6 things you need to know
if you want to work at a magazine
Becoming a model falls through (because who really has legs that reach the sky, a hip you can wrap your hands around, and that magical little extra that a photographer begs for?), for many girls, another dream remains; working at a magazine.
I know all about it, both print and online, and I can tell you; you won't find it much more fun. Just yesterday, I was invited by Bataviastad to come shopping there. First, I was picked up by a chauffeur, then I had a three-course lunch, and as a dessert, I was handed an envelope with vouchers and got to shop.
When someone asks me if my workday was that tough, I feel a bit uncomfortable. Of course, there is ‘real work’ done here too, but that mainly consists of writing fun pieces, making plans with beautiful brands, or brainstorming with the other girls. What you say, really a terrible job.
That's why I'm whispering a few terms to you, so you don't mess up during your interview.
No articles
You work for Elle, Vogue, Marie Claire, or Amayzine. Not for the Elle or the Vogue. Why no one can explain it to you, but it is just the way it is.
The board
I remember that during my very first interview at a magazine, it was said that I ‘probably didn't know what the board was’. Now I did know what ‘a board’ was, but something told me that ‘a’ in this case was not the same as ‘the’ board.
The board is the layout of the magazine, the arrangement from cover to cover, and then schematically presented so you can see exactly what is where in the magazine, or whether the advertisements are in the agreed places and whether the rhythm flows nicely in terms of content.
The wall
Here too, ‘the’ is not the same as ‘a’. On the wall hangs the board, at least the printed and formatted version of the board. This way, you can see whether the variety of stories flows nicely and whether the advertisement fits well with the page it hangs next to.
A series
A series is not a sequel that comes back every month. A series is a fashion series, so it refers to a series of photos together. An ‘own’ series means that the fashion team created the series themselves and did not purchase it.
Shooting
A series is shot, and no, you are not dealing with a fresh episode of CSI Miami here, but with a fashion report that has been photographed. In TV, they call filming ‘shooting’, in magazines, they call it ‘shooting’.
The tombola
Yesss, that is the magic word. Officially, tombola stands for a lottery where something is always paid out. At the tombola in magazine editorial offices, it is the same. What happens? We always receive a lot of things, from small fun items to amazing exclusive perfumes and very expensive serums. We of course test them and photograph them, but then they go into the big, secret cabinet. And when that cabinet can no longer close, we do a tombola and everyone can choose something. At many editorial offices, this causes small wars, but with us, it is always great fun.
If you still prefer to work at a magazine now, you should this just read on.
