Wednesday 24 April 2013

Day 8 - the round up

Today has been one of my favourite days so far. We got to the office early again and everyone was in great moods and the weather was lovely. We had alot of garments to book in because of all the things we'd ordered for the shoot the day before, we then got to style some festival outfits and hang them in the fashion cupboard. It was then I heard the desk talking about sending off the left over makeup from the beauty sale off to the charity shop, the other magazine beauty sale we'd been to earlier in the week was a disappointment so I used my unitive and asked politely if we donated could we have a look, we were allowed and we didnt have to pay as we'd all worked so hard the last two weeks. We were then given more goodies from press day goodie bags that the desk didnt want. I then spoke to a woman from the did girl desk who was really interested in my background in photography and she said she'd try and get me in on a shoot. We then went to a brainstorming session which was amazing I can't put alot of details here but I have made notes. Also met ollie and chesca from made in Chelsea and was really star struck! Finished my transcribing an got the train home. The biggest thing I've taken away from today is that I have realised I don't want to work for a weekly celeb mag. I want to work more fashion based deffo. Which is good - this is why I took this placement to find out things like this. I have felt comfortable and content today

Day 7 - end of the day

After I finished researching I was asked to transcribe an interview .. I hate transcribing

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Day 7 - lunch

Today's been good , I've been researching more of the same appliqué and sheer garments. But now it's to request high street items for a shoot tomorrow - I'm really hoping ill get to help on the shoot tomorrow it's what I'm most looking forward too. I've also mastered answering the phone finally. Feeling positive

Day 6 - the round up

Today went very quickly which suprised me because I was really tired this morning and we've not had alot to do today atall really. The usual collecting the post doing returns booking stuff in. The highlight of today for me was being put on another research task, I was given pictures of two celebrities and asked to find a high street duplicate of their outfits - i do this alot on my own blog and I was chuffed because I knew I'd be able to nail this task. I found lots of alternatives and presented the items to the beauty writer who was really impressed that I'd found one particular outfit and asked me to call in a sample straight away, which means it will be being used in the magazine at some point :) I also went a new route today as I am communiting from Southampton again now, it was daunting this morning but I didn't get lost. I also went out on my lunch and found some new parts of London. I'm getting much better at travel which is good. Sent home early again because tere was nothing to do, good day - can't wait to get some dinner I'm starving

Sunday 21 April 2013

Day 5 - The round up

Today again started very slow. Our supervisor left early and we were left with the style editor and beauty writer. After many more returns and phone calls I finally got to do something worthwhile. I got asked to do the pages for 'who wore it best' where I can to source where the clothes were from and how much they cost before writing a little descriptor I learnt how to set out the page on word to be sent to the design people which was useful and I got to again use my research skills and do something new and creative

Thursday 18 April 2013

Day 4 - the day round up

Being honest there wasn't a whole lot to blog about today. I spent the majority of the day tidying and re organising the fashion cupboard and the jewellery. I got really bummed out earlier. I take everything so personally and I get upset wondering why I'm not being asked to do more. But this is a learning curve for me. Everything is new and it's teaching me to deal with these feelings and toughen up. I did get to do a styling project toward the end of the day. The styling writer gave me two images and wanted me to pick out items from the cupboard which has either sheer and paneling or appliqué detail. She seemed impressed with my work and hopefully ill get to come out of the cupboard tomorrow! I do feel the pressure with 3 of us and I don't want to be the worst out of the 3 of us. It is a competitive industry however this is an internship not a guaranteed job. I impressed the assistant by compiling a system in the fashion cupboard where you can find the brands because I researched all the PR companies that look after each one, I then wrote the addresses out for the PR companies out of Manchester - she said she'd like me to type it up and print it tomorrow.. I also asked about going to press events and maybe compiling a trend report for her if she couldn't go and she said she'd look into it and seemed suprised I was interested. One of the other girls has been asked to write something up by the lifestyle editor - I haven't. But in all honesty writings not what I want to get into, the research, phone calls and mini styling project will e much more beneficial. Plus getting to know PR companies and who they look after inside out can't be a bad thing. I'm now looking forward to the beauty sale tomorrow and a nice long weekend.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Day 3 - end of the day

Not much happend after lunch. We continued to research for celebrity quotes and when the fashion desk went for a communal lunch myself an the other intern manned the desk alone, I learnt finally how to use the phones properly and felt a lot more confident. A PR brow company are coming in next week and asked if I'd like to be the person they do te demo on - I really hope the desk lets me that would be amazing. We then booked in some more clothes for a 'cut out' shoot and got sent home early again. The ends of the days are always so dead.

