Magazine Editors

The best way to get a sense of magazine editing is to work on a high school newspaper or newsletter. You will probably start out as a staff writer, but with time and experience, you may be able to move into an editorial position with more responsibility and freedom to choose the topics to cover. An internship while in college also provides exposure to the magazine field and the different roles and tasks involved. Other ways to learn about the field include reading books about editing, taking a tour of a magazine's editorial offices, and asking your journalism teacher to arrange an information interview with a magazine editor. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What do you like most and least about your job? How did you train for this field? What are some key skills for success? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How will advances in technology (such as generative artificial intelligence) change the field?