Instyle!

Some good news, finally- signalling that I am heading in the right direction after all these months hoping that something good would come of all the internships and placements! I am returning to Instyle on Monday, but this time in a more permanent position for 3 months or so. It'll be strange to be back at one of the first magazines I interned at almost a year ago but I'm hoping that this way I'll be able to see how far I've come back and look at everything I've done so far with pride. Responsibilities this time, I think, include more than doing returns in the cupboard- though I'm sure I'll still do a fair few of them while I'm there! I'm looking forward to being trusted with doing more this time; I want to feel as if I'm actually contributing something to the magazine- whether that be on a shoot or in the office. The first time I felt as if I was actually a useful member of the team was while I was at The Outnet- that was the without a doubt the hardest but most productive placement I've had so far. Every day was ridiculously tiring but I could see a real result of the work I was doing day to day- perhaps one of the more rewarding aspects of working in e-commerce rather than in print magazines- and that ultimately gives the satisfaction you crave from a job.

Of course it helps to stay in contact with the people you've worked with and for at each magazine you go to, and I'd like to think that there's at least one person from every place I've worked at who would remember me for a future position- I do make it a point to stay in regular contact just so they know where I'm working and how much experience I've gained since they last saw me. That's one of the most important things for me, to show each magazine that I've progressed since I worked with them. If they can see that you've grown in confidence, ability and experience that shows them that you're willing to learn and push yourself. That's how I knew about the 3 month position at Instyle- I kept in touch with Robyn, the senior fashion assistant, and dropped her an email asking if the position was available. Luckily for me they rolled out the longer term placement at the magazine while I was there last year and a girl I was in the cupboard with, and who I've stayed friends with, kicked it all off. Thankfully, she did an amazing job and they've decided to continue with the programme! As with many things in life, it is largely a case of right place, right time when it comes to securing placements and jobs- it worked out this time for me but that doesn't mean I didn't have to interview or go through much the same proceedings as if I hadn't been there previously.

I met with the Senior Fashion Editor, Natalie Hartley, which was absolutely terrifying. I'd never been important enough to actually take up a senior editor's time so this was the first time I found myself sitting face to face with Natalie and having, what transpired to be, a conversation! Interviews like this can often blind side you because you're always waiting for a trap- something that tricks you into tripping up or exposes a weakness but in this industry that usually isn't the case. They genuinely are interested in talking with you, finding out about what you've been doing with your time, where you see yourself in the long run and, as was the case with me, who your favourite designers are! Obviously the questions are somewhat designed to ascertain whether you'd be a compatible member of the team, it being fairly small at Instyle this is something important to them, and whether your style and aesthetic fit with the particular brand of the magazine. So while questions aren't designed to trick you it is worth while considering your answers, difficult in an interview situation, I know, but if you can anticipate key questions it'll make the whole experience a little less nerve racking!

P.S. I know that I was going to write some posts about my time at the Net A Porter group, and I still am so I'll be covering my time there in the next post before talking about my role and responsibilities at Instyle and hopefully I'll be back on track soon enough.