So where have I been? At the Guardian, doing work experience on the fashion desk. Now, like me when I got the e-mail three weeks ago, your probably thinking, "Wow, that's amazing" or "I would love to do that!". Well, on day one I realised that it really wasn't what it cracked up to be. By the second day having been told to turn up to a shoot two and a half hours early, & then surrounded by twats, I really wanted to come home. But I stuck it out, after all I know there are hundreds of people who would kill for the opportunity & I thought I was just being a dick & not making the most of it. While that was probably a low point, it didn't improve much after that.
The biggest problem was that there was absolutely nothing to do. Once I'd gone through the post & divided up London Fashion Week invites between the editors & the days, done the fashion clippings from the days newspapers & got a cup of tea for everyone I then spent most of the day asking if there was anything I could do. I swear I probably did about one full day of work out of ten. & most of that was from me volunteering to overhaul the fashion cupboard (which I did, complete with guardian font shelf talkers) which was a mess after the Christmas rush. I didn't think that not having anything to do would be a problem & after originally thinking they were all too busy to explain anything to me, I later realised that actually the people who were meant to delegate to me didn't have enough to do themselves.
So oh well, I take away the fact that I definitely don't want to work in an office. Ever. It made me completely stir crazy. The highlights were Simon Chilvers liking my car shirt, compliments on a very basic navy cashmere jumper, Imogen Fox & Jess Carter-Morley being nice & better looking in person than in the magazine, & the nice lady who sat on the fashion desk as overspill from features who was the ONLY ONE who asked me about my background or how I was getting on.
Has anyone else done work experience at a magazine? Is it all like this? They seemed to think I'd done loads of work & said I could come back anytime I like so.. I wonder the standard of the other people they've had or if I'm just weird in that I've worked for three years.
Uh that's so sad. I really want to focus on graphics and magazine work and this is a bit offputting.
ReplyDeleteI was about to say, yey!, but now I'm going to say, boo! Sorry you didn't have enough to do - it is so awful and boring not having enough to do! I've founded it to be a consistent problem with work experience/interning. I guess it is partially because you're there short term and you have no responsibility. Partially though, I think it is personality/previous experience - if you're used to being busy and having a lot to do then inevitably work experience is going to be a bit of a drag. Maybe I'm overstating that... I don't know. Let me know if you think of a way to stay out of offices though! x
ReplyDeletei did wonder where you were actually. gees sounds shocking but very familiar. i worked at a fashion magazine, horror story and actually worse than yours (i'm not trying to outdo you but if you knew it all then you would agree). long story short, moved to london from the north and got sacked within 2 weeks! stuck in london, as rent was already paid.......spent a month doing anything i wanted in london which was the best time of my life! worked out alright in the end then.
ReplyDeleteMat: Whoa, that's insane, so they made you pick up your whole life & then didn't even try harder than 2 weeks worth? So selfish! I think I'm best keeping it just as a hobby...
ReplyDeleteyou blog header is lovely
ReplyDeleteLots of Love,
Lily from Red Brick Lipstick
yeah i know, heavy.
ReplyDeleteI love your honesty!
ReplyDelete