by Leo Wiles
22 October 2014
I graduated from my Masters almost two months ago and I’m just a little concerned that nothing has come up yet. So far all the work that I’ve published in Australia, including my internship at ResourceRecovery.Biz, has been unpaid. I would really appreciate any feedback/tips you can provide me with on looking for jobs -ideally I would love to be working for a lifestyle or culture publication (online or print). BD
Like with most things in life, being talented doesn’t matter a jot if you don’t market yourself in a way that attracts your dream employer. As they adage goes; a story untold is a story unsold.
And, sorry if this sounds a wee bit harsh, but when you have your heart set on writing in highly competitive arenas such as fashion, culture and lifestyle, you can’t be seen to spend your time working in completely unrelated fields (like your internship at ResourceRecovery.Biz). Forwarding links to cuttings that have nothing to do with the area you want to work in probably won’t do you any favours – or interest the editors you’d like to be working for. At best, you’ll come across a kind editor who clocks your Masters or media degree, guesses you can string a sentence together and reads your work, but I wouldn’t bet on it (editors are notoriously busy people).
What editors want to know is that you are able to captivate your audience – and if it’s a high fashion, pop culture or lifestyle title, he or she will be looking for evidence that you know what’s relevant to their audience and that you understand the language of its target market. If you have a working relationship with PRs / agents and can land that incredibly hard to get one on one with the reclusive talent, even better.
So going forward, look into interning somewhere that will help you land these contacts. Blog and write about these topics. Above all DO NOT include links or references that do not support your overall aim. If I wanted to be a vet I’m hardly going to regale the interviewer with my years as a dog groomer to get the job.
Dipping into our previous bag of tricks, here are some other ways to get your head in the game:
How to grow your personal brand
Creating your online portfolio – what you need to know
Tips for improving my CV
My top eight rules for pitching
No word on your pitch? How to cold call
6 tips for pushing through fear to create
How long will it take to get my freelance career off the ground?
No clippings? How to get an editor to take a chance on you
10 ways to build better relationships with editors
How to land a regular freelance gig
Do you have other tips or tricks to share with DB? We’d love to hear them especially if you write for fashion or culture.
