Because next summer is so far away, I started planning the ways in which I could fill the fast-approaching winter break with ways to get job experience, or money, at the very least. Last winter break was a bleak, depressing stretch of time in which I was desperately bored when I wasn’t celebrating the holidays (a mere four days out of the month, mind you). By the end of it, I had started talking to my dogs, who I was home alone with all day as my mom, dad, and brother returned to work and school. In order to avoid such repetitious fate, I took to the web to see what internships would be available to me in New York City over that period of time.

One of the most helpful things I stumbled upon in this search was the website ed2010.com, which caters directly to people interested in editorial internships. Magazines and websites post there frequently looking for writers. Though I don’t really know what type of writing I want to exactly be involved in, I felt that winter break was a solid amount of time to try out, but not fully commit, to some industry that I was interested in. Looking at the website, it quickly became apparent to me that fashion magazines were the ones seeking interns the most. I knew that a lot of Scripps women had been involved in the fashion journalism industry, and that we had a good reputation within it, so I decided to apply to one internship at a fashion website that had posted a listing just that day. The application didn’t require a cover letter, just a resumé and a short blurb detailing your work availability. I sent it in, and, in what has rarely ever happened to me, I got a personal response thanking me for my application.

I don’t know what Gods had shined down upon me that day, but later that week I was emailed requesting a phone interview. I felt incredible. On top of the world. Even if I didn’t get the job, I could see myself later boasting the accomplishment of getting a phone interview to my friends and family.

In order to prepare for the interview, I did my research on what the website’s brand was all about. I read their articles (even when, honestly, I hadn’t before), decided firmly what my favorite brand of eyeliner was, and started thinking of ways that I could eat, breathe, and sleep fashion. Though the fashion world was something that I’ve always been interested in, I always found myself to be intimidated by it. I had to figure out how to make myself a contender, so I did. I also started thinking deeply about the importance of fashion journalism, and how it was shaping the idea of what modern, progressive women looked like, and how it could be something that I wanted to be a part of.

When the interview came, I faked it til I made it. I spouted off the names of articles that had just been posted on their website, detailing why I liked them and why I saw them as important. The interviewer and I bonded over our love for poetry, and the way that writing about the Kardashians was kind-of stupid, but it got a lot of hits, so it had to be done. I emphasized my hard-working nature; I found myself relating back to my past experience more often than I thought I would, as I mentioned how I constantly had to keep myself busy working in an ice-cream shop and with second graders. I worried that I wasn’t well-versed enough in the industry, but I think that overall, the quality of being a hard-worker with a passionate drive won out: I got the job.

I’m a little nervous for what this job entails, but luckily, I got it at the right time: with Black Friday and Cyber Monday happening, I’m able to shape up my wardrobe and buy a bunch of cute clothes to fit my new “fashion intern” persona. I also plan on expanding my research in the next month, and reading up on magazines like Vogue, Elle, and Instyle to see what the latest trends are. Though I wasn’t sure at first if I even wanted the job, now that I have it, I’m beyond excited to dedicate my time to exploring a new industry that I could really see myself in.