I never expected to work at a weddings magazine. Reason number one? I have only been to two weddings in my life. At my first wedding, I was six years old and played the part of a flower girl for my aunt. My predominant memory from that day was getting my tooth pulled out from my grandpa the morning before the ceremony. At the second wedding, I was twenty and old enough to process what was exactly going on around me. And all my teeth stayed intact.

When I started my internship, I truly did not know what to expect. I knew I would be working with the digital team, so I would gain some experience working in Computer Management System (CMS). However I did not know how much I would be writing nor how closely I would work with my team.

At Martha Stewart Weddings, I was smack dab in the middle of the “edit row” with the digital team. If I had a question for the Associate Editor, all I had to do was swivel my chair to the left. If I had an idea for a gallery or article, I spun my chair to the right to pitch something to the Executive Digital Editor, who would often reply with an enthusiastic, “go for it!” I was truly lucky to work with a group of amazing women who relied on me as an asset to tap into. My supervisors treated me like I was just part of their team, rather than a young expendable intern, and I would always be included in social events like parties on the building’s rooftop or birthday celebrations.

 Although I had little experience in weddings, I learned that content for a weddings magazine incorporated a bevy of different subjects ranging from beauty to décor to social dynamics. Once immersed in the “Martha” voice, I could write about practically anything if I gave it a wedding spin. I celebrated marriage equality by creating a gallery of sweet moments from same-sex couples the magazine had featured, and compiled advice from experts including a podiatrist and Beyoncé’s choreographer to teach women how to walk in high heels. I even could discuss friendship and addressing difficult subjects like money or body image in a post “10 Things Every Bride Can Do to Keep Her Bridesmaids Happy”.

Now at the end of the summer, I realize that I learned some extremely important career lessons from my internship. First, you must be present. Always be available to your supervisors with new ideas and ask to help in any way you can. Second, don’t make excuses and learn from your mistakes. If you are simply running late or forgot to add an important element to your work, the best thing to do is admit that you are at fault, correct it, and remember not to do it again. Last, networking is necessary. As I spoke more and more with my team, I learned that most of them received their jobs after getting referred from a previous co-worker.

I cannot imagine spending my summer any different way after this incredible experience. I had a phenomenal work environment, learned about digital production, and also had the opportunity to live in and explore the amazing city of New York. I am so appreciative of the funding that helped me gain this experience and I can’t wait to see all the professional opportunities it will bring me in the coming year!

Jessica Warren ’14 graduated from Scripps with a major in Anthropology. She credits her time at Scripps as one of the defining places that influenced her interests and developed her critical thinking skills that lead her to her current position as a Research Associate at the Education Advisory Board in Washington, D.C. The Mellon Grant recipient and former Bridges Auditorium box office staff member spoke about how her positions large and small helped prepare her to succeed in the workforce.

Jessica one of over 1500 alumnae volunteers in Life Connections. Following is from an informational interview with CP&R Marketing Intern Shelby Wax ’16.

SW: Tell me about your time at Scripps. How did the environment impact you?

JW: I loved my time at Scripps. I really appreciated the way a women’s college and the Scripps curriculum prepared me to think critically about the world and take on leadership roles. I loved the supportive environment. It fostered my interests in ways that I followed things I didn’t initially want to pursue. And the Scripps network and security will always follow you. I actually am meeting with a Scripps friend for dinner this week and will meet with my former Anthro professor and mentor Claudia Strauss when she visits DC.

The nurturing environment at Scripps didn’t hold me back, but you have to know that, after college, you will have to take care of things on your own more and work with people from a lot of different places. Scripps made me a critical thinker, which made me courageous in a lot of ways.

SW: How did you choose your major?

JW: I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I came in. I originally thought I would pursue English and Writing. However Core got me interested in anthropology. The social theories we learned in core really helped me throughout my studies. Also my Core III class, Oral History, helped me discovered that I loved interviewing.

SW: How did your on-campus job at Bridges Auditorium impact you?

JW: Having a job where you work with others is really important in college. That’s a skill you need to learn. You are very independent in college and the office environment lends you to learning how to work on someone else’s schedule. Learning how to make connections is also important. To practice those work connections, participate in clubs or smaller jobs where you are working together and collaborating. Working with others can ground you. Employers expect that you will have to take on these kinds of jobs in college.

SW: What did you do with your time when you were unemployed after Scripps?

JW: End of senior year was stressful because I didn’t have a job. But most people I know didn’t like their jobs straight out of college. Don’t think other people have things down and you don’t. Just get started early and work a lot on your resume. I was interested in jobs in DC and I wasn’t in DC. If you have a city in mind, try to make connections while still in college. And if you have to do a temporary job right out of college, know that is still experience and it’s still good.

SW: Did you ever use CP&R’s resources while at Scripps?

JW: CP&R was a huge help for me. They have seen lots of my grant applications and resumes and helped me with re-writing. Reaching out to CP&R was a great way to bounce ideas of what I want to do. They even helped me after I graduated. When I was unemployed after my job at the Australian Embassy, CP&R helped me make the connections I needed.

SW: How did you get your current position at the Education Advisory Board?
JW: I heard about this job through a CMC friend who worked there. He knew I was interested in education so he referred me for the position. It was a quite a few months between applying and starting. Realize that you are going to apply for a job a few months in advance. If they haven’t gotten back in a month, you can send an email so you aren’t lost in a file somewhere. Never be afraid to ask your friends to connect you with jobs.

SW: What do you do at your job?

JW: I’m a research associate focusing on education. I work in short term custom research where I do 6-8 week research projects looking at issues that colleges are having in enrollment and faculty. There is bit of data analysis, but it’s mostly qualitative research. We find out what works at other schools and then provide advisory reports. I’m lucky that I can tailor my research to what I’m interested in. Recently, I wrote about transferring from community colleges. Scripps prepared me for this position through the focus on writing and by teaching me how to learn about a particular subject quickly.

SW: Is there any advice that you have for Scripps students?

JW: You probably won’t have your dream job, the first job you get. In fact, your dream job will change throughout your career. Find a job that you’re pretty interested in and people you like to work with. Find people who can help you learn and support you. Whatever job you get, you can make it work for you based on the people you are with.