-type assignments. But I didn’t mind
updating Excel spreadsheets, filing old issues, and gathering basic
information. I was also given plenty of opportunities to write directly in the
magazine, come up with research for my own pieces, and track down information
from vendors and venues via interview. Under the pressured deadlines of a
magazine, there was no time for hesitation or nerves when it came to calling
strangers or writing articles. I was thrown right in, and loved every minute of
it. I thought I’d never be happier than when
my boss asked me, “how do you feel about writing the Chicago Hot Sheet?” That is, until the executive editor told me
my contributor bio piece was “really, really good work.” (Okay, I’m probably
too easily flattered by authority figures.)
I was the first
editorial intern to start, and was unaware that others were coming. I am so
lucky they did. Six of us became great friends over the span of June and July,
meeting for lunch every day at one, and even hanging out outside of work. I
teamed up with another editorial intern, Amalia, to tackle a difficult
assignment of getting quotes from 100 famous wedding professionals. It was
tedious and time consuming, but soon became our baby. We were the go-to duo to
turn to for all things Wed100. As someone who thrives off teamwork (I’m on the
track team here at Fordham), this was a great setting for me. Whenever someone
had too much work, they could send out an SOS message on our intern group chat.
Anyone with downtime was quick to help. “SOS in the fashion closet” was a
common message from Taylor, our constantly over-booked fashion intern. Working
at a company like XO Group, I learned that it’s important to help wherever
you’re needed, whenever you’re needed. Never say, “that’s not my job.” As a
result, the company functions better, you establish better relationships with
your coworkers, and become a reliable employee.
Over the course
of the summer, I learned more than I could have hoped, and felt genuinely
helpful. I was granted fantastic opportunities, such as being The Knot representative at press event
in the Times Square W Hotel. I had a blast; XO Group is a fun place to work. A
toast for the royal baby? You bet. Intern pizza parties and meet and greets
with the CEO? Yup. Unexpected catered breakfasts and Thursday in-office happy
hours? Of course. As interns, we were extremely grateful to be invited to the
end of the summer, company-wide 80’s themed boat cruise. There’s something
about dancing with all of your managing editors that says, “I’ve made it.”
XO Group truly
wants interns to learn and succeed, and representatives have been at Fordham
career fairs in the past. I encourage any student interested in editing,
writing, graphic design, photo, fashion, or even accounting to inquire about
opportunities there. But you better do it fast—I can’t promise I’ll be able to
stay away.
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