In the The Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway played an assistant to the editor-in-chief at a top fashion magazine, flew to Paris and wore designer clothes. That definitely wasn't the experience Devin Tomb (senior-journalism) had interning for the editor-in-chief at the now-defunct Hearst publication COSMOGirl!
"It's not like I was sitting front row at fashion shows or taking home Marc Jacobs clothes," Tomb said. "There is a lot of nitty-gritty work, like doing research and transcribing. Interns do all the little things the editors don't have time to do."
But now, it's doubtful she'll ever get the chance to move up. Tomb, an aspiring magazine editor, plans on moving to New York City upon graduation and getting a job. But in an economy already gloomy for new graduates, finding work in the magazine industry is getting tougher.
According to emarketer.com, 525 magazines were shut down in 2008, and 87 more have folded so far this year, including Vibe, Condé Nast Portfolio, Blender, Domino, Teen, O at Home, Men's Vogue and COSMOGirl!
"It's really the economy," said Jayne Jamison, vice president/publisher of Seventeen magazine and a Class of 1978 alumna. "If advertising suffers, so do we. Our revenue comes from consumers and advertisers. Consumers are deciding what they want -- maybe they used to buy three magazines and now they have to buy two."
But Jamison is optimistic business will pick up and assures Seventeen is on sound financial footing.
"We're a 65-year-young brand, and we continue to dominate the category in consumers," she said. "We need advertisers to see a gain. I think by mid-2010, we will see improvement."
Though there are fewer jobs and the outlook seems grim, aspiring magazine editors still have hope. Stephanie Schomer, Class of 2009, recently moved to New York City after graduation in hopes of finding a job. Schomer had interned at Teen Vogue and wrote for The Daily Collegian for three semesters, so she felt prepared.
Although she has been unable to find a permanent position at a magazine, she did land a paid internship at Fast Company, a business magazine.
"It's more of an editorial assistant position than an interning position," Schomer said. "Hopefully, it will turn into something permanent. I started in July, and I'm very aware of the fact that come the end of the year, I don't have a job anymore."
Anna Baboval, a former fashion assistant at a women's magazine, said it is a good idea to take an internship -- exposure can help land a job.
"We have had some of the most fantastic interns, and we couldn't hire them," she said. "Not because we didn't want to, but we just didn't have the space."
Maintaining a positive attitude is key during a time like this, she added.
"No job is too small because you never know who is going to put you in touch with someone who can land you a job," Baboval said. "You never know who is watching out for you when you're an intern."
