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Junior Profile: Meghan McCloskey

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

Major: Print Journalism, minor in English

Year: Junior

Where are you interning this semester: SELF Magazine

How did you find this internship: Ed2010

Did you apply to any others?
Yes, Seventeen, Fitness, Glamour Accessories, Glamour Editorial, BRIDES

How did you end up choosing this internship:
I was accepted by Fitness first, but was really hoping to hear back from SELF.  I ended up having to accept the Fitness one, since it had been a while since my SELF and Seventeen interviews and I was losing hope.  A day after I accepted, I had to tell her I had a better offer when I heard back from SELF.  A day after that, I was offered one at Seventeen also, but SELF was my best fit.

What do you think are some qualities of a good intern:
Good intern: Punctuality, creativity, not being afraid to express your point of view, but also be able to listen and do what you are told.  I think being a good intern involves a lot of dedication since you are usually not being paid for your work.
Bad intern: Going into the internship thinking you know everything already.  The point of an internship is to learn and gain experience, but if you already think you know everything, you will never learn.

How do you think you stand out against other candidates: 
I think my previous internship at a smaller, local newspaper gave me an opportunity to get a lot of clips.  All of the people I interviewed with were very impressed with how many stories I have had published.  I also put 110 percent into everything I do.

What are your recommendations for anyone going for the same position: 
A unique cover letter is definitely important.  I wrote a different cover letter for every magazine I applied to, relating to the specific aspects of that magazine.  It is a lot of work writing cover letters, but it is usually the first thing they see and it needs to catch their eye.  Also, to never be late for interviews, be polite, don’t interrupt them, and answer their questions in detail.  Also, always have questions for them.

What are your plans for the summer?
I hope to either be working or interning again.

Are there any members of the Hofstra faculty you would thank for helping you get where you are today:
Yes, Carol Fletcher has helped me a lot with everything from my resume and my interview to accepting the right one.

What Hofstra activities were you involved in that you think aided your experience: Ed2010

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.