Telling yourself a new Monday story
Oh, hi friends!
Monday’s the best day. The best.
Don’t believe me?
Tell yourself it is. Right now.
Monday is the best day of the week.
Now it is.
You just made it so.
Go forth.
See you on Tuesday.
“The intensity of some edit tests can make you forget who you are and whether you’re good at anything,” says Kenzi Wilbur, a freelancer who has both taken and, as a staff editor, administered edit tests. “You’re left peeling yourself off the floor with no brain. Those kill-yourself ones, where it’s 40 or 60 hours of work, seem to be created in a vacuum where the recipient has no life.”
From this insightful CJR piece on edit tests.
Usually, to get hired as a writer or editor at a magazine or website, you have to complete an edit test. This involves coming up with story ideas (sometimes dozens), editing copy while tracking changes, writing stories, headlines, etc. You don’t get paid for completing the test; it’s considered part of the interview process and essential data on How Good You Are.
Edit tests are fascinating to me—I’ve read others’ tests and done many of my own. But what I eventually discovered is that if you dread doing the test—if committing 10, 20, 30 hours to this unpaid thing seems like a nuisance—then that job is not right for you. Because that kind of work is exactly what you’ll be doing 8 to 10 hours a day, every day, for the indefinite future.
So if you’re reluctant to do an edit test (or perhaps go to a job interview), sure, maybe you’re busy or don’t want to give away your ideas for free. Or maybe it’s a sign that you should be moving in another direction.
Madwell is hiring a digital producer, among many other jobs. I profiled the ad agency for The Bridge last year—gorgeous Bushwick office, cool people, outdoor space!
WeWork is hiring a Head of Social Media. (h/t Carrie Seim / Medill alum list)
Netflix is hiring a synopsis writer in California! Oooh, think of the possibilities…
PS — Know anyone who's volunteered for the first time and wants to talk about it? If you or someone you know fits the bill, please reply! Working on a story and would love to chat. Thanks so much.
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Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara