Only a week into my internship at Her and I’ve learned a lot.
So my first week at Her HQ is behind me and it has been a whirlwind of introductions, admin, brainstorming and writing. It’s impressive and overwhelming in equal measure watching the Her veteran gals at the desk producing some class content. It’s a fast-paced environment, but everyone tells me I’ll get used to it!
Week one was undoubtedly a challenge but massively rewarding. The nature of media and journalism means you have to have your finger on the pulse and keep up to speed with current affairs, beauty, fashion and everything else Her does a great job of reporting on.
Her produces a variety of content besides the written articles on the site. From YouTube videos to an in-house podcast and exciting social media campaigns, there’s a lot going on so the office has a nice creative buzz and sense of productivity about it.
Wednesday evening, in particular, was an exciting one as Her hosted its first open evening for media students. The panel included Gillian Fitzpatrick, Cathy Donohue, Niamh Maher, Louise Carroll and Jade Hayden.
Here are some of the top tips I picked up:
Make your CV stand out
Publisher of Her and HerFamily, Gillian Fitzpatrick, on the night said she gets inundated with CVs on a daily basis and stressed the importance of having a strong CV with a unique edge. She said that she once received a CV that imitated the layout of the Her site and that innovative ideas like this are very impressive.
Niamh Maher, best known for her much-loved podcast, ‘Girls With Goals’, suggested it is a good idea to think outside of the box when highlighting your skills to prospective employers.
With the world being so digitised now, it’s an excellent opportunity to get creative, be it sending a short video of your portfolio, using social media to your advantage or just coming up with a killer CV layout.
Be meticulous
Gillian also stated that she is astounded by the amount of CVs that contain typos. This is such a no-no so proofread…and then proofread again! On the night, Niamh asked Gillian if a typo in someone’s CV would prevent them from securing an interview and the answer was a definite yes.
Don’t underestimate the value of an internship
Speaking on the night, Jade Hayden, now a permanent staff member at Her, said that her stint as an intern helped increase her confidence and that the fast-paced environment helped her to not second-guess her writing.
Internships are a massive opportunity to make your mark and get a foot in the door and, as Gillian says, ‘it’s yours for the making’.
Work HARD
Gillian began her career in 2007 as a print journalist and recalled working crazy hours to meet deadlines and carve out a name for herself. Now at the helm of Her and HerFamily, both of which attract millions of unique users every month, she accredits hard work to her success.
The media powerhouse says that hard work can make up for lack of ability in certain areas, or connections in the industry.
Make sure your writing has a hook
That’s one of the lessons I picked up from Cathy Donohue, editor here at Her and HerFamily. When editing my content, Cathy has stressed the value of ensuring your story has a ‘hook’ or unique angle to it. This distinguishes it from other similar articles and gains more traction – an important one if you’re currently doing an internship or freelancing.
Having a hook is also essential as a copywriter, as Louise Carroll hinted at. Like Jade, Louise started in Her as an editorial intern and then moved to a permanent role as a copywriter. Louise liaises with brands to figure out what clients would be a good fit for sponsored content on the site. She said that the role has strengthened her marketing and selling skills.
So keep those tips in mind when you’re looking for media opportunities. I’m so glad I took the chance and emailed in my CV. Sure as my mum always says, ‘the worst that can happen is someone says no!’
