I’m having one of those “back-in-my-day” senior’s moments. In fact,
I’ve used that exact phrase (must be said in slightly huffy and
indignant voice) more times than I care to admit this week.
It all started early last Sunday morning when I was sitting peacefully
on my couch, sipping tea and reading the papers. I was flicked fairly
mindlessly, my brain pre-occupied by the pressing question “How early
is too early for yum cha?” and the related dilemma “Can I feasibly eat
prawn gow gees before 10am?” Just when I’d decided, “Yes! Yes I can!”,
my focus was suddenly drawn back to the newspaper by the unwelcome
sight of my own face staring back at me. And it wasn’t attached to this
column.
Oh dear. Hate looking at pictures of myself in any context, let alone
the news section of the paper. Never a good thing. Instant dread.
Glanced quickly at the other photos on the page, scanned the headline
and ascertained it was something about magazine editors – of which I’m
no longer one but whatever.
The gist of the story was that the magazine industry was apparently in a “tizz” about some anonymous rumours on a website.
One of these rumours – are you sitting down? – was that “Mia Freedman
once sent a work experience person out to buy her son a banana.” A
banana. A BANANA.
Here’s a brief snapshot of what went through my head after reading that sentence.
1. Did I do that? Possibly. But more likely banana was for self. Son not partial to bananas.
2. Even if true about son, banana is fruit. Good Mother Points in that.
3. At least no mention of the time I sent Art Director to buy my son
McDonalds. That definitely happened. Look, she was going there anyway.
4. Why is shocking banana allegation not on page 1 where it belongs? 2020 Summit? Pah!
As my friends and family woke up and opened their own newspapers, my phone began to beep. “At least it wasn’t a Mars Bar!” texted my mum. “Selfish cow,” texted an editor friend. “Why didn’t you let work experience girl choose the cover and then take her out to dinner?”
During yum cha, and for the next few days, I thought a lot about work experience students and how their expectations have changed. In short: A Lot.
I started my own career doing work experience when I was 19 and my first boss was the wonderful Lisa Wilkinson.
Back then (in my day etc), I was grateful for the chance to get her coffee or her mail. I would have gladly washed Lisa’s car – or her feet – had I been asked. Heck, I would have blow-dried her dog (I do know an editor who was asked to do this when she herself did work experience at a magazine). During this time, I believe I was also regularly sent to fetch assorted muffins and sandwiches for staff. And one time? A peach. I know. But it’s true.
Occasionally, when the receptionist was at lunch, I was given the basic task of sitting at her desk and answering the phone. For me, this was Christmas. I was stoked just to be there, breathing the air. I was ambitious and knew from day one that I wanted to be an editor but even with the arrogance of youth, I understood it would take a little time before I got to do the really fun stuff.
So I’ve always had a soft spot for work experience students. As an editor, I insisted we have a structured program to give them a well-rounded understanding of how a magazine worked. Inevitably, this included some boring tasks because – GUESS WHAT KIDS – there are many, many boring tasks to be done in every workplace. At every level.
Over the years, I began to notice a change in attitude from some (not all) of the work experience students. Gratitude was being replaced with a sense of entitlement and absurd expectations.
I’m guessing that Banana Girl was one of those; a sixteen year old who rocked up for her week expecting to interview Jessica Alba and attend fashion shows. That’s the kind of experience she was after, thanks. And she wasn’t the only one.
More and more, I noticed work experience students arking up and it was driving my already over-worked staff nuts. It got to the point where, before they came, we had to inform them in writing that “you will be required to do administrative tasks and whatever else is required to help around the office including trips to the mail room, coffee runs, filing etc”.
Some decided this wasn’t, like, acceptable and never showed up. Others showed up and then sulked. Or disappeared mid-week.
To ensure my radar wasn’t unreasonably set to Fuddy Duddy due to my Gen X status, this week I asked some of my Gen Y mag colleagues about their experiences with work experience.
They came back with some corkers.
Like the girl who emailed an editor direct with a story idea and signed off with “Get back to me ASAP”.
Or the one who refused to help the fashion assistant take clothes down to the courier dock, announcing, “I have a degree, I’m not a Sherpa.”
Or the one who said to the deputy editor “I’d really like to interview a celebrity while I’m here. Can you arrange it?”
