Students gathered in the New Library Auditorium last Wednesday as Ed2010 hosted Chandra Czape Turner, senior editor of the popular teen magazine CosmoGIRL! and founder of Ed2010. Turner took time out of her busy schedule to visit the College and to field questions from Ed2010 president Sharon Tharp and Katerina Gkionis, junior English major.
Turner told those in attendance about her rise through the ranks of the magazine industry. She had only positive things to say about the industry.
"I love the field. It's exciting to be the eyes and ears of the reader into pop culture," McLain said.
Over the last 12 years, Turner has worked as an editor for many different magazines, including Ladies' Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, YM and Glamour before finding a more permanent home with CosmoGIRL!, where she has been the past four years.
Turner was quick to answer any and all questions directed to her, happily encouraging all who are interested in working in the magazine industry. She even took time after the interview to give more personal advice to students like Emma Passarelli, sophomore graphic design major. Turner encouraged Passarelli to pursue internships in the magazine industry as a designer of page and cover layouts.
"I found her advice really helpful, even though I'm a graphic design major and she was mostly talking about editorial positions," Passarelli said. "She gave me a good idea of what most people would be looking for in an intern. Plus she gave me a good impression of how graphic design works into magazines."
Turner focused a lot of time in the interview on encouraging students to pursue internships and to work for their campus publications.
"You have to get an internship. Experience is the most important thing we look for in job applications," Turner said.
Beyond just telling students to get experience, Turner offered more specific advice on how to gain experience, and what to do when applying for internships. She stressed the importance of well written cover letters and good interviews.
Turner also offered practical advice for working in the magazine industry. She talked about her early career experiences, including her experience as an intern. She explained what it was like to move from magazine to magazine while maintaining good working relationships. She also issued some advice on how to balance family life and a demanding job.
The experienced editor's excitement for working with students became more apparent as the interview went on. When asked what she thought her biggest accomplishment was, she said, "Definitely Ed2010. I love talking to students and working with interns."
According to Turner, Ed2010 started as a group of 12 or so friends sharing information about available magazine internships and opportunities. She described how it snowballed after they started a newsletter and a Web site and was stunned to discover that various magazines subscribed to it because they found the information valuable. Eventually someone asked if they could start a chapter of the organization on their campus and ever since Ed2010 has been helping students make their ways into the magazine industry.
Students reacted to Turner very well, listening intently and asking her many questions ranging from advice about internships to questions about her personal experiences and impressions of the industry. Tharp and Gkoinis, who were both interns under Turner, verified her excitement for working with students.
"She is different from other magazine editors because she actually cares about interns," Gkionis said.
