Previously on "Real World Emmaus, PA"....
Before I get into the nitty gritty details of my Men's Health world, I figured it might be useful to catch up on what I did in between graduation and the present. Of course, it'll be a relatively short entry, because I didn't do much. I left New London and settled into my parent's apartment on the upper west side of Manhattan. I sent my resume to every corner of the world (well, at least Manhattan), for months on end. I had the occasional interview, but none of them worked out. I worked as a personal assistant to the editor in chief at Cosmopolitan Magazine, Kate White. When I say personal assitant, I don't mean that I went to an office daily. I simply took care of random things that she couldn't get to in her ridiculously crazy life. This was my main way to keep busy and stay close to the magazine world. In September, I served on a jury, which was one way to get paid. (In one sentence, it was for attempted second degree murder. The trial was nearly as good as Law and Order, albeit longer and without the cross-examination melodrama.) A fellow juror recommended a temp agency, which I used for a few weeks. Then I got the call that change my life...
It was the Friday of my birthday celebration in late October, so I was already excited to get all my favorite people to Jake's Dilemma on the upper west side. While out scouting for new birthday shoes, Kate White called me and told me that the assistant position in their Beauty Department needed a temp. I thought it perfect that she called me while shoe shopping; I mean it was a totally Cosmo moment of mine, and Kate White--the ultimate Cosmo girl--sensed it. Ironically, the Beauty Director at Cosmo had jury duty, and wouldn't be able to fill the position until the trial finished. So, one of my birthday gifts was knowing I had a two or three week gig at Cosmopolitan for their beauty section.
Working for Cosmo's beauty section was a great learning experience. I learned that beauty is not simply about good bone structure. It does help to have fine features and a glowing personality, but the more important thing is having good lotions and potions. Although the subject matter for beauty writing isn't exactly up my alley, I did appreciate my time at Cosmo. I helped arrange beauty spread photo shoots. I also help pick products for the upcoming spring issues. It was great to see how another section of a women's magazine comes together, since I usually skipped over the beauty pages. I also realized that in terms of the limitless amount of beauty products there are on the market, I am not even low-maintenance, I'm no maintenance. Rest assured, however, that I now know the difference between a cleanser and a toner.
The Cosmo position also proved to be instrumental in landing the paid internship at Men's Health. While visiting Kate White in her office one day, I was discussing a job I applied for a few weeks earlier at Men's Health magazine's PR group. The PR position fell through when they didn't have the budget to pay for an intern. As I was recounting this to Kate, who sent a recommendation to HR, her assistant, Mina, came in to relay a message to Kate. Mina overheard me speaking about "Men's Health" and mentioned that she had done a six month internship with their editorial team. She also thought they'd be hiring for their next cycle of interns. Long and short, Mina sent a few emails with my attached resume, I had a phone interview, and then I got the job.
This was right around Thanksgiving. Since then I have been working at the Men's Health office in Emmaus, PA. (Rodale, their publisher, became successful with an agricultural magazine, which is why they're out in the farmlands of PA.) I live in Reading, with my aunt and uncle, and commute 40 mintues to MH.
I realize that this entry was a bit dry, but I felt the need to lay the ground work before I discuss being a graduate of a once-female college working in a Healthy Man's world, so to speak. See you next time!
Comments
Hi Sophie,
You are lucky enough for being promoted quickly from the position of personal assistant to the editor in chief at Cosmopolitan Magazine to the paid internship at Men’s Health.
Posted by: Philips | February 28, 2008 12:38 AM