Did You Know We’re Looking For a Summer Intern?
The Mary Sue
That’s right, a summer intern. For this summer. That’s not a lot of time, so here’s the details!
What we’re looking for: The ideal candidate is a current college student looking for hands-on writing experience at a news startup. Start and end dates are flexible. So are hours, though we’re looking at a range of 16-24 hours a week, which can be divided however is best for you. Yes, you must be available to work in our office in NYC. No, this is not a paid internship. Yes, you must be able to receive college credit for your work. The primary qualification for this job is an encyclopedic knowledge of, and obsessive enthusiasm for, multiple aspects of geek culture. If you are knowledgeable about weird, obscure anime or manga, thrive on television and movie casting news, or have incorporated the names of pages on TVTropes.org into your conversational vocabulary, then this is the job for you. The secondary, but just as important, qualification is being able to write quickly and clearly (on topics from your geek specialties to gender issues), without weird grammatical or spelling issues, on topics that you yourself think up / discover on the interwebs.
Bonus points if you have any of the following qualifications:
– Encyclopedic knowledge of and obsessive enthusiasm for multiple aspects of geek culture.
– Ability to write quickly and clearly (on topics from your geek specialties to gender issues), without weird grammatical or spelling issues.
– Knowledge of the major personalities and figures in both the real and fictional sides of geekdom.
Even less important qualifications but things that we still want to know about:
– Knowledge of anime and manga fandoms.
– Experience in advanced science courses or science writing.
– An interest in writing and storytelling tropes.
– Knowledge of blogging software.
– Experience with photo-editing software.
To apply: Email taylor@mediaite.com with the following documents THREE (3) documents attached to your application email. Applications not containing all of these documents will NOT be considered. Please attach:
1) A resume or CV, including references (please include any weird skills you might have, like the ability to read Legolas by Laura out loud without laughing, or knitting Jayne hats with your toes).
2) 1-2 samples of your academic or journalistic writing, preferably in more than one style (long-form vs. short-form, magazine vs. blog, basic post about news vs. longer thinkpiece, etc.). The purpose of your writing samples is to demonstrate that you are a good writer (and that doesn’t just mean style or comedy, but basic construction) as much (if not more) as it is to demonstrate your geek cred.
3) A brief (1-page) cover letter explaining why your experience, knowledge, and personality make you the ideal junior editor for a girl geek culture blog. Please also mention your earliest experience with truly bad fanfiction in your cover letter; if you don’t, we’ll know you didn’t read the entire posting!
Good luck, and thanks for applying!
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