Of course, many work experience students are wonderful young women (and occasionally, young men, bless their brave souls). A 26 year old features editor puts it like this: “It would be 50/50 split: the little creatures who slump and sigh at being asked to get the mail, and those who have already gone down and got it before you can ask. Guess who gets the internships…”
Back in my day there were no internships. They should be grateful….
Comments
54 Comments so far
I did work experience at Cosmopolitan back in 2001 (that makes me feel old) – I loved it. I think if you’re open to doing everything then the more people will offer you to do. Personally as a Brit let loose in Sydney I relished the chance to roam around picking up clothes, coffees and whatever else was needed. Ten years on and I’m a tv producer and have many work experience come my way. The more helpful and willing they are – the more I want to give them to do. We all have to work our way up. Enjoy it whilst you can. When you’re rushed off your feet then you’ll look at the work experience heading out the door to get coffee with envy
loading...
I did work experience for the harbour agency in high school… cleaned the stationary cupboard I think about 4 times in the week i was there. One of the agents even ‘allowed’ me to rule the lines in his diary – and he told me the only reason i could do that was because I grew up in Parramatta and he was a huge Eels supporter. Still had lots of fun and got to observe and see how it worked – exactly what I was there to do.. not actually anything important!
Oh and now that I’m a full time employee at a bank (with a degree) I still have to clean out the stationary cupboard! Gotta start somewhere
loading...
Hi Mia,
Just this year I completed a two week internship at MX Newspapers in Melbourne. I am not in high school, I organised it independently.
I was expecting to go there and be made to fetch coffees and deliver messages, boring stuff, but I was more than happy to do it. I was just rapt that they allowed me to walk into the office! But the staff were amazing, even offering ME tea or coffee.
I actually got to do a lot of cool stuff. I was given my own desk; I accompanied the photographer on heaps of jobs and actually got to meet a few famous people, I wrote up descriptive articles and researched information for the editor. I even got to write an article for an education feature they were doing. I was stoked. They even allowed me to work at JMAG for a couple of days; I got free magazines and posters and transcribed two interviews for them.
It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I wasn’t treated like a student but like a fellow colleague. I was so grateful that they just gave me the time of day, listening to my opinions and ideas was just a bonus!
I would have gladly gotten that banana for your son, heck I would’ve probably brought you back an apple and orange too!
Jess
loading...
I am currently interning at Cosmo and feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I have been there for 2 months and yes it is hard hard work girls. We get mail and coffees and besides that I sit at a computer all day for at least 8 to 9 hours working as the assistant to the online editor, it is tiring and not glamorous like everyone perceives it as. I travel 2 hours on 3 different types of transport twice a week just to get there…and do it with all the love and energy I can muster while still finishing off my final semester of university and working part-time. I hope I am an exception to how Gen Y has been viewed in today’s society. There are us women (and men) out there who are the exception we are working our butts off with our hearts on our sleeves for something we love. I hope my day will come soon and maybe just maybe I can be a magazine editor one day too. Love you Mia xx
loading...
I did WHO and Dolly at the start of this year and will be flying back to Sydney from Adelaide in Dec for a week each at Cleo and Ralph.
I fall in the super-enthusiastic category of workie. I stayed late every night at WHO doing extra filing, just because I enjoyed the atmosphere of actually being in the offices (and also I was a little scared of hanging out by myself in the hostel dorm I was staying – the best I can afford).
Everyone has been super nice and seems to appreciate the effort I put in. My problem is the lack of follow-up. I was welcomed to email particular with questions etc…and did so about a week after returning to Adelaide. Haven’t heard a peep since.
Even harder when you’re determined to get an internship, but no-one can tell you how/where to apply. And a girl in my journalism course just got accepted for an internship too…of course only because the Fashion editor is dating her brother.
It’s heartbreaking when you can’t get that leg-up over everyone else.
loading...
I’m just not sure when just doing the job became such a battle field? No one wants to be treated like crap understandably. I still wonder are we working for the job title or because the chosen job calls to us?
I enjoy the slogging my guts out to achieve something, not matter what job it is, guess i’m a just a mug!
loading...
I’m a journalist at a newspaper and we have had the same problem. I got my job because I did three months full-time as an intern and I was happy to do anything. These kids come in for a week and expect to be writing a front page. We have had some shockers- a girl who flirtily touched my chief of staff on the arm as she walked out to say goodbye (I have found no reason to touch him in three years of workin there). She also had no volume control and I had to tell her to shutup because she was disrupting my phone interview. Another who almost got kicked out of court for being disruptive and strolled up to a prosecutor and introduced herself as if she worked for the paper. She let it slip to us journos that she actually wanted to be a TV reporter and she was just slumming it with us print peasants. She also complained about doing vox pops ( I once did 35 in a day as an intern). Another who interrupted news conference to argue with a court reporter about a witness statement despite the fact he hadn’t taken down one word of notes and didn’t know how to do shorthand like she did. To be honest, probably one out of every six work/exp kid we get in is any good and it makes you wonder if it is worth it?
loading...
HC – it’s a long time since I wrote this post and I do hope I managed to convey that I’ve worked with some FANTASTIC work experience girls. Evidenced by the fact that I gave so many of them full-time jobs! Well, as many as I could.
I shouldn’t generalise, you’re right.
loading...
I know this is about a year too late, but I also did work experience at ACP about…ooh…17 years ago (holy crap! am I that old?)
I used to spend every uni holiday interning in the Publicity department and they couldn’t have been nicer (except for the then head of Publicity and Marketing who sent a second-hand message that she didn’t want the work experience girl answering her phone…I now see that was fair enough, albeit rude.)
I got their coffee (and fruit) but was also given the opportunity to write media releases and assist in the organisation of events (Dolly Covergirl Awards – yay!)among other things.
When the Manager of the Team was leaving ACP she called and let me know she’d recommended me for a position that was coming up…in the end, I went somewhere else, but I was always incredibly glad for the opportunity.
I think you get out what you put in. They saw I was keen, would give 100% to the most menial of tasks and, in return, they gave me the opportunity to hone my skills. It remains an experience that I’ll always remember fondly.
loading...
I agree somewhat with the idea that Gen Y’s have the “I want it..NOW”, however within my friendship circle and myself (20 years old) have never experienced it. It is a extremely broad generalisation and I disagree whole heartedly that the stereotype applies for all Gen Y’s. I am a hard working, ambitious young woman who has been brought up not to expect life to fall neatly into my lap, complete and perfect.
I recently saved my part time wages (currently studying journalism) to fly from Melbourne to Sydney to do 2 weeks of work experience @ ACP, over 4 magazine titles.
I agree completely that you have to start at the bottom, work hard for your goals, and I never once complained about many of the menial, boring, sometimes physical tasks I was given.
I made sure that no matter what job (yes fetching coffees, muffins, fruit, mail) I accepted with a smile as I didn’t want to be labeled one of “those annoying work exp. girls who complains” No its not fun, but I did it because thats the industry I wanted to crack.
Mia, I think your opinion of current Gen Y ‘workies’ is far too generalised.
However, I do agree with some comments; that a bit of common courtesy and manners is not too hard, it only takes 2 seconds out of your (understandably) busy day, especially for someone who has saved you the trouble of going out and getting your own coffee.
Out of all the magazines I spent time at (four), I have to admit (and I have loved Cosmo for many years) Cosmopolitan was the most unstructured, ‘go fetch’ position that I experienced. While the majority of the girls were nice, a simple smile, ‘thankyou’ or recognition goes a long way.
It works both ways – treat ‘workies’ respectfully with courtesy and manners, the same way you would any other adult you do not know, and I’m sure the majority will be happy to experience a week in one of their fave mags, even if it is doing the menial tasks such as fetching little boys bananas!
“Oh the work experience girl was TOTALLY expected to pay for my banana. I always made my staff buy me things with their own money. Presents, petrol, shoes…..And sometimes? Just cash.” comment by Mia.
- It was a fair question Mia! My best friend also recently flew to Sydney to do exp @ SHOP, and was asked to buy 2 tins of tuna and given 40c, no please or thankyou’s! My friend was too embarrassed to ask for more money, so just bought the tuna out of her own pocket. She should have spoken up some of you may say, yes, but who’s responsibility is it?
loading...
That is one side of it..
It is also really hard to get past that image of green workie in the magazine industry without a bit of ‘that’ attitude..
