Internship Ideas: Ingrid at Marie Claire Magazine in NYC

Some of you may know senior Communication Studies major Ingrid Van Diest. Well, I have known Ingrid for several years now and have had her in three classes. And each class that she has taken from me has met three days a week. So three classes, three days a week… that’s a lot of days of class. Which brings me to my point: In all those days of class I don’t think I have ever seen Ingrid wear yoga pants. Or sweats. Or leggings. No, Ingrid is always dressed up in a perfectly put together ensemble. So of course it was no surprise that she is interested in fashion! When I found out that she was an intern at fashion magazine Marie Claire this past summer, I asked if she would share her experiences with us…

Q: Where did you intern and what do they do?

Ingrid: “This past summer I had the incredible opportunity to intern for Marie Claire Magazine in New York City! Marie Claire is an international monthly women’s magazine run by the Hearst Corporation that focuses on women around the world and various global issues, as well as health, beauty, and fashion.”

Q: How did you find this internship?

Ingrid: “I found this internship while I was browsing Twitter and I stumbled upon an account called Ed2010 that posted internship listings for various magazines. I decided to send over my resume and cover letter thinking, ‘you never know if you don’t try.’ The next week I received an email from their fashion assistant offering me an interview and before I knew it I was off to spend my summer in the Big Apple.”

Q: Why did you decide to intern there?

Ingrid: “I have always been interested in fashion but I’ve only regarded it as a hobby of mine. I never actually thought I could somehow make a career out of it. So in a sense my decision to intern for a fashion magazine was more of a trial of the fashion world for me. Turns out it was the best decision I’ve ever made and I am completely hooked and truly believe I’ve found my calling.”

Q: What did you do on a regular basis at your internship?

Ingrid: “At Marie Claire I was a fashion intern, which pretty much means I worked in the fashion closet where they keep all the beautiful designer clothes, shoes, and accessories they shoot for the magazine cover and editorials. My job was to maintain records of seasonal fashion trends, manage designer requests and samples, organize the closet, prepare trunks for local and international photo shoots, create storyboards for the fashion editors, and assist the editors with anything they needed. In other words, I was Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada. It would get very exhausting sometimes, running around NYC carrying heavy garment bags in the summer heat, but to be honest it was totally worth it. One time I was having a terrible day, where everything seemed to be going wrong. That day was also the hottest day of the year and I had to go pick up clothes at the Diane Von Furstenberg showroom, which was pretty far. Right as I was walking up to the building, I saw her walk out looking absolutely fabulous entering a big black car and driving off. I was so star struck that I had to take a second to process that I just saw one of my favorite designers in the flesh. There are moments like this where you remember why you started, why you’re working long hours with no pay, why one day it will be worth it, and how incredibly blessed you are to have this opportunity.”

Q: What did you learn from this internship?

Ingrid: “I learned more than I ever thought I would during this internship. I learned everything I need to know about magazine production, how editors make executive decisions, how the fashion industry works in general, and how to get where I want to be, Editor in Chief. I had a great on-hands experience and wonderful networking opportunities that, in my opinion, are worth more than a small stipend.”

Q: What advice do you have for other students looking for an internship?

Ingrid: “My main advice is to always keep your eye on the prize. There will be times where life will seem difficult and your dreams will seem further away than ever before. But if you keep the negative thoughts away and keep telling yourself, I can and I will, you transform your whole attitude and energy into something positive that will actually help you reach your goals. It’s easier said than done especially when you’re working from 9am-10pm but it will pay off in the end. Trust your gut and go after what you want even if it seems out of reach. I had many doubts before I submitted my application for this internship but if I didn’t take that risk, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Thanks to my internship at Marie Claire I landed a freelance student stylist and editor job with ASOS.com, which is a London-based online fashion company and it’s really been a dream come true. I’m not really sure where I’ll be working when I graduate, but thanks to my experience with Marie Claire, I know I’ll be where I am meant to be.”

Thanks, Ingrid, for sharing your experience! Ingrid passed on some great advice about looking for and finding an internship! Can’t wait to follow your fashion career, Ingrid!