Day 3 - lunch

Today started slow but is getting better. At first we had little to do however before lunch things got better. A magazine on the same floor is also doing a beauty sale on Friday which I cannot wait for! Today I did some more store returns in Covent garden then was put on another researching task to look through magazines and find quotes from celebrities about there style and there favourite beauty pieces. Which I had to give to the fashion assitant ready for being put into a page. I then got to phone for samples for a shoot. This involved me calling each brand and asking them to send the garments and accessories we wanted for a shoot. This was easier as I was in the beauty consists and didnt feel as under pressure. All the PRs were cooperative and I completed the task with ease.

Day 3 - lunch

Today started slow but is getting better. At first we had little to do however before lunch things got better. A magazine on the same floor is also doing a beauty sale on Friday which I cannot wait for! Today I did some more store returns in Covent garden then was put on another researching task to look through magazines and find quotes from celebrities about there style and there favourite beauty pieces. Which I had to give to the fashion assitant ready for being put into a page. I then got to phone for samples for a shoot. This involved me calling each brand and asking them to send the garments and accessories we wanted for a shoot. This was easier as I was in the beauty consists and didnt feel as under pressure. All the PRs were cooperative and I completed the task with ease.

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Day 2 - end of the day

After lunch the 3 of us began to feel like pests to the fashion desk. Second day in and I now know who sits where which is good because I can confidently hand out post and ask the apt person questions. I continued to do studio requests for images and now know how to fill out a studio request form. I also saw the editor of the magazine I'm dying to work at and I think I may approach her if I see her again - what do I have to loose? Following that I used the photocopier again and this time did it successfully. The beauty desk like to have a copy of every two pages they do weekly and they'd built a back log which I sorted through and presented for them. I also got to know the inside of the beauty cupboard quite well today - lots of samples were being sent in and needing filing. I also had to set up bags for 'tried and tested' which were products that were 'trending' or had a hype around them. It was exciting to see new products before anyone. I then cleaned the fashion cupboard again and made more space. And did some booking in alone which I found easy. We also learnt the location of the post room so that we could take down mail that needs to be sent. I've also collected some press releases and packs today for my portfolio, these will be useful for future research and who knows maybe work. Seeing as I am doing an internship in magazines and PR it will be useful to have pr packs sent from companies and then to see how they are out together at a later date. Today I have felt alot more positive I liked my outfit and the beginning of the day gave me a chance to be creative. I'm worried that I was sent home 20 minutes early but there really was nothing to do, I am trying to do things off my own back like getting post and filing beauty products but between the 3 of us we soon run out of things to do. The other intern is quite 'in' with the editorial team so we don't see her alot. I feel like the team are very cold and that I can't join in conversation or joke, luckily the other interns feel the same. I'm hoping this is just because its the 2nd day in. But all in all a much more positive day.

