Before the Cloud Rolled In
Cutting my teeth in the editorial world, years ago — before the real onset of the cloud, blogs, and writing to chase algorithms — I worked for the Irish fashion and interior design magazine IMAGE, when it was still under the helm of Jane and Sarah McDonnell.
Learning on the Job
It was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. My role was minor, mostly as a runabout for the advertising department, collecting and organising advertising copy. But that didn’t stop me from lurking around the editorial department, gleaning scraps of insight and wisdom about the magazine publishing process — from Post-it notes and stickies, through the first, second, third… fifteenth revision — all the way to print.
Green Pens and Hard Lessons
Eventually, I was given the chance to actually put something together. A photo feature. This might sound straightforward, but in fact it requires both detail and ingenuity to write insightful suggestions about images that include product names and prices — without the whole thing feeling “bitty” and contrived. This got sent back to me so many times, dissected by a green editors’ pen and accompanied with notes like: “not good enough.”
What It Taught Me
And that is ultimately what inspired me to pursue a postgraduate degree in communications and journalism. I think it takes grit to bounce back from criticism. It takes resilience. I didn’t know it then, but I do now.
