My name is Lauren DeStefano and I am going to be a senior at William Paterson University. I am majoring in Communications/Journalism where I aspire to write for a magazine. I have been interning for the past two months with ECN Magazine, earning the title of Assistant Editor.
Applying to internships was a tedious process. It’s hard to keep track of all the resumes and cover letters I sent to various companies. Back in May, I had applied for an Editorial Internship with Advantage Business media (ECN’s parent company) and thought to myself; “What an amazing opportunity that could be!”
I never thought I would be involved in technology or electronics, because my focus is more fashion journalism, but ECN has definitely opened my eyes to a new world.
My first few weeks were tough. Trying to find my place and learn different programs and technology wasn’t the easiest, but I was put into good hands. ECN has a great team of employees. I worked mainly with the editorial staff, which in my mind, are an amazing group of people.
Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor, was my savior! Jason taught me everything that I needed to know and was able to answer any questions that I had. Jason taught me the content management system (CMS) and to search for news items that related to this industry. He was also able to explain how to communicate to readers through the web.
Chris Warner, Executive Editor, was another invaluable mentor. Chris taught me old-school copy editing along with Adobe Indesign. As a journalism major, these skills will undoubtedly make me a more well-rounded individual.
Alix Paultre, Editor-In-Chief, was a great boss to work for. Alix brought me onto his staff and believed that I could do great things for the magazine. He offered advice to improve my writing skills, and in a broader sense, he introduced me to the world of journalism.
Working for ECN Magazine gave me the opportunity to work with outstanding individuals who taught me the fundamentals of journalism, along with programs like Ektron, Adobe Photoshop and Indesign, which will help with my future career.
ECN has been a pleasure to work for. Not only did ECN teach me what it’s like to be on an editorial staff, but they taught me how the world works and the ubiquity of technology!
