Last Thursday a friend and I attended a magazine career conference. Upon entering there we felt a twinge of anxiety and also excitement. We were about to listen to some of the biggest names on the magazine scene tell us their stories and also give sound advice for budding journalists on how to make it.

During the hours we were there we listened to different panelists take on how to build a career in magazines, careers in magazine editing, and more. Magazine editors who had worked for major publications like Elle, Latina, Black Enterprise, Real Simple and other reputable names. It was amazing to hear of everyone’s humble beginnings and how they had broke their way into success.

Being around so many other future journalists made me aware of two things 1) there’s a lot of competition out there and 2) it’s amazing to see how many other people have the same passion for it as I have. So no matter what your field is it’s important to go to career fairs and events tailored to the career you want to have. Although I feel I definitely could have networked more I still feel I received a lot of information and advice from the event and a better understanding of the industry. Some of the information were things I already knew or had heard of but were just reinforced by magazine professionals.

Especially if you have recently graduated or will be soon it’s important to begin jump starting your career by looking out for yourself. Most of you, like me for now am more comfortable going with a friend. So grab up a friend and attend some career events. Even if she isn’t in the same field as you may want to ask a friend to go with you for moral support. When you’re at an event like this don’t neglect to talk to other attendees, you never know who you can meet or what it can lead to. Also, pay close attention to the speakers and their backgrounds. All fields whether it’s education, journalism, medical, or business have different paths you can take. Starting to consider narrowing it down will allow you to focus on a specific area and get even more involved in your future!