My Week at S Magazine: Day 5

It's finished :( I'm really sad actually because I've had so much fun this week and learnt so much about the industry.
My day was quite relaxing as there were not that many people in; the fashion team were at London Fashion Week shows and not sure about others but it seemed really empty. I continued to do some product research on floral cushions and I found some really nice ones however I didn't realise how expensive some cushions were! Then Benita took me up to the canteen and we had a chat while she had a coffee. She told me all about Bournemouth (she studied Mutlimedia Journalism there, which is what I want to do) and it sounds so much fun. She told me to keep in contact with her and tell her all about it and she said she'll try and get me a placement at S Magazine or mabye even the Express paper! That will be so good. It's really given me loads of motivation now to study really hard and get those grades so I can study at Bournemouth and i'm really really excited about it.
I was given the task of going through Vicky's e-mails and printing off any press releases involving the Jubilee. I felt quite guilty going through her e-mails however I don't think there is any privacy; everyone knows eachother's passwords so I think it's alright. This was quite a fun job as some of the products were quite funny e.g. a cushion with a British bulldog on it wearing a Union Jack tophat- who would EVER buy that.

Then I did some more product research, this time on coffee tables, and again I was blown away by the price of some of them; over £1000! Some tables were actually really cool and interesting but I would never spend that much money on a table...not that I have it anyway. I did this for most of the afternoon actually. I took biscuits and a tin of Celebrations in, which went down a storm. However they were put right behind me so I ended up eating a fair few of them. Then I took part in the 'Tried and Tasted' activity that S Magazine do every week. Each week they have a food product from four different supermarkets. This week it was tiramisu, something I hadn't tried before however it was really nice. Some of them were a bit too creamy though so I felt quite sick after. However we decided that the best tasting Tiramisu was from Waitrose (surprise surprise) but it was quite a close one.
That was my day. Like I say, it was quite relaxing and I didnt do much but it was still another really good day :) Then that was it and at 6pm I was out the door. I have Benita's business card so I'm definitely going to keep in touch and hopefully go back whenever I'm next free.

My Week at S Magazine: Day 2

Wow, today was so so good and really busy, but i'm not complaining. Once again I was early so I sat myself down on a bench on the Thames, just metres away from Tower Bridge (I call myself a 'Londoner' however I get so excited about all the touristy things) reading my book.
I got myself a new pass and I was soon back in the office. Spent about half an hour getting more quotes for the contents page and then I was called into the meeting which was wicked! Stood with my pal Benita while she explained everything to me and listened in on the plans for the week;  the editor wants sunday's mag is hopefully going to be completed by Thursday. I made my first cup of tea today :( boohoo but luckily it was only the editor that asked me so I didn't mind too much. It also enabled me to stretch my legs which I was secretly DESPERATE to do.
My next job was easy; typing out ingredients and a method for a Vinegared Rice recipie (doesn't sound at all appealing). Then it was soon lunch and I found myself yet again alone in the canteen however today I chose a more central table and I had Harry Potter, instead of Othello, to keep me company. After lunch I had a relaxing break as there were a few people still on their own breaks, so I did some blogging and followed some other people. Then I quickly had another job to complete and it was really really good. It sounds boring, and the 'Fashion Girl' (realised her name is Laura so I will call her that now), Laura said it was boring however I enjoyed myself. It's a job called 'returns' and I had to sort through bags of really nice clothes (sounds horrific doesn't it?) and fill in a form involving descriptions of each item. Then I put them back in their bags and sealed it all up ready to be sent back to the shops. Saw some amazing things from the likes of ASOS and Kurt Geiger..wanted to steal some not going to lie but realised I don't think i'd ever succeed after doing so so the thought evaporated from my brain very quickly. I continued to do this for a couple of hours as there were loads and loads of clothes, then I helped Laura deliver them down to the Courier to be sent off.
I started my final job at about 5.45 so I didn't do it for long and didn't achieve much. It was only sorting out catalogues into alphabetical order which sounds soooo boring however I didn't mind it as, once again, it actually involved me getting out of my chair. Vicki, a really nice woman who keeps giving me all these great jobs, invited me to a photoshoot at her house tomorrow however we decided that it would be too difficult for me to get there which is a shame however she said she'd take me out on Thursday or Friday and thanked me for my help :) thought that was really nice of her so I don't mind too much about not going tomorrow.
It makes me laugh because as soon as it's 6pm, no matter if people are in the middle of something, all the computers are shut down and coats are put on and everyone is out the door. This happens all over the room- S magazine share a massive room with the likes of OK! Hello, Star, More magazines and Channel 5- and the lights are probably turned off by half past.
This is no bad thing at all, it means I can get home within an hour and a half however this evening I stayed in town and had a meal out with my boyfriend....it was our first time at Wagamama's and despite sharing a rather large table with about 20 other people, it was amazing! Service was so good and the food was even better; reasonable prices too.
Only downside of today: couldn't sit down on the train on the way there because it was jam packed and obviously it had to be the day where my bag was extra heavy..not sure why, possibly because of Harry Potter...and I did get slightttlyyy lost on my way to meet Tom (boyfriend) but managed to redeem myself by cleverly working out the underground tube system and I got to where I needed to be (Waterloo) in ten minutes- very happy with myself :)
So today was yet again really really good. I've decided I don't want the week to end though so I'm going to ask at the end if they have any saturday jobs (highly unlikely) or if I can come back again in Easter perhaps! Already can't wait for tomorrow and the new jobs it will bring (pleeeaseee no more than two cups of tea) !

My Week At S Magazine: Day 1

So, my day started at 7am, which is much earlier than a normal day at college, let alone during half term. I managed to drag myself out of bed and eat my breakfast. After a refreshing shower and getting dressed, I was out the house by 8.15 which I don't think i've managed to do since being at secondary school.
Anyway, so after a brisk walk to Twickenham station I caught the train to Richmond and then got on the district line to Monument tube station. I was actually excited for the journey however I soon became jealous of all the iPads and Kindles everywhere.
I managed to get a seat on the tube which was lucky and I read the Metro and read my iPod. I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't nervous at this point; my stomach was in knots by the time I had to get on the train. I did wonder what would happen if I never got off the train but then realise this would be the biggest mistake.
I arrived early, 20 minutes early, and hung around a bit doing touristy things such as taking a picture of Tower Bridge. Then I forced myself into the Northern and Shell Building. I got myself to the reception and was given a visitor's pass. Then I waited for what felt like half an hour before my pal for the week, Benita came to get me. She gave me a brief tour; the canteen and toilets are on the ninth floor. That reminds me! The elevators are on the outside of the walls inside the building which gives it a kind of Hogwarts feel. Anyway then she introduced me to everyone in the team- they all seem really nice.
I quickly had jobs to do, my first one was to write up page numbers and the recipie names on those certain pages, then I had to type out an interview whilst listening to an interview that Benita did with a fashion designer. It was pretty cool however this took AGES. I had lunch on my own in the canteen, it wasn't really that bad but made my mum feel sorry for me by telling her this horrible story of how I had my packed lunch and sat by the bin facing the window instead of the rest of the canteen. This is a sad story however every word of it is true.
The canteen was nice though and managed to spend £3 on some yummy pick n mix which i'm hoping will last me until the end of the week.
After lunch, it was back to typing out the interview and then at about 4.30, when I had finally finished, Benita gave me a task to find some quotes that could possibly go on the magazine's contents page- I thought this was a good job and I hope one of my quotes is picked. I tried to be clever and picked Shakespeare and other poets' quotes however I managed to squeeze in some J.K. Rowling. I also helped carry some clothes down to the courier and got chatting to the 'Fashion Girl' (i've named her this because I cant remember her exact job role however I know her name is Laura) who lives in Suffolk with her parents! It takes her two hours to travel here, wow, dedication, she must love her job which is a good sign. She was also given a job at S magazine after completing work experience with them which is an even better sign! However that would throw all of my Uni plans out the window and I would have no idea what to do with myself.
Before I knew it, it was 6 O'clock and I managed to get home for 7.30, not bad I don't think. Anyway, I felt so 'grown up', if you like and love the idea of that kind of job. My accomplishment for the day is that I made 0 cups of coffee. Most people i've told about this work experience placement, have said how much of a great week it will be, however they have also mentioned the fact that i'll most probably be the 'tea and coffee girl'. Today however, even though I was sat right in front of the kettle and mugs and coffee and tea bags, I was not aske by a single person for a hot beverage. I'm touching wood right now, and hoping that it will stay this way for the rest of the week, afterall I want JOURNALISM experience, not tea and coffee experience.
Overall I had a great day and I'm really really looking forward to going back tomorrow :D