How I landed my ELLE Canada internship

By Amanda Wenek

It was a cold, windy day in November. My hair was all over the place. I was perspiring from the subway trek, and—let’s be honest—nerves. In my babydoll dress and suede wedges, I felt intimidated by the Amazon, model-esque girl walking out. Then, I forgot everything I knew about fashion. That was my ELLE Canada internship interview in a nutshell. I was convinced that I’d blown it.

Happily, I didn’t. People always ask me how I landed my ELLE Canada internship, and I tell them I was lucky. But really, I think I had a little bit to do with it.

This time last year, I was working at an investment firm. Two years out of grad school with tons of internships and experience under my belt, I was jaded—but happy to have a job. But I wasn’t content to stay in an industry that I wasn’t passionate about, and I believed that an internship at a fashion magazine would be the golden ticket to my dream career.

Using my journalistic prowess, I tracked down the internship supervisor at ELLE Canada. Right in the nick of time too. She sent me the intern application test…with two days to complete it. I spent hours perfecting it, then emailed it back to her the next day. I waited with bated breath, trying to decide on the perfect outfit should I land a coveted interview with the magazine.

Cue the wind, nerves, intimidation. Somehow I made it through. Now, I’m here and I’m so stoked to share all my experiences with you in this blog, as I continue to navigate this fun and fulfilling world that is ELLE Canada.

What would you feel most confident wearing to an interview to land your dream internship: this season’s pleated trouser or a whimsical maxi dress?

5 tips for acing an internship interview

By Jaclyn Tersigni

Job interviews are nerve-wracking, whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-timer. If the interview is for your dream internship, the anxiety is even worse.

I was like a nervous kid on the first day of school last November, as I headed to my interview for an editorial internship at ELLE Canada, Canada’s best fashion magazine. Nerves had kept me from eating anything that morning and I prayed my future editor wouldn’t hear my stomach growl.

I left the ELLE Canada office feeling confident. A week or so later, I heard back and proceeded to do a dorky happy dance; I was officially an intern.

Feeling nervous is part of any internship process, but you can tame your nerves by being prepared. Read on for five tips to help you ace an interview for an internship.

1. Know your employer. If you’re interviewing for an internship at a magazine, read a few back issues and make sure that you’re familiar with the content and style. Consider questions you may be asked during the interview and think about how you’d answer them. Magazines are all about ideas, so make sure you’ve got a few good story ideas that you can share with your interviewer, if asked.

2. Wear a tried-and-true outfit. If you feel uncomfortable in your clothing, you’ll feel uncomfortable during your interview—and your interviewer will notice. For my interview at ELLE Canada, I wore a black shift dress over textured black tights, and I kept the accessories simple. I wouldn’t have made it into any street style columns but I felt put-together, professional, and totally comfortable.

3. Take a breath. When your interviewer asks you a question, take a moment to really think about what you’ve been asked. A few seconds to organize your thoughts will make your answer clearer and stronger.

4. Be yourself and be honest. This may sound like cheesy wisdom from a teen movie but it’s essential. When you answer a question, let your personality come through. Be honest with the interviewer about your experience, your goals, and your expectations.

5. Don’t forget to say thank you. Shaking hands with the interviewer and genuinely thanking them for the opportunity is a must. Go the extra mile and send an email (or better yet, a handwritten note) the next day. It will show the interviewer how interested you are, and it will also help you to stand out from other candidates.

What would you find more nerve-wracking: Interviewing for an internship or going on a first date?

A stylish Canada Day recipe

By Ava Baccari

You know how nothing (nothing) is more inviting than the scent of freshly baked cookies wafting through a room? Well I figured I’d bring that sense of homebaked goodness to the ELLE Canada offices on Thursday. Perfect way to lead into a long weekend, right?

It’s been a long week of fact-checking, interviewing celebrities (stay tuned to find out who!), and avoiding the gym, so naturally I decided the best way to top off the week would be to wake up early Thursday morning and bake for the ELLE Canada team. No one yields to the mid-day sugar crash like our editorial team, and I’m always happy to provide the sweets.

I decided on gooey maple brownies to celebrate my favourite Canadian flavouring—Happy birthday Canada!—with a recipe plucked from my trusty gluten-free baking book. (Since my diagnosis with a gluten allergy just over a year ago, my library of cookbooks has undergone a total wheat-free overhaul.)

The best part of the baking experience is seeing a person take their first bite. And if I have anything to say about it, their eighth or 80th one.

Let’s swap recipes! Send me your favourite ones for homemade treats.

P.S. I like cookies!

Do you prefer to bake tried-and-true recipes or always try something new?

Confessions of an ELLE Canada intern

By Barbora Simek

Every once in a while I will pause and ask myself, “How did I get here?” I’ve landed an amazing internship at ELLE Canada, one of my favorite Canadian magazines and get to work with a phenomenal team of editors who I admire. Then it all comes back to me…

It was over coffee at Dark Horse Espresso Bar that Jaclyn, my friend (and future fellow intern) turned to me. “Wasn’t our professor’s email so nice?” she said. “Are you going to apply for ELLE Canada internship he recomended us for?” I was instantly filled with dread.

Since I was taking a year off from Ryerson’s Journalism program, I hadn’t been checking my school email account. I was terrified that I had missed an amazing opportunity. I raced home to email our professor, praying that it wasn’t too late to apply.

Luckily, it wasn’t. A few days later, an intern test arrived in my inbox and another wave of dread swept over me.

In the span of five days, we were to do the following:

• Fact-check a variety of articles for accuracy
• Pitch three story ideas
• Write headlines
• Create a contributor bio
• Provide a resume
• Refelct on ELLE Canada‘s content
• Tell the editors why we wanted the postition

For a girl not in school, it felt like a laundry list of tasks. All of this was made all the more challenging by a full work week and the harsh reality that I had recently lost my laptop on the TTC. But I couldn’t let that stop me. I knew I was made for this.

I logged hours in the library making sure every part of my application was as perfect as possible. When I was finished, a mere hour before our deadline, I patted myself on the back. As a self-diagnosed procrastinator, it was the first time I had ever handed in anything that I felt I had completed to the best of my ability.

Word of an interview followed a few days later. To celebrate (and tip the scales in my favour), I went out and purchased a beautiful limited-edition purple lip gloss and a vegan grey nail polish.

I arrived at the ELLE Canada offices on that cold sunny morning with a feeling of antiicipation. Jaclyn and I had both been offered interviews. She had been so nervous on our subway ride as we ran through possible questions together. I tried to calm her nerves.

The interview was brief. I was sure I had bombed it.  I was convinced I had talked too much, I wasn’t clear enough, I was too nervous, my lip gloss was too dramatic, my outfit wasn’t right. On the way home, Jaclyn tried to calm my nerves.

And then we waited.

And waited.

Jaclyn got an email of acceptance.

And I waited.

And waited.

As I watched friends and family rally around Jaclyn, congratulating her for her new internship, I began to tell my own nearest and dearest that I hadn’t made the cut. I was so happy for her, but so sad for me (and a little jealous.)

Three weeks later, another email arrived asking me to come in for a second interview, this time for the beauty internship. Happily, thankfully, I landed it. All the effort had been worth it. I immediately texted Jaclyn. It was time for a celebratory coffee date.

Would you rather intern at your favourite fashion magazine or with your favourite fashion designer?