how do I become a fashion journalist? -- Virtually Advising Q+A

The Q: I'm looking for a sucessful career in magazine journalism. There are so many colleges out there and I need to find one that fits exactly what I need. I want to write for a famous fashion magazine and I want to be in New York City. I need a school whose journalism program is highly regarded and a school that will easily be able to intern me at an amazing magazine. I need a school that will push to really get somewhere. I don't want to finish college with no direction and no hope to accomplish what I know im capable of. I want success ... any ideas?

The A: Well, you certainly sound passionate and focused about your hopes. Here are some suggestions to help you decide what to do about them:

New York City has well over a dozen colleges, and there are many more within a few miles of Manhattan. Your first step is to check out these colleges to see what their curricular offerings and internship opportunities are. (You can put together a list by talking with your guidance counselor, looking through one of those huge college guides at the bookstore or doing a search at collegeboard.com, petersons.com or review.com.) Scouring the schools' Web sites and following up with phone calls to their admissions offices should set you on your way. When searching, stay aware of some of the pointers we list in this post on our site:

http://www.virtuallyadvising.com/qa/uchoice20011002mh.html

Next, you should check the book '2006 Writer's Market' to see which fashion magazines are operating in New York. After that, do some investigative work to see which have internship opportunities. (Sometimes the masthead of a magazine will list interns; you can begin there.)

All of these steps will enable you to begin to limit the pool of potential schools and magazines.

Keep a few things in mind, however: First, it is not necessary to major in journalism to get a magazine internship, but what *will* certainly enhance your options is if you begin writing for your school paper and have articles you can send along with your resume, particularly if they are articles that are related to fashion. See this post in our Q+A archive for more thoughts on this topic:

http://www.virtuallyadvising.com/qa/major20050716es.html

Second, most people don't do internships until their junior year. In addition, many magazines, though not all of them, want your college to provide credit for your internship, and most colleges will have a ceiling for the number of credits they're willing to let you earn through internships (usually around eight).

Third, always remember that in journalism, as elsewhere, no one begins at the top. Even though you may get an internship at a "famous fashion magazine," you will almost certainly not be offered a job by that magazine when you graduate. What is more likely to happen is that "famous fashion magazine" internship may enable you to get a job at a less-famous fashion magazine after you graduate. In fact, in my view you are best served by starting with an internship at a less-famous magazine, where you will be more than the gopher you may be at a more-famous magazine. If you work hard, and if you're really, really good, the less-famous mag may offer you a job at some point, and from there you can work your way to the top.

Best wishes,

—Elizabeth Stone, Media Advisor

This response was written on April 3, 2006.