In her “Welcome to New York” ballad, Taylor Swift speaks of bright lights and bustling streets. In The Devils Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway’s character enters magazine publishing with wide eyes, a vulnerable heart, and a lumpy khaki blazer. What, you may ask, connects the two? Well first off, the city that Swift glamorizes and the city that Hathaway tries to navigate is the same place: New York City. Their second connection? I listened to and watched both on my way to NYC this summer. I was equally as sparkly as Swift’s lyrics and equally as optimistic as Hathaway. I was envisioning all possible scenarios, dreaming big, but also completely naïve. I had no idea what to expect. But luckily, everything worked out for the best. I didn’t turn into Hathaway (thankfully), I didn’t transform into the glamorous Swift-ian city-goer (darn), but I did learn more about magazines and myself than I ever imagined possible. If you’re interested in knowing what Taylor Swift and Anne Hathaway didn’t prepare me for this summer, but what I actually managed to learn on my own, read on:
- People are great
Specifically, networking with people is great. One of the most fulfilling experiences I had this summer was meeting with alumnae, going to lunch with the people I worked with, and making genuine connections with professionals. Not only does networking get SO MUCH EASIER with practice, you will also find yourself wanting to network at any given chance. The key, I learned, to networking is to never doubt yourself. It’s hard to say “be yourself” because chances are a lot of us don’t really know who we are just yet. But what I did, and what you can do too, is silence that voice in your head that is making you apprehensive. You are worthy of anyone’s time, now go for it. - Asking questions is a learned skill
Start with what you know, then follow with a question. The best thing I improved upon this summer was how I asked questions. For example, I would say “I know that we receive RFPs from advertisers first, but my question now is – what work then needs to be done on our end?” You’ll let the person know how brilliant you are, but that you also want to learn more. But don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know anything. For instance, I asked on multiple occasions: “What’s an RFP?” - Business casual is cool, even when the weather is not
Yes, I wear business casual on a daily basis. I love a good ballet flat, ask any of my friends. But Claremont weather is much, much different than NYC weather. The key to living in hot, humid weather while also being on a budget? Creativity. I brought a grand total of three pencil skirts, two button-down blouses, and a variety of other professional-ish clothes with me. And I still managed to dress myself for 10 weeks. I realized that I didn’t need a huge salary to keep my outfits interesting and different. I even snuck in a crop top to work (shh, don’t tell my supervisors). - A Scripps degree (or any liberal arts degree) is actually pragmatic
I felt smart this summer. Like genuinely intelligent. Although I was primarily assisting in client relations from the advertising sales side of ELLE DECOR Magazine, many of the things I’ve learned at Scripps came into play. As an English major, it’s my job to write goodly. But from the interdisciplinary and analytic thinking skills I’ve acquired over the years, I was able to easily adapt, learn, and process information this summer. I was assigned a final project that had me connect interior design to banking. Say whaaat? But due to Scripps’ challenging courses and encouragement to actually think, I had no problem doing my job. And I am so thankful for that. - Bagels are better in NYC
This has absolutely no connection to anything career related, but it’s true. And you know Ms. Swift doesn’t eat bagels, so take it from me.