Day 2 - lunch

Today has been a much better day. For a start I travelled a new route which was 100x easier and got me here half hour early and I met one of the other interns early from yesterday. I think my people skills are developing. Meeting new people is something uni has made me extremely confident with and I feel like I'm beginning to make friends with one of the other interns which is nice and a shoulder to lean on. Today has also been alot more pro active I feel like I'm doing more. I went and picked up the parcels before I came upstairs which they seemed impressed with I then fililed all the beauty products and handed out all the PR invites to seperate desks. Our supervisor didnt get in until 11 so another member of the fashion team set us tasks to do. One girl was left to transcribe an interview one was sent to the fashion cupboard and I was set on a research task. I felt really good about this because my computer skills are strong and I am used to researching for uni projects and internships. I was asked to research fitness and dieting equipment gadgets and sports wear for a dieting special section and my research would be on the wish list page so everything had to be under £50, I felt comfortable in this task and not as daunted, I was sat at the style editors desk as she was away and I also gave it ago at writing the tag line and brief description in hope maybe one or two would catch their eye an maybe get used. Either way it was a useful exercise. I was also asked to man the phones while I was on the desks. I don't deal we'll with situations where I'm not 100% sure with what I have to say so this made me nervous. This paired with the tempronental phones meant there was alot of question asking again - something I hate doing. However I gave it my best shot and eventually I wrote down a little guide to 'answering the phone' which calmed me down. During this the fire alarm went off and the whole building was evacuated.. I've never seen so many people. It's strange because even with events like that I feel like I'm learning more so I embrace it. After I came back and continued researching I was asked to tidy and file the beauty editors parcels and makeup, this was really interesting seeing exclusive previews of new beauty products and seeing what real press packs look like. Then just before lunch ask Italian dropped off some new dough all previews which were AMAZING. Little perks like that make me really want a job in magazines! Today I'm feeling so much more positive! I was going to venture out on my lunch but Christina has joined me again and I think I'd rather relax :)


Monday 15 April 2013

Day 1 - end of the day

After lunch things got a bit more interesting. The style editor asked me to photocopy some things for her as they are redesigning the magazine currently. I had trouble with the photocopier finding out how to make it copy 10 of each and had to ask, then it started flashing because it was out of paper and again I had to ask and felt like an idiot. Then I'd messed the order up and although they were nice I felt really anxious and it really put a downer on me and I didn't know how I'd pull myself back up. We then sent the returns off with the corier and I was asked to get coffee for the style editor from 'pod' which I had no idea where it was after searching for a couple of minutes and asking people who were useless I finally found it. Navigating is not my strong point but it is something moving away to Southampton has taught me. We then got asked to go out and do some store returns from a shoot they had had last week. THANKFULLY we were sent as a pair and the other girl knew her way round. Which I then found a new route to the office tomorrow much more simple. However I've got on the train and I've got to be in for 9.30 tomorrow and I can either catch a train that gets me there for 8.58 or 9.26 .. No use as there both using highspeed also. I don't want to ask more questions so I think I'm just going to have to pay for the upgrade. Today was very overwhelming and I have learnt offices are extremely fast paced. At least I can say I know how to book things in and out of a fashion cupboard and where the style editors favourite coffee shop is.

Day 1 - lunch time

First day.
Got lost in London, travel was fine but it was when I got off the tube that I got lost, found the building with 5 mins to spare. Found out I am one of 3 interns for the next 2 weeks. Both girls are nice however, I feel I would have got more experiance if I was alone - only time will tell. As soon as we arrived we were givien a quick tour and shown were to collect the mail/samples every morning and evening. We were then taken to the fashion cupboard and immideatley put on a task of sorting out the booking in and booking out clothing, taught some new words like docklet etc. I've also taken up a beauty product to the studio for it to be shot . From there we were continuing to sort returns, then we were asked to do a tea run. We were then sent on half hour lunches. And here I am. On my lunch break I met a girl called Christina, I didn't want to risk going out for lunch and getting lost and being late so I stayed inside. Christina was really nice and said she really enjoyed work experiance where I am and that she got lots of opportunities with them. She also gave me advice fr the train tomorrow. I am feeling a little overwhelmed I feel as though I'm not old enough or knowledgable enough to be in a national magazine office - however I felt exactly the same when I started university. I think throwing myself in at the deep end can be a good thing - and it's only the first day - I need to believe in myself and give things a proper chance. I really want to push my own personal boundaries and pull as much out of this as I can for my own personal growth. I've also noticed that everyone talks REALLY fast, also, the office is quiet, I had this vision of seperate offices for the editor in chief and stuff but everyone's the same by the lols of it .. Not quite the scene films make it out to be! :)