Ann Shoket Tells You How To Get a Media Job

Let's get one thing straight: Ann Shoket, EIC of Seventeen, is a fan of web and does not think it's killing the industry, according to Fishbowl NY's Media Beat interview.

"The Web is not eating our lunch. We don't have a readership problem. We are not losing our readership to the Web," Shoket told Fishbowl NY. "Girls love the Internet, absolutely, but the Internet brings us readers. We sold half a million subscriptions to Seventeen magazines online last year."

Shoket added that the Seventeen web-print strategy is to keep "Seventeen everywhere, creating content whenever and wherever our girls are." This includes the usual social mediums like Twitter and Facebook "to keep the brand vital."

In the second installment of the video, Shoket offers advice to whippersnappers looking to break into the industry. "When I'm interviewing new editors, I'm always looking for their ability to think surround — who's your partner outside that's going to help spread your word; how are you going to get your readers' social  networks to spread the word for you on Facebook, YouTube, Myspace; what are we going to do on Seventeen.com; are there other new innovations happening in the world that we need to be paying attention to," Shoket says. "I recognize not everyone has had all the experience in every single form of media, but I'm looking for people who can think like that. Because a magazine story does not resonate if it's just on the page."

Check out her tips for aspiring EICs after the jump.

The death of the permalancer?

Anyone who has looked for a job in media during the past year — one replete with hiring freezes, layoffs, and budget cuts — knows that he or she would be lucky to score any kind of paying job, be it an internship, freelance gig, or the editorial holy grail: a plum position on staff.

And then there are those who fall somewhere in between: the permalancer.

A freelance position with no end date gets all the superficial trappings of a staff job (full-time hours, your own cubicle with a personal computer and phone), but none of the actual benefits: health insurance, job security, sick days, vacation, or unemployment if you're let go. At best, you get to pursue your dream of working in media while honing your skills and earning enough to live in one of the most expensive cities in the world. At worst, you're treated like a glorified intern with your own phone extension. But hey, Ed's not complaining: getting a paid media gig is like scoring a seat on the subway during rush hour. It doesn't happen to most people.

But according to the NYT, even permalance jobs may be harder to come by in the next few years. Due to record budget deficits, federal and state officials are going to start targeting companies that "pass off regular employees as independent contractors."