Week Two – work experience
Monday 28 January 2019
Did you see how bright the stars were this morning? I was out walking Baxter at 06.45am and the moon was still out, but what amazed me was the twinkling stars shining so bright. Awesome!
Well I have perfected this commute and got it sorted now. I get to Leicester Square for 09.05am, which means I get my coffee and 15 minutes to myself before my newspaper run.
I only typed 918 words today, which were left over from Friday’s transcript. I did a shout out for more work as I was getting low and I got some straight back. Most of it was a request for me to do some research for the writers for future stories.
Whilst I had nothing to do for 5 minutes, I added up the words on the transcripts I typed up last week. 26,932!! That must be enough for a novel!
On Tuesday I am in the building by 08.50am with my compulsory coffee. This early arrival to work is due to a late running train arriving in front of the one I normally take, plus it was a faster train.
My morning was slow, but in the afternoon Karen, Prima features editor, gave me my own page to write for the magazine! Run away! The subject is milk. Well, I haven’t drunk milk since I was 4 years old. I used to have to drink a pint a day as recommended by the doctor or nurse after a stint in hospital. My mum used to have that sterilised milk in the long tall bottle. Yuck! I can’t even stand the smell of milk let alone try and drink it.
A little while later, Cyan visits me to ask if I would like to write the columns for the ‘culture fix’ page in Red magazine. Definitely running away now!
I crack on with my milk research, and by lunch-time Wednesday I have emailed it to Karen. As she is not in today I will have to wait until Thursday to see if it makes the grade.
Lunchtime beckons, and I feel a trip to head-office and the Company store is in order. When in London!!!
I never have much success at the Company store so, twenty quid later I’m done.
I do get a reply from Karen, even though she is not in. Her comments are really encouraging as she feels my article is not bad. I just have to talk to the reader more.
Thursday morning and something big is happening in Leicester Square today. There are workmen setting up barriers and lights around the Odeon. Must be a premiere.
Today I get to make another new friend, Megan Sutton. She is senior digital editor for Good Housekeeping. Megan spent time talking me through their digital platform, SEO’s, how they plan their uploads to each platform and how they shoot films for the site as well.
My day finishes with me having completed my edits for my milk article, and a bit of re-jigging for my culture fix.
OMG!! Friday, my last day. Much of the country is having a snow-storm, but not in London. Not on my last day could the snow stop me from going in! I have a couple of tasks to complete and then my work here is done.
I thank all of the people that have made my short time here an invaluable experience.
Today I exit the building the same way I came in, via level 3. I hand back my ID and I am free to go.
Thank you Hearst magazines.
Tracy x
