As fashion week was winding down, Teen Vogue’s digital development editor Jenn Talley found some time to talk with CAFME for our Sept. 12 meeting.
Jenn is an alumna of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, where she studied English and communications and minored in advertising. She took a variety of classes but all within the same genre of creativity, creating content and writing.
Her first job in the publishing world was as a creative copy editor at an advertising agency, where she proofread the legal text on television commercials.
“I really was able to use my key attention to detail and my love for the written word to make an impact on a product,” she said. “I knew I wanted to write more. I left the agency and started doing any writing job I could get.”
Jenn put her portfolio together and sent it out to anyone who would accept it. Style Media Group, a publisher in Northern California that creates lifestyle content, contacted her. She became their managing editor, managing freelancers, writing whatever she pleased and travelling a lot.
When she moved outside New York three years later, Jenn said she didn’t get a job right away.
“I didn’t realize how competitive it was in New York City,” she said.
She eventually found a job working for a startup tech company, which she compares to a Living Social or Groupon competitor.
“I was able to have writers – people that worked for me creating online content, copy editors, and graphic designers,” Jenn said. “I was able to be as creative as I wanted to be.”
Jenn said this job was extremely helpful for her career because she learned about working in the digital space, as well as leadership skills.
Jenn knew that she ultimately wanted to work in the New York publishing industry, and she said her current job at Teen Vogue fills that wish perfectly.
“It really combines all of my experience thus far into one role,” she said. “I get to put my expertise in publishing and my experience in digital together.”
Jenn works with the editorial team at Teen Vogue, developing new digital initiatives and furthering the Teen Vogue brand.
What kind of digital initiatives does Teen Vogue pursue? Have you developed anything for the iPad?
So many of Teen Vogue users don’t have iPads, so they doesn’t have an iPad edition.
“You’ll hear people say digital editions are the way mags are moving in the future – I kind of agree and disagree,” Jenn said.
She doesn’t think the novelty of having a magazine in your hand will ever wear off. But, Jenn said working with digital editions is a great tool to study and know.
Teen Vogue created a mobile app that’s tied to the mag – you can take your phone, snap pages of the actual mag and it will open up a behind the scenes of a photoshoot, sweepstakes, etc.
How much of your job is creative versus technical?
A lot of it is creative, for example she's working on an interactive game for the Teen Vogue website. Teen Vogue has a tech department that they reach out to. Jenn said she is partly responsible for website traffic.
“I get to really be as creative as I want,” she said.
For example, Jenn recently developed a Google Hangout career chat for Teen Vogue so that people could have access to people in Teen Vogue they don’t usually know about or get to talk to.
“I wanted to give people an opportunity to talk to an editor one-on-one,” she said. “Not everyone wants to be a fashion editor, a photographer, or write all the time – there’s so much you can do in journalism.”
What skills should we work on during school? Are there any particular classes we should take?
Jenn said you should take anything that focuses on creating content for the web, focusing on skills such as SEO. They want people who know both print and online, who are tech savvy. She said to not limit yourself to journalism classes. You should learn things outside of your field for a more well-rounded skill set.
How do you incorporate advertisements online and in the mobile app?
“It’s hard to get advertisers on board with all this stuff,” Jenn said.
The advertisers traditionally want five page spreads. It’s up to Jenn and Teen Vogue to show them how to optimize their advertising dollars. The more users the website gets, the more advertisers are on board.
Do you have any tips for standing out as an intern?
“It’s more competitive now than it ever has been,” Jenn said.
When you interview for an internship make sure you know every possible thing about the company – don’t say “I don’t know” to any questions. Doing research about the magazine gives you a leg up because on your first day you already know so much.
Take internships outside of your comfort zone or something that’s not your dream job – even if you want editorial but can’t get it, take one on the ad side.
Make as many contacts as you can while interning. Talk to other interns. Give ideas. Be really excited about what you’re doing. The editors will remember how you knew the brand and had good ideas.
“Just realy know your stuff,” Jenn said.
Put together a portfolio that you are proud of and represents who you are as a writer – don’t be afraid to send a little bit of personality.
“I always want people to know who I am,” Jenn said. “So I add personality to my resume, cover letter, website – while still staying professional.”
Follow up is great, just don’t over do it. Following up every hour can be really annoying.
What role does fashion play in your life?
“It’s a big drain on my bank account,” Jenn said. “If you’ve never been to New York and you come, you’ll notice how everyone is well dressed regardless of money.”
Some of her favorite designers include:
Proenza – it’s super high end and most of the time out of her budget
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s Elizabeth and James – classic and comfy, really clean lines
rag & bone – her all time favorite
Is it easy or difficult to jump around in publishing industry?
Jenn said it’s difficult, but once you’re in, you’re in. You can work your way up forever and ever. There’s not a lot of money in it right now, Jenn warns.
She said it worked to her advantage that she had a well-rounded resume, including jobs in copy editing, editorial and digital.
“My role didn’t exist a year ago, even,” Jenn said. “Conde Nast and Teen Vogue saw a need for someone that had an editorial background and a digital background.”
“If you can land your dream job, by all means stay there and do your best. Make the news outlet the best and leave your mark. But with how competitive it is, take on internships out of your comfort zone – anything that will allow you to use the skill set you have – what you know you’re good at.”
What’s the future of digital in magazines?
AT Teen Vogue, we have a community manager that does our social networking - that position didn’t exist last year, either.
“If you’d told me that (social media) would be a job, I would never had believed you,” Jenn said.
Those are the kinds of things you need to know. You’ll be expected to know blogging, web 2.0, basic html.”
Do you have advice for southerners moving to New York?
“There’s no sweet tea,” she said. “And if you want barbeque, just stay in North Carolina.”
It’s expensive. If you want to work in fashion, move to New York. But don’t fall into the trap of eating saltines and peanut butter because you want to buy a new bag.
“There are so many people who sacrifice everything – living with like 18 people - so they can walk around with a bag that’s worth 3,000 dollars,” Jenn said.
There are always things going on. Networking opportunities are happening all the time – make yourself business cards, meet people. It’s something that New Yorkers just do.
“It’s expensive, and that’s the most important thing I can tell you,” she said. “Be prepared – save up a bunch of money. Live wherever you can afford, get some roommates, get a serving job.”
Jenn said there are a lot of jobs in the digital field in New York, but there are content jobs everywhere so if you don’t want to move to New York, don’t. There are a lot of different places you can go.
You have to be prepared if you’re going to live there.
Do you have advice for seniors who are searching for their first job?
Linked In is a great place to start – start groups and join groups. When you’re looking for jobs, apply for them if you think it’s something you can do.
Make sure your cover letter is not generic. Hiring managers can tell how much time you put into it – they can tell if it’s generic.
Make sure your Facebook profile photo is not of you doing something ridiculous.
Be diligent in your search and make sure you do your research. If you’re going to send an email to someone who you really want to hire you, really take the time to craft the message.
Search websites like Media Bistro. Pick your top 10 places you want to work – look at their careers tab, look at job descriptions and get that experience. Then, tell them you have it in your cover letter.
How should we reach out to editors?
It always helps if you know someone who can give you an introduction when you’re reaching out. Recommendations speak much louder than a resume. Use your connections to give you an introduction.
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