Brooklyn, New York
Beginning as a print magazine in 1993, VIBE is now a thriving online platform for the most cutting edge information in news, music, fashion, sports and much more. Based in Brooklyn, New York, VIBE is a hipster journalist’s dream job. Landing yourself an internship here will not only beef up your resume, but it’ll give you skills for the rest of your career. If you love creating original content, meeting celebrities, attending a-list events and Scooby snacks, VIBE is the place for you.
What It’s Like
Take it from editorial intern Kathryn Jones—working at VIBE is practically paradise. “There is always music playing. The editors are very friendly and fun,” Jones said. While the internship positions aren’t paid, they’re still definitely worth it. “Interns gain more experience and clips here than my friends have gotten doing paid internships,” Jones said.
Cool Stuff You Get to Do
According to Jones, each day at VIBE is a whirlwind. The crazy world of entertainment makes for a crazy lifestyle for VIBE interns. “I interviewed celebrities and got sent to cover events around New York City,” Jones said. “Some days, news is slow. Other days, Drake and Meek are going at one another on Twitter or Rihanna is making announcements on Instagram. Those days, news happens at any time of the day and fast. Be prepared for stories to come, change or go away all within the hour.”
What You’ll Learn
At VIBE, you’ll get exposed to hundreds of types of entertainment media. Sometimes it’s reviewing music, and other times it’s interviewing celebrities directly. “I worked in so many different environments—the office, with a celebrity during an interview, at an event, backstage at a concert. From that, I learned professionalism for each situation and how to acquire everything needed to write a story,” Jones said.
Skills that Impress Them
To land an interview at VIBE, have a specialty you can show off in your application. Do you enjoy writing about politics? Music? Make it known— the recruiters will take notice. Also, try to have as much experience as possible so you have some substance to back up your claims. “Individuality, experience and maturity are what it takes to be a VIBE intern,” Jones added.
How to Prepare Your Application
“VIBE tweeted that they needed interns—a few of the other interns also found out about the openings through Twitter. I emailed a cover letter including answers to the questions the magazine asks in the job opening and resume. I also sent clips,” Jones said. Be on the lookout for any openings mentioned on VIBE’s social media, and you’ll be the first person to know.
Perks
The perks of working at VIBE are quite unlike any other. “There’s a snack box….with Scooby Snacks,” Jones said. Ruh-roh! With sweet snacks, could it possibly get any better? Apparently it can. The editors take extra care to make sure writers are engaged in topics they care about. Jones added, “If you are passionate about something, pitch it. One intern just randomly said he loved video games. An editor overheard and he got sent to a video game event.”
The Deets
Being an intern for VIBE sounds like an aspiring journalist’s jackpot, but it takes more than the luck of the draw. “You are working in the world of entertainment news with the added aspect of social media. You pitch at least 10 stories daily and get assignments from those. Sometimes, editors will add others,” Jones said. “Events in hip hop and entertainment occur on weeknights. In order to take advantage of being able to report on them, I’ve needed a flexible schedule if I wanted to volunteer for the task.”
Ready to start your career journey by nailing that summer internship? Check out four steps that make it easy here.