When in Highschool I would travel from a coastal out-of-Sydney town to do work experience at ACP… after a while i was offered the trainee ship there, which I did first year out of highschool. I thought i had struck gold, i really did, I loved each and every minute of it. Then, it seemed my moment was up… I got asked to come into an interview to be editorial coordinator for a national womens lifestyle ( i just missed you working in the company as editor mia!). I was in the final two for the choice, and was knocked out of the running by one of these work experience girls that the lifestyle editor, who I was then close to, said she was very much the ‘unwilling to get coffee’ type. Apparently she knew the Fashion Editor, and she had pushed for her.
ah well that goes the way of office politics right? Just very disappointing… I worked at another mag for just over a year and a half (it was the job that came up just after the first opportunity and time was running out on lease/money/year long traineeship!) but it had nothing to do with womens lifestyle what so ever, though in the same company..and after getting to that same ‘top two’ position for many womens lifestyle mags entry level positions in the next year, armed with my now fat freelance lifestyle-writing lookbook, which i was building in my spare time, and still not getting positions from editors who were favouring current interns (which is fair enough)… I always cringe at people calling Gen-Y people unable to work hard at what they want. 3 1/2 years from that first day of work experience, 2 1/2 of them full time and in free time freelance writing for these same titles and still no relevant entry level position…
at the moment im at uni studying communications and wondering whether the mag industry is still worth getting back into after the degree..
entry level positions in all companies now are getting less and less common, due to that lovely financical crisis! I guess all of us Gen-Y’ers will earn back our work ethic reputation while scrambling for them!
loading...
I completely disagree with your comments regarding work experience girls/boys. During my communication degree I did work experience at 3 different mags: B, Elle and Cosmo. I was happy to do anything whether coffee or mail or whatever.
At B and Elle I had a great learning experience and worked my butt off. Cosmo had always been my fav mag however after doing work experience there (and flying up from Melbourne all 3 times) I was horrified by nearly everyone in the office who I found both rude and condescending. Mia you didn’t even acknowledge any of the work experience girls even with a smile when I was there even when I bought your lunch. Bronwyn was just plain rude – a thanks goes along way when delivering HER coffees and even a smile would have been nice.
Some of the comments I heard from the fashion department were awful… laughing at the Big W clothes presented in a shoot and referring to some bigger models as “fatties”.
Work experience is a mutually beneficial act. However at Cosmo I was treated without any common decency of a smile or a thanks. Maybe you might find less attitude from work experience girls/boys if you and most of your staff were a little more pleasant when they bought you your coffees and lunch.
loading...
Dear Mia,
Firstly, I love your column in ‘S’ mag and was a little disturbed when I couldn’t find it a couple of weeks ago. I thought ‘oh no, the back page is my FAV. what is going on? Have they ditched Mia’s column’ BUT last week I found it hiding in the middle. pheww.
I’ve been thinking about your column from April 27 ‘once upon a time, there was a banana’. I did work experience at Cleo in 1995, you were working there and it was one of my best work experiences I did. I desperately wanted to get into fashion and for a week I travelled down to the big smoke from the Blue Mountains (very HUGE for a 16yr old). I did the most mundane things. I can’t tell you how many time I went to get the mail, wash the dishes, take stock back to stores (going to Tiffany’s was my favourite). I beleive I even got you a sandwich a couple of times (on brown bread).
I went on to do my masters in fashion design and now I still work in this TOUGH industry where there are the most NASTY people I’ve ever come across BUT I love it. I love everything about it.
One of my wise teachers at collage told us work experience ‘It doesn’t matter what you do there, you are there to learn and whatever it is they ask you to do, do it with a smile’.
So thanks soo much for such a great experience at and a memory I will have forever.
Cheers,
Jenny Quested
loading...
I had the opposite experience as a work experience girl at Cleo. I was incredibly excited to be there, did the coffee runs, phone calls, tidying of the phone book, etc.
When one of the staff told me a features writer needed a hand, she called up the writer (who I could hear next door) saying “Who is this girl, is she smart enough? Is she the smart type? Oh the one who helped me earlier with the tidying?” while I got the staff member next to me’s uncommital comments in regards to my intelligience. I wasn’t asked to help. Apparently my help with menial tasks didn’t display a high enough IQ for a slightly less menial task. I’m studying a communications degree so while it didn’t deter me i’m not a dumb ass. Magazine staff can occasionally think they’re the shit too.
loading...
“the women who have experienced the tough end and who have stuck around despite their own wonderful skills and talents when they could have been earning much more, tend to feel resentful of younger women who won’t”.
Wow.
