Career Path of a National News Senior Editor at Newsweek Magazine
Jenni's career path was initially uncertain, starting with an ill-fitting fashion PR internship and a brief foray into fiction writing after graduating early from college; however, a combination of persistent effort, a willingness to take on extra work ("I started work before everyone else and I left work after everyone else"), and attention to detail ("a handwritten thank you note in the mail") led to a successful career at Newsweek, culminating in a leadership position within five years.
Career Exploration, Overcoming Challenges, Networking, Communication, Achieving Goals
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jenni Fink
Senior Editor, National News
Newsweek Magazine
University of Arizona, 2013
N/a
Communications
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Creative
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Jenni's career path highlights a willingness to explore different fields before finding her niche in journalism. She started with an internship in fashion PR, then explored blogging, freelancing, and marketing, demonstrating adaptability and resourcefulness.
2. Despite lacking a journalism degree or impressive internships, Jenni secured a position at an independent journal through persistent effort and a unique approach (handwritten thank-you notes). This shows the importance of initiative and networking.
3. Her advancement at Newsweek exemplifies the value of hard work, a strong work ethic (taking on holiday shifts), and actively seeking mentorship and feedback. She learned from mistakes and consistently sought to improve her skills, ultimately leading to promotions and increased responsibility.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
In college, I was certain I wanted to work in fashion PR. I interned at a New York firm and enjoyed the trade show they organized. I even followed them to Las Vegas from Arizona one year to assist. However, I soon realized I disliked the fashion industry and wasn't good at PR.
This left me feeling lost about my career path, as I had always envisioned myself in that field. I had started a satirical lifestyle blog in college and also wrote freelance articles for Buzzfeed as a community contributor. After graduating a semester early, I used that final semester to focus on writing a fiction novel, which was published after graduation.
Still unsure about my next steps, I considered marketing. I was fortunate to work for my father's real estate business in a marketing capacity while I searched for writing jobs. About two years after graduating, I was finally hired at Independent Journal Review in D.C. I had no journalism background, no notable internships, and looking back, I'm surprised they hired me given how inexperienced I was.
I worked weekends and holidays for two years, consistently arriving before everyone else and leaving after them. After two years there, I was hired at Newsweek. I later learned my boss wasn't fully committed to hiring me until she received a handwritten thank-you note. I now carry notecards to interviews to quickly jot down personal notes, mail them immediately after, as I believe that personal touch stands out more than an easily overlooked email.
I began at Newsweek as a breaking news writer and have since worked across nearly all of their teams over the past five years, including entertainment. It's humorous to think about, as I only watched "The Office" for the first time in 2019 because my colleagues were discussing it and I wanted to fit in. I worked diligently there, volunteering for holiday shifts and learning from my most skilled colleagues. I was eager to understand what made a Newsweek article successful and their specific style guide.
I recall an early article where I mistakenly wrote "Center for Disease Control and Prevention" instead of "Centers." My editor's feedback initially panicked me, but I learned from that mistake and have never repeated it. I applied this meticulous approach to everything, analyzing successful headlines, understanding different topics, and observing how accomplished team members operated. My consistent performance led to promotions and a level of trust with leadership that many employees don't experience. Now, about five years later, I lead the New York newsroom.