Attachment

My time as editorial assistant at Time Out Magazine and Vice Magazine gave me a sense of what it means to work in professional environment as a media maker. The skills I learnt were highly specific to each organization, however they can easily be put to use in a variety of circumstances and work places. While both magazines appear to be borne from the same ilk of modern, cultural publications, they differ quite dramatically in content and tone, and so my experience differed from one to the other. This report will outline some of the major experiences I encountered at each magazine, what my duties and responsibilities were, and finally, will look at what I have learned from my experiences and how this will help me further my career.  

VICE – September 2011 – January 2012

My role as editorial assistant at Vice Magazine was the more revealing of the two attachments I completed, because it offered me enough insight in order for me to make a decision that writing for such a publication is perhaps not something I want to pursue as a career immediately. While the experience as a whole was not a negative one, I learnt that my style of writing is more suitable to a less subversive publication. I landed this attachment through a mutual friend of the editor Royce Akers. I had long been a fan of the work Vice does, both in print and online, and felt that it might be a good fit for me. I was in the office 2-3 days a week. Even though Vice is a global brand, the Melbourne office was small, with only around 8 staff members in every day. Unlike the ‘internship’ I had expected, there was no fetching coffee or making prints. My role was as important as any other, particularly after the initial 3-month trial period was over. My duties varied from researching and writing articles, maintaining the CMS (the system behind Vice’s website), compiling photo albums for campaigns for clients like Ray Ban and Adidas, editing captions for VBS film clips, copywriting for short blog posts, and finally liaising with client Smirnoff to create the Vice Nightlife Guide to Australia. I headed the Smirnoff campaign, and was responsible for organizing photoshoots, liasing with models and actors, bar owners and restaurateurs. This project was extremely educational as I learnt how to co-ordinate many people at once, and offered me a glimpse into a more managerial role within the media industry.

Naturally, I am not the most outgoing or confident person, so initially I struggled to feel at ease in the offices. I wanted to appear professional but Vice is an interesting mix of professional journalism and subversive attitude, so the office atmosphere is not that of a ‘stiff’ corporate environment but rather of a young, energetic, but somewhat serious organization. I didn’t feel that I was able to express my ideas confidently at first, however by the end of my time there I felt more at home and able to communicate more freely. I believe my initial feeling of being uncomfortable stemmed from the fact that I knew many of the staff through mutual friends, which perhaps hindered my ability to feel at ease blending my personal life with my professional life. What I learnt from this was that I need more conviction in my own ideas in order to leave an impression on those above me.

The pressure to conform to the ‘voice’ of the magazine was something I struggled with the entire length of my attachment. Vice has a very distinct voice, one of satirical humour and irony. What I discovered was that it is very difficult to be genuinely ‘funny’ in print. It’s a unique ability, one that the previous editorial assistant seemed to own. The editor, Royce, was very constructive with his criticism, and I felt that my writing improved dramatically during my time at the magazine. However, I was often made to feel that my writing did not mesh with the tone of the magazine, and my confidence was thus affected.

My skills as a media maker improved greatly during my time at Vice. Not only did my experience there prepare me for a possible career in magazines, but I also learnt how to follow style guides, work with CMS, interact with clients, and co-ordinate photo shoots and interview contacts for articles. My research skills were honed, as often I was looking into subjects that were quite obscure and challenging.

I was able to network with a wide range of professionals worldwide. My articles were not only published in Australian Vice, but American Vice too. My contact list grew immensely, which is likely to be the greatest benefit from my time at the magazine. I made contacts not only within the magazine itself, but also with photographers and PR people throughout Melbourne.

TIME OUT – June 2012-September 2012

Time Out was an altogether different experience from Vice. The whole experience was a much easier, relaxed one. My role there was as a contributor, and at times I was referred to as editorial assistant. The editor, Jenny, was a much more approachable editor than Royce, and she was much more positive about my writing too. I felt that my confidence grew at Time Out, because all my articles were published and I was given important tasks, often interviewing high-profile Melbournians. I was in the office two days a week at first, but this was reduced to one once university classes resumed. My tasks were to conduct interviews, and to write articles for both the website and the print magazine. Unlike Vice, the articles and subjects were always commissioned by the editor, and there was no need to creatively come up with ideas for the magazine. This in turn meant that there was much less strain and stress on me, but also meant that it was not as fulfilling or exciting as Vice. My copywriting skills were put to the test, and just as Vice has a distinct voice, Time Out does too. I found it much easier to write in the tone of Time Out, as it is much more straightforward and there is much less pressure to be ironic or funny. Time Out Melbourne is not a subversive magazine but merely a cultural guide Melbourne aimed at 25-60 year olds.

My confidence in interviewing subjects grew, and I was given a large amount to do during my time there. I was published in both the magazine and the website, and my articles were made to be features at times, which only helped my confidence to grow.

Time Out, as an experience, was virtually an antithesis to my time at Vice. However, what I gained from both publications was a larger contact list, invaluable professional experience, a better understanding of adopting tone and ‘voice’ to suit each publication, and a broader general knowledge of how to write to a brief and a deadline. I used social media at both publications, gained experience using wordpress and CMS, and improved my self-confidence in terms of approaching potential interviewees.

My time at both Time Out and Vice had very different strengths and weaknesses, but after completing internships at both, I am assured that the more internships and work attachments I complete, the better. I feel that I have increased my contact list immensely. My CV is now at a level where I feel confident enough to approach publications of a higher profile for internships, and quite possibly, a job. Before entering these work attachments, my skills were rudimentary, and whilst I had written professionally for a number of years, I had never been involved in an office environment. This was an eye opening experience, as with no screen to hide behind, my communication skills were put to the test. In terms of personal growth, I have learnt how to be more assertive, more confident with my ideas, and generally more outgoing. My professional skills have grown as I have learnt how to apply many of my university-honed skills to a professional environment. This includes social media campaigns, photography, research, ethics, interview skills, factual accuracy, and general writing development. I believe that through my work attachments, my understanding of what I am learning at University has been heightened, as I am now able to relate it to professional experiences. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have been able to extract from my work attachments is knowing that what at first thought might seem impossible to achieve, is not necessarily so. At the beginning of my degree, I would never have thought it possible to land my internships, however now I have learnt that most media companies are quite receptive to students and work attachments, so the important thing to do is to ask and be persistent.