Week in Review: Starting my internships

I was walking to class Tuesday evening after my first full day at the magazine. It was rush hour, I didn't know exactly where I needed to be and Times Square tourists were in my way. And so, I kept walking west down 8th avenue until I unexpectedly ran into any journalists Mecca...

I knew the Times had built a fabulous new skyscraper to house their world-renowned publication, but I didn't know where it was. Needless to say, I was blown away. More than that, I was reminded of why I'm here in New York City, to chase very big dreams. While I thought working for the Times was a dream of the past for me, I might have thought too quickly.  Magazines are my area of focus in my studies but I'm still extremely passionate about newspapers, news writing and the democratic role journalism plays in this country. 

My anecdote aside, this week was all about getting my feet wet at both of my internships. I absolutely LOVE both of my jobs. Power and Motoryacht, (PMY as I'll call it from this post on) is an excellent publication for me to start my magazine journalism career. The staff is large enough to put out a good magazine every month but not too large where I would be overwhelmed. Simply put, I'm easing my way into the magazine industry. Thus far, I've begun researching story ideas for my feature which will run in the August issue. I've also helped editors research stories for other portions of the August issue, including the Top 100 lists they publish every summer. 

My publishing internship with Random House has served as a great learning experience very quickly. I've worked in the eBooks department for two days and I'm already completely in love with the company. I'm also enjoying seeing what the publishing industry has to offer as I entire the job market in a year. I can't share exactly what I do with the company, but I can tell you that it's unlike any work I've ever done and I love it! :) I'm also thankful to have fantastic coworkers. My favorite part? Free books, everywhere. There are books all over the 25 floor office that are there for the taking. Needless to say I've already taken advantage of that perk, as some of my favorite authors are published by Random House! 

This is a photo of the Random House lobby published by New York magazine. They wrote a feature series several years back looking at different New York City industries and chose Random House to take a look at publishing. The story takes an inside look at the company and the industry. 

Getting back into the 9-5 routine has been a difficult task for me. I haven't woken up at 6:30 a.m consistently in a long time. I'm also adjusting to rush hour tendencies in this city. For instance, both my morning commutes require taking the subway. I take the 4 train to PMY and the A train to Random House. During both of these experiences I literally feel like a sardine in a can. I've also found myself annoyed by tourists constantly (somewhat contradictory, I know.) But, they stand in the middle of the sidewalk with their maps and iPhone apps and cameras during rush hour. As a busy New Yorker, I have places to go! :) 

Last night I went to dinner at a great Italian place in Greenwich Village with one of my roommates. She's a foreign student originally from Shanghai, China. Eating dinner with her was the first time we really talked about her background and it was fascinating to get to know her. I look forward to exploring the city with her again in the future! 

My week has been consumed with work, so I don't have many city adventures to chronicle. I'm going sightseeing again today so I'm sure that will bring great stories and photos! 

Stay tuned,
Jamie