Internship

Internships in the magazine publishing industry are highly competitive, but they offer many opportunities for the launching of successful careers. There are several organizations that maintain listings of possibilities for students seeking a magazine internship. Some of these are the Magazine Publishers of America, Career Center, or Journalism Jobs. Colleges with journalism programs often maintain contacts with magazine publishers that are offering internships. Job fairs are another good place to learn of internship offerings.

A magazine internship can be anything from a series of seminars which the intern attends to a year of practical experience in magazine writing, editing or publishing.

Most often they will last for a few weeks to a semester. Focus areas of internships with magazines might be research, writing, editing, fact checking, proofreading, reporting, advertising, circulation, design, marketing, public relations or other business aspects of publishing.

Applications for internships will usually need to include samples of published writing. Start early to seek out an internship, and be sure to apply to several magazines. Publishers may be open to creating internships for special niches if a student is able to write a compelling application for a desired position, but they will be looking for examples of early experience, and expect a professional appearance and tone at interviews. Magazines focus on a particular topic, and knowledge in the particular field will almost certainly be required. Many publications have international connections, with specific requests for the ability to communicate in more than one language. Computer literacy is a must and familiarity with publishing software a big plus.

Some internships will include a paid stipend. If it is possible to accept a position only for the experience, the opportunities will be greater. This may be difficult if it requires covering living expenses in a large city, but if the fit is a good one the result may be a job offer leading to a career. Another option is that academic credit will be given for the successful completion of a magazine internship.

Anyone desiring to enter the world of magazine writing / publishing will need to actively pursue an internship with publications whose topic is a good match for his or her own interests. This may be a large company, but small, focused magazines may also offer good entry points to the industry.