Can I have a guess at your ages Lee/Emily?!
loading...
work experience isn’t an internship, it’s work experience, emphasis on ‘work’
work is often lifting, fetching, and coffee making, photocopying, filing, and all those interesting activities
if you’re 16 and lifting boxes or buying bananas at Cosmo be grateful
if you’re 24, with a 20 grand degree and untold lost wages, maybe you shouldn’t be doing work experience
maybe get a job, like any other 24 year old, a job, any job, while you climb the ladder a bit, work experience is for the kids, and they should be happy just to breathe the atmosphere at somewhere as exulted as a national publisher
kudos to Mia if she climbed the ladder at an early age. It happens.
I’m sure she did her fair share of box carrying, coffee-making and filing for the CEO, but she moved on and up, and that really is the point, move on and up, rather than whinge and justify…
if you can’t call the tune, stop singing and listen for a while…..
loading...
Great Post Lee!
I completely agree. Interns give up thier free time to learn about an industry they want to be apart of. This should be an educational experience and not an excuse for employers to use students as personal assistants.
Emily
loading...
I don’t agree.
While you clearly have some legitimate individual complaints around the behaviour of work experience kiddies, it’s a bit rich for a woman who at 24 was in charge of her own mag to complain because 24 year olds these days, with degrees, have the shits about having to fetch and carry and start at the bottom.
Believe it or not, a degree actually qualifies you to do something that’s not cleaning up crap off the floor. That’s why people get them. Because without a degree these days, you’ll never get anywhere that isn’t menial. Unlike “in your day” (with respect). Degrees cost time and money and lost money from earnings that you could have had, were you willing not to spend that time and money in studying, and instead had taken a shit kicker job. I mean, think about it. An honours degree is four years and costs $20 000. I reckon it also costs you around $100,000 in lost wages – you work part-time for around $20,000pa instead of full-time for around $40,000 (as say a telemarketer or something, which you don’t need a degree to be qualified for).
Clearly that’s a high price to pay for an unpaid gig picking up a banana and not learning anything. Although, I should add, picking up a banana is a fine task to give a work experience person – if they’re 16. Why would you have people with degrees picking up your bananas, without trade-offs of having real experience? They’re not going to be happy with that and your company loses out on the possibility of their valuable skills.
I guess that’s what happens when you work in a ‘glam’ industry – you devalue the fab people who apply, and your own wages are crap until you reach the top, because your bosses know they can always replace you with some tragic who’s willing to lick dust off shoes and work 100 hours per week for peanuts for a chance to one day, one day, meet an All Saints star or something. But then, Mia, you reached the top at the age that most of us are graduating from Uni where we’ve already done our time in shit-kicker jobs to pay our rent while we study.
Anyway. I really like your blog but think you’re dead wrong on this one. I don’t think it’s a question of “attitude problem”. I really think it’s a structural issue with the industry – work experience where you don’t get an industry overview, with a view to an ‘internship’ where you’ve proven to be compliant enough that the boss knows you’ll put up with anything, is for unqualified kiddies – not people who’ve done real training. Plus, as it’s a feminised industry, the women who have experienced the tough end and who have stuck around despite their own wonderful skills and talents when they could have been earning much more, tend to feel resentful of younger women who won’t. I know I would if I’d done that.
loading...
Just as I suspected. Thanks for clearing that up, Mia.
loading...
Oh the work experience girl was TOTALLY expected to pay for my banana. I always made my staff buy me things with their own money. Presents, petrol, shoes…..And sometimes? Just cash.
loading...
My question is – Did Mia pay for the banana and McDonalds herself? Or were the staff expected to pay for it as well as fetch it?
Isn’t that what a personal assistant would be hired for? I don’t agree with exploitation of work experience students instead of say, hiring a PA?!
loading...
Futher to my comment about my collegue above and wanting to get into different deparments, the deparments she wants to get into are OVERSEAS! OVERSEAS! how does she plan to do that with only being in the company for 6 months!
GRRRR
loading...
so I guess den doesn’t want to buy any bananas……
loading...
I completed a traineeship when I was 17 and must say it was appalling how hard they worked me. The office moved and I was the ONLY one who packed huge compactuses full of files. I had to carry these boxes on my own! Not one of the 10 male solicitors would help me. There was so much work and I was so dedicated, and frequently worked back, for basically no pay. At the end of the traineeship I was optimistic that I would be offered to stay, unfortunately due to the policy of government hiring, they weren’t allowed to take me on permanently.
It is appalling how any institution can unabashedly abuse the traineeship system. Mia, you are a woman of integrity and I respect and believe you. But I have experienced the mistreatment of many office staff who are seemingly too busy and yet are often fluffing around the office gossiping and such …as well as taking obscene amounts of time for luncheons.
