68 ·^ COSMOPOLITAN
I visited the Cosmopolitan office on a university
trip, which was mortifying. The team were hard at
work and we were lingering over their desks like
a school group at the zoo. But it gave me a chance
to have a chat with the deputy editor. In a flash of
uncharacteristic boldness, I shakily asked her about
work experience and applying for the year-long
intern role. Months later, I was accepted for a four-
week placement. By the end of day one, I was
desperate to stay. After my placement, I spent six
months working in a perfume shop, waiting to
apply for the features intern role. I was ecstatic
when I got the place. I worked hard over the year
to earn a full-time role, should one arise. I got lucky- 10 months later, I began work on the features team.
I first came to Cosmopolitan
on a work-experience
placement during my year
in industry at university.
I was only here for a month
and although I really didn’t
want to leave, I had to
move on and get experience
at other magazines. Eight
months later, I was due to
go back and finish my final
year at university when
Cosmopolitan’s creative
director called me about
a junior designer position.
I jumped at the opportunity,
dropped out of university,
moved to London from
Yorkshire and started my
dream career. It showed me
how important it is to make
a positive impression on
the people you work with- I’d got on really well with
the team during my month
at the magazine and made
sure to keep in touch with
them when I left. If you can
be part of the little office
family and have a laugh
together while you work,
you won’t be forgotten.
Daniella Scott
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
& JUNIOR WRITER
Jessica Lockett
ART EDITOR
I interned at local newspapers in
Yorkshire and did a postgraduate
course in magazine journalism.
I was super lucky to get a job
straight after at a press agency
in Birmingham, selling stories to
national papers and magazines.
The hours were awful, but
I learned lots and made invaluable
contacts. Moving to London, I got
a job as deputy features editor
on a weekly magazine. There
I interviewed a sex blogger and
fell in love with the sex-positivity
movement. I begged my editor
to let me start a sex blog. When a
digital sex and relationships writer
job came up at Cosmopolitan,
I went into the interview with
about 50 feature ideas. Two years
later, I’m editing the section.Paisley Gilmour
SEX & RELATIONSHIPS EDITOR