As our first full week in London comes to an end, I’m starting to fall into a rhythm of life in the city. I feel so lucky for the chance to be here, living and working in such an amazing global city. Starting my internship was the highlight of my week, and the part I was the most nervous about going in.
This semester I have the privilege of working for Beauty and the Dirt, a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blog centered around happenings in London. I was thrilled about my placement because it meant I would be working in a field I’m interested in, with content that I’m excited about, and have tangible things to take away when I complete my internship. The internship description I received stated that I would have the opportunity to write for the blog, and I hoped that rang true, as I’m hoping to pursue journalism in some form after I graduate.
I had my interview Tuesday morning and started work on Wednesday. I didn’t know quite what to expect when I walked into the small office on Great Portland Street, but after a few days of working there, I’ve come to realize that the space fits to business perfectly. The cozy space has two large tables to work around and my supervisor’s desk. The shelves on the walls are covered with product samples, signed movie posters and other promo items from previous clients. Our office inhabits the entire second floor (don’t get too excited, the “entire floor” is about the size of my small flat), aside from a corner office that is rented out to an eclectic tarot card reader.
While I hoped that I would be able to jump right in, it’s always nerve-wracking starting out at a new company. I was thrilled to receive my first assignment immediately as I got settled- a recap of New York Fashion week. In my prior editorial internship, I was always assigned content and an angle and told exactly what to write in exactly how many words. The freedom of choosing my own angle and getting to write about what I thought was the most important was really exciting and pushed me outside of my comfort zone. The piece went live on the blog later that evening- I was so excited to already by contributing on my first day!
As part of the local multimedia scene, Beauty and the Dirt is often invited to exclusive events and has access to new releases prior to the general public. Case in point: film screenings. As both Krista and my colleague, Vesi, were busy on Wednesday night, I was asked to go to a screening of the new Magnificent Seven film to be able to review for the blog. That night after work I ventured to Leicester Square (a bustling area a short walk from my office) to the IMAX there where I got to see a new movie weeks before it opens to the public. It was an awesome experience, particularly on my first day! I’m so excited for some of the new opportunities and experience that I’ll gain from my internship in the weeks to come.