Emily Letchford; Marie Claire
Welcome to our VIMspiration Weekly Blogs!
We will be sharing helpful career tips, Q&As with industry professionals and career advice from past MSU and VIM Alumni!
This week we will be hearing from Emily Letchford. She is currently an Associate Manager for Integrated Marketing at Marie Claire. Emily is an MSU alumna and has great advice to share! Head to Emily’s LinkedIn to learn more.
Q: What is your favorite part about your job and what inspired you to accept this position at Marie Claire rather than another company?
A: My favorite part about my job is that every day is different, so it keeps things interesting and fun. I’m also lucky enough to work with some of the smartest and nicest people in the industry (some of which have become my best friends). I accepted the position at Marie Claire because not only was the job in the department I wanted, but I grew up reading the magazine and knew it was a place I wanted to be.
Q: Was this always your dream job? If not, how did you become interested in your position now and get to where you are today?
A: Growing up, I always dreamed of working at a fashion magazine. When I was younger, I would spend my weekends making (fake) magazines and writing my own column (after all, I was a journalism major at MSU. My interest in marketing actually came last year when I was working as a Sales Assistant for Harper’s BAZAAR, Dr. Oz, THE GOOD LIFE and other luxury home titles at Hearst. I realized sales wasn’t for me and wanted a position that allowed me to be more creative, which led me to pursuing my career in marketing. I ended up moving to the NYC area for my (now) husband’s job, applied to Marie Claire and the rest is history!
Q: What are your day-to-day tasks in your position at Marie Claire and how did any of your past experience prepare you for this role?
A: As I mentioned above, no day is the same (cliché, but true). Some days are spent in meetings and writing/creating proposals for various beauty and fashion brands, while other days I’m planning various events attending events on behalf of the magazine or off-site at a shoot for different advertorials that run in-magazine. Every once in a while, I’m able to help write copy for the magazine which I love because I get to utilize my writing skills.
Q: What is your favorite project that you have worked on at Marie Claire?
A: Hands down, our annual Power Trip event. Every year, we fly 100 badass women (think CEO’s, execs, entrepreneurs etc.) from NYC to SF on a chartered flight to meet 100 additional boss women across industry. The 36-hour pop-up summit starts as soon as we board the plane and it’s a nonstop, networking event full of surprise and delight moments, panel discussions, and much more. I’m lucky enough to play an integral role in the planning from start to finish, and it’s easily the coolest and most empowering event I’ve ever been a part of.
Q: Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for our members who have an interest in this job/field?
A: If you want it, go for it. In today’s world, you’ll probably receive a lot of no’s before you get a yes (I know I did), but just keep going because something will work out in the end if you try hard enough.
Stephanie Kline