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Why the internship was successful.

“It’s exactly like “The Devil Wears Prada! That movie is the perfect caricature!” So explains Evan of his foray into the world of trendy magazine production at his summer internship at Vanity Fair.

Evan was responsible for anything and everything as an art department intern. He had assistant duties, typography assignments, design tasks, and the always entertaining coffee production responsibilities. And, just like Anne Hathaway in the movie, Evan was responsible for putting together “the book,” a collection of design proposals for the Editor-in-Chief to review.

If you thought the movie was extreme, the real world of glossy magazine production
is much more intense and exciting than any Hollywood reproduction. Evan found this fast-paced world of journalism exhilarating and interesting, but he also found it scary. The individuals he interacted with were much stricter and high-strung then he thought possible. The editors at Vanity Fair run a tight ship and don’t have time for their interns to make mistakes so the pressure was on interns to be fast and accurate with their work. College students, like Evan, who were used to coddling and indulgent praise of a job well done, were thrown into a dog-eat-dog world, with everyone working for themselves, not caring if they stepped on someone else to get ahead, and criticizing tiny flaws. Evan thought he was think-skinned enough to deal with the harsh reality of this world, but even he felt it tough at times.

And yet, after the harsh words, strict guidelines, and individualistic co-workers, Evan still calls the internship “one of the best experiences I could’ve had.” He got to start living as a true adult, taking the subway into work every morning and putting in his time. He was also able to get his foot in the door in an industry where it’s not what you know, but who you know that matters. And who Evan got to know will give him more opportunities to break into the journalistic world of high-end magazines than any Ivy League education or Pulitzer Prize in writing ever could.

Interns at Vanity Fair aren’t selected in the “normal” way. They are chosen by knowing a friend of a friend. Without a connection on the inside it is almost impossible to land an internship, or a job for that matter, anywhere inside the Vanity Fair company. Luckily for Evan, he had one connection on the inside that gave him the great opportunity to be an intern. Once there, he made sure to make the most of his time by doing the work and by making strong connections. The length of Evan’s internship worked in his favor. Staying with Vanity Fair from May until August allowed those in charge to see his work improve, and to get to know his work ethic. It also allowed Evan the time to make key networking connections as the editors got to know him better and started to like him.
Evan knows that he is lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such a well-known and respected magazine as Vanity Fair. He took every effort to make the most of this opportunity by being his own biggest fan. “You have to prove to the company you are worth the risk they are taking by hiring you” he explains. He advises others who want to dive into the crazy world of fashion journalism, or any high-paced industry, to spend whatever time they can promoting themselves. “You have to be confidant, and proud of yourself. The editors want someone who has self-respect.” But he also advises against sounding snobbish. During his lengthy internship, he was able to figure out the right balance of self-promotion with humility as he relentlessly worked to convince the editors of his ability by the quality of work he produced and by letting the editors know he believed in his own abilities.

Though his internship was tough, Evan learned more about magazine publication, and the world that drives it, than he ever thought possible. And who knows, you might just see Evan represented on the big screen if Hollywood ever makes “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”