How to Get Your Dream Editorial Internship

Looking for an editorial internship? Jumpshell is hiring a Content Creator and Uloop is looking for a News Writer.

Whether you aspire to be an editorial assistant at one of the big 5 publishing houses, a Senior Editor at Conde Nast, or if you simply want to help a company build out its content arm, you can get your start by applying to editorial internships. These internships can be extremely competitive — there are a ton of good writers out there! – but if you follow these tips, you’ll be a competitive candidate for any content-minded company.

Be ready with published writing samples.

If you’re applying for an editorial internship, you will be asked to send over a few writing samples. This is so that employers’ can get a sense of your writing style, the topics you’re able to cover and the type of tone you’re able to adopt. Show the employer that you can match the company’s needs as much as possible: To do this, carefully select which samples you send over. For example, you don’t necessarily want to send your published thesis on the Evolution of Mankind to Elle Magazine or your review of Kendall Jenner’s top 10 best looks to TechCrunch.

If you haven’t been published yet, it’s never too late to start your digital footprint! Create a blog of your own or create a SquareSpace site that houses your best work. It’s a great way to show off a compilation of your writings in a clean, professional way.

Be able to answer the question, “What are you reading now?”

This is especially prevalent for book publishing internships, but every content-oriented company is interested in your own editorial interests. Good writers are often avid readers, and avid readers are often more in touch with ideas that are currently being floated around. Are you staying up to date with writing trends? Are you reading the books, magazine issues or blog posts that the company has produced?

Make sure to take a look at the content the company has created so that you’re familiar with their style, voice and purpose. That way, you’ll be much more prepared in terms of understanding the company’s goals and expectations.

Be prepared for an editorial test.

Even with the impressive writing samples you’ve sent over, employers are only seeing the finished product. An edit test helps them to see how precise you are during the writing and editing process; it gauges your level of attention to detail.

An edit test may come in the form of a writing assignment or a pre-written article that is riddled with grammatical errors–the purpose of this is, of course, to test your ability to clean up an article. If the former, make sure that your idea is original and that you read the finished product out loud to yourself several times – this will help you to make top edits and to see how well the piece reads.

If the latter, don’t just make grammatical changes, make structural changes as well. If there are ways that a certain sentence or paragraph could be worded better, mention that. If you want the “author” to elaborate on a few points, make a note of it. The more substantial your edits, the better your chances of getting hired!

Assess the company’s current editorial initiatives and be prepared with pitches of your own.

In the writing world, it’s difficult to come up with an idea that hasn’t already been done. However, what you can do is figure out creative ways to market the company through content – tactics that the company hasn’t yet implemented. Review the company’s archive of content and take note of the holes in their topics. Then come up with 2-3 pitches that you can introduce during your interview.  

Every single employer is interested in the unique aspect that you can bring to the company: Your ideas for content are a great way to show off just that. Oh, and to really win your interviewer over, send over a well-written thank you note.

With these tips, you’ll be ready to swing for the fences during your editorial internship search, and remember, because your role is in high demand, WayUp gets new content internships each week, so don’t miss out on your chance to get your foot in the door!