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Junior Profile: Kara McGrath

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Kaitlin Cubria
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hofstra chapter.

Major: Print Journalism
Year: Junior

Where have you interned?
Just finished an internship at Teen Vogue (fashion closet)

How did you find this internship? Ed2010.com

What do you think are some qualities of a good intern? Bad intern?
A good intern takes advantage of all the opportunities he/she can and makes sure they do what is asked of them without complaining too much.
A bad intern would be just the opposite: rhey would not see the opportunity to learn more about the industry, no matter how little fun the position is.

How do you think you stand out against other candidates?
During my interview, [the interviewer] pointed out that I didn’t have any previous experience in the fashion/magazine industry. I made sure to say, “Yes, but…” and explain how all my restaurant jobs relate to the work I would be doing. She seemed impressed with my ability to think creatively. I also always think it’s good to make the interviewer laugh at least once while you’re talking to them!

What are your recommendations for anyone going for the same position?
Just go in with confidence, even if you don’t have experience. Don’t leave any doubt in their mind that you wouldn’t be the very best person for the job.

What are your plans for the summer?
I’d love to keep interning at Teen Vogue or maybe Seventeen. I’d like to get an internship in Features or Web though, so I can write more. I will also keep working at the restaurant, because interning can get expensive! The $12 a day stipend just doesn’t quite cut it.

Are there any members of the Hofstra faculty you would thank for helping you get where you are today?
Professor Goodman has been really supportive as an advisor.
 
What Hofstra activities were you involved in that you think aided your experience? Ed2010 for sure! I was starting to get discouraged because I felt like I just wasn’t getting the experience I needed to make me hireable. To hear everyone’s stories about the awesome internships they had really inspired me (as lame and clichĂ© as that sounds, it’s true!) to keep applying places. Plus, everyone’s tips on how to write a cover letter were really helpful. The ones I sent out last year were so boring and “professional” — this time I really let my personality show. I had one interview last year that didn’t go anywhere, and now I have this Teen Vogue internship, I really think that my cover letter was what convinced my contact to want to interview me.

Want to keep up with Kara? Then follow her on Twitter, @diosmioitskara!

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Kaitlin Cubria is a senior Public Relations major at Hofstra University, double minoring in Journalism, and Speech Communications & Rhetorical Studies. Born and raised in Staten Island, NY, Kaitlin always loved going into Manhattan on the weekends. She is a member of the Hofstra chapters of both Ed2010 and Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the vice president of She's the First Hofstra (non-profit) and acts as a Resident Assistant for Hofstra’s Residential Programs. Outside of her academics, Kaitlin recently finished internships at Hearst Magazines Public Relations, The CW Television Network Affiliate WPIX11 in the Creative Services division AND at New York Magazine. This semester, she has her dream internship at Seventeen magazine in the Web/Features department, where she is the Blog Manager for Seventeen.com's Freshman 15 blog! She is obsessed with pop culture; if you don’t see her reading the newest issue of Seventeen, you’ll probably catch her browsing PerezHilton.com for celebrity gossip. After having a love for both creativity and writing for a majority of her life, Kaitlin is excited to continue her communications/journalism experience at Her Campus! After college, she plans on pursuing a career in either entertainment public relations or magazine journalism.