This exploitation of trainees MUST STOP, they are there to LEARN, – not clean toilets, not run out on irrelevant personal errands, not wash the coffee cups, not pack & lift heavy boxes, or any manual labour! So for any “impudent” work experience girl who tells office staff to get their own damn coffee, I say, “Good for you honey, you’ll get far with that attitude.”
loading...
although the phrase really belongs to Mia I guess, as it’s her story
…..that plot is really gone now…..
loading...
ditto Lou – “even if it means buying a few bananas”
……maybe I’ve lost the plot a bit…..
loading...
Melanie I think you’ve coined a new catch phrase – “no one can reach the top without buying a few bananas first” – not bad at all
loading...
Being born in the eighties doesn’t necessarily make you a good for nothing, lazy slob! I want to be a journalist (I have ever since I can remember) and I identify so much with Mia saying she would do anything just to get in the ACP building! I grew up knowing that you get what you work for, and I subscribe to that. I am trying my very best to make the contacts and do the work required to get myself a start in the industry (even if it means buying a few bananas!). I just completed a private journalism course. To pay for it I had to work full-time for a year in a job I knew wasn’t right for me. It took me an entire year to get the money, and to make the total ($20,000) I had to achieve all of my bi-yearly budgets twice. I killed myself to do just that, and that was just to get into the course! So anyone out there who is thinking that my generation are all lazy and expect a job on a silver platter, I am proof that we are not all like that. Frankly, I would shine your shoes on my favourite dress if it meant I could get the chance to fulfill my dream.
loading...
It’s so odd. I agree that everyone has to pay their dues before moving up in the world, but from one experience, I have become so anti-goffering just for the sake of maybe getting a proper job there.
I didn’t expect to interview a celebrity when I started my work experience. I knew it would be a mixture of mind-numbing work and occasional writing opportunities and towards the end, I was doing the same work load and type of a full-time staff member, but was never offered a job even though around six positions came up in the year I worked there.
I stuck my work experience out so long because the job offer to me was often mentioned, so I was under the impression that if I stick it out, I’ll be guarenteed a job… or so I was led to believe.
Instead I ended up being exploited and short-changed as they often used the “work experience” card where it suited, yet called me a staff member to keep me hooked. It still shocks me that they didn’t even think to consider myself or two other interns who had busted their butts (for up to three-years for one) just trying to get a proper job there when positions become available. Instead they hired one person from another state!!
So while some WE students come in with attitude, others are just bitter and over it and want to not juggle a HECS debt, a coffee shop job, university and unpaid work experience when they know they’re more than capable of doing the job as a proper employee.
loading...
This is what you get when a generation grows up knowing nothing but economic growth! I, too, am a Gen Xer and it’s purely the fact that we grew up in a recession where ANY job was worth doing because at least we had one! I now have my own business and these younger kids (yes, yes…back in MY day…) just breeze through and quit at the drop of a hat, or sometimes just don’t turn up, or always act like THEY are doing YOU a favour! Bee in my bonnet? You betcha!
Maybe with the looming economic crash they can actually learn how to work and that noone can reach the top without buying a few bananas first. Arrrrgh…Paris Hilton has A LOT to answer for!
They are not all like that. Just the majority…haha!
loading...
LOL wow did this stir up a heap of replies? I’m so glad you addressed it though Mia as I also read the original comment in the paper and thought “Aaaah I bet she’ll say something AND she’ll be honest about it!” and you did
)
) The worst would be a toss up between scooping shark poop off the side of a tank with the sharks still in it (true!), or having monkeys throw their poop at me while I BROUGHT THEM BANANAS (and yet I loved every second of it and did it all uncomplainingly)!!! So the whole banana fetching thing here really made me giggle 
)
FWIW “in my day” (!), late 80′s, I was desperate to be a Zoologist (!) or Marine Biologist (because of course there are just a plethora of jobs around for those!) when I finished school and so my work experience was both at the Zoo and in a Marine Park on the North Coast. Let me tell you, fetching a banana for you (or for Luca!) would have been a pleasure compared to the stuff THEY make Work Experience kids do
Oh and of course I never followed up on the Zoo thing – I finished school and caught the travel bug and never looked back…!
loading...
I’m 23 – what gen does that put me in?!
Anyway, I would’ve LOVED to do work experience at Cosmo and would’ve been so grateful to just be in the buliding! I’d even do it now, especially at Cosmo Bride! That’d be sooooo cool!
I didn’t get the oppourtunity to do work experience at all cause my school took it out when got into year 10, the didn’t have a week for it so we would’ve had to miss a week of school to do it and I wasn’t allowed.
It’s not like you asked her to get you drugs or something; it was a banana! OMG, wonder what she thought she was going to be doing there!
I’d still do work experience (like I said esp. at Cosmo Bride!) so if anyone from a mag wants me I’ll get you all the fruit you want!
I just wouldn’t get cigarettes for people; I won’t even do that for my own mother…
loading...
Regarding the last post…yes I am a girl!
loading...
Hi Mia,
I did an Agricultural Science degree, and worked everywhere from a cotton farm to a dairy and in a Stock & Station Agent’s for my various stints of work experience. Loved all of it… well, except maybe the dairy. It was 5 am starts and involved standing directly below cows’ back ends, which means you can occasionally get showered with wee or sloppy manure. Did I complain? Nope. I got to spend 2 weeks at the Gold Coast and go clubbing on weekends! Get a banana? No worries mate!
loading...
I’m Gen Y and have to admit that I have the ‘I Want It Now’ mentality in some aspects of my life (food and music, mainly), however not in my work life. I work in the medical field so it’s not like the work experience kid can demand to sit in on surgery… or so I thought. Just last year we had this girl who was 3rd year pre-med doing the practical component of her course in our hospital (maternity ward). I did this too, and was thrilled to be carrying paperwork/equipment/rubbish from one place to another, as long as I could be around doctors. This girl, however, actually asked me if she could sit in on a birth. A BIRTH. I’m sure as a mother you would love to have had an undergrad student sit in on one of your most intimate moments ever.
loading...
Hey Mia
I absolutely agree with you that everyone needs to start at the bottom.
When i did work experience at Cosmo i was more than happy to collect mail and buy snacks for staff.
However i was dissapointed that you barely acknowleged my presence during my week in the office. A simple “how you doing?” or even “hello” would have been really appreciated.
You say that you have a “soft spot” for work experience students, but actions speak louder than words.
All the best.
Emily
loading...
Look…even Mother Teresa had her detractors. You can see it can’t you? A Gen Y-er complaining that “That woman made me fetch a glass of water for her after a day of visiting poor villages. How dare she?? I came here to help people.”!!
…but my first thought was no thought.
Unfortunately, being the mother of a few Gen Y-ers, I’m all too familiar with this ‘I Want It Now I Want It All but I Don’t Want To Work For It’ attitude.
The Instant Coffer generation!
I’m generalising of course because they’re not all like that but…I do the ‘back in my day’ crap too and I had promised myself I would never do that. grrr.
The prevailing attitude seems to be Ambition without drive and Rewards without Onus.
My Apprentice Chef son complains that occasionally he has to do ‘menial’ jobs. Trying to explain to him that Gandhi weaved his own material was a moot point.
…although I too don’t understand why the Rites of Cooking Passage have to include being yelled at by the Head Chef if the souffle he (the HC)made deflates…
I once made the mistake of asking a work experience person to please photocopy something for me. Apparently this wasn’t part of her job description (because obviously Admin Tasks don’t mean photocopying, filing, etc and do mean going live on air and making executive programming decisions, 2 hour expense account lunch breaks, etc).
I had to tell her that it wasn’t part of my job description to cater to self absorbed silver platter brats…the response being a literal stamp of the foot and “wait ’til my father hears about this.”
Did I mention this girl was the daughter of one of our board members?
I did read your Big Banana demand in the papers and then visited that site… it’s funny and let’s face it, it could be true (that site’s contents).
Every industry has their share of dictators (and chicktators
Big deal if you did. You’re the boss. A banana? Sheesh. Obviously this girl hasn’t read The Devil Wears Prada!
Besides…after having had a personal virtual encounter with you, I’m left thinking that perhaps you’re a bit too nice!
Willing to accommodate everyone who contacts you. So anytime you need a banana Mia…ask us. I’m sure we’d all be happy to send some to you.
loading...
My name is Danielle,
I’m not only a mother at home but I’m a mother at work.
I’m a personal assistant with a flock of 27 sheep.
Each day I pick up the slack, I tend to their daily needs and wants and I’m always the one they can come to in their hour of need. These tasks can be anything from emergency coffee runs to proposals worth millions. No task is too small, no task is too big.
I can’t imagine anybody going into work experience with an attitude like that, why bother, no body is prepared to work for what they want these days they just expect it to be handed to them on a gold platter and when it doesn’t happen they turn around and whinge about it..stop whinging and just do the job and work towards what you want.
Mia..if you need a banana let me know and I will do my best to get you the freshest one in Queensland.
loading...
I did work experience at Cosmo four times over the course of my degree – travelling from Melbourne each time, out of my own pocket, to do so. I loved every minute of it and was ridiculously grateful for any whiff of a menial task. Mia, you were lovely to me when I was there, and the same can be said for every other staffer – thank you. Please believe me when I say that not every Gen Y-er has that sense of entitlement!
loading...
Hi Mia,
when I saw the post on the actual site I couldn’t stop laughing.
I worked my way up in magazines and I too started as a workie, actually with thanks to you Mia – I like another person who has commented here emailed you directly when all my other attempts failed. You were so lovely you personally arranged for me to do work experience at Dolly which turned into a long term internship.
I have since worked my way up to a senior magazine position and even now in my current role no task is beneath me.
I have to agree with most other people here that most of the workies I have ever had especially during my time as a coordinator were more trouble than they were worth.
If they did bother to show up it was never on time, they would usually take three hour lunch breaks, complain about the tasks they had been given and I even had parents and teachers call me to instruct me that their child/student would like to do something more interesting like go on a fashion shoot or do a celebrity interview. My usual response would be “I would also like to go on a fashion shoot and interview a celebrity and I have been here two years, so they can just get in line.” In saying that the good workies I had were usually brilliant and many have since gone on to have careers in the industry. Thanks again Mia for giving me and many others their start in media.
loading...
I’m a mum to pre-teen kids. I think its my job to make sure they dont end up like these Gen Y’ers who no doubt had mum and dad give them EVERYTHING on a platter. Now they expect it from the world. They need instant gratification, they cant wait for it to happen.
I remember when I was in highschool (back in my day!) lay-buying clothes that my mum wouldnt buy for me, with my babysitting money. I doubt any Gen Y kid would have ever needed to do that because they probably all had credit cards.
loading...
Mia, I work in advertising and I’ve seen the same shit happen here. A lot. Like mags, it’s one of those industries where most people do their time working on boring accounts and doing the unsexy jobs prior to expecting a Harbour view and a shot at the exciting, big budget campaigns. Unless you’re a card-carrying member of Gen Y, of course. Like you, I’m regularly dumbfounded by the arrogance of these little punks. One graduate who got a junior job at our agency just had ‘art director’ printed on her cards. And when a senior art director (with 15 years experience) asked her to change something on a layout, she snapped at him in front of other people and said ‘I’m an art director the same as you; how dare you critique my work’?!
WTF?!
The worst thing is they’re all getting away with it. I work in an office chock full of ksubi kids, and they all show up after the weekend hung-over and pretty much unable to do any work, and no-one says anything. Companies are bending over backwards to attract these people, and doing everything they can to keep them. A friend of mine works for a place where if you work for four years, you now get the fifth year off – paid! Yep!! No wonder the Gen Xers are all stressed and dissatisfied. We’ve got these little dweebs cruising up behind us, demanding all the perks that we never dared ask for – and they’re getting them. I could go on about this for days; whining about Gen Y has become my favourite pastime. But it’s so boring. It kills me.
loading...
Well, I’m generation Z, and too young to do work experience atm but I would do anything to do work experience at a magazine in a few years time. Who in their right mind would be rude and ungrateful at such a fantastic opportunity. If and when I do work experience, I will do everything they ask, no matter how boring/stupid/monotonous the task may seem. Everyone has to start somewhere…
gg xx
loading...
Im an a gen Y but i do agree that most of them expect it all and now. i actually work with one of them she just started with our company and is already complaining she wanted to get into one of our departments and now and from expreience i know this will be hard. i have been with this company for 3 years and started at the very bottom and while i am not ‘high’ up i am proud of my two promotions through the company due to very hard work and while i am miles away from my goal i am happy to do the boring tasks to get there. I dont expect to be given my dream job straight away i know i have to work very long and hard to get there and i am happy to do it cause when i do get there. I will have at least desereved it. I just want to point out that not all Gen Y people are selfish and self imporant (yes there is a lot of them but there are some that arnt)
And Mia if you asked me to get you a banana i would have happily done it just to have work experience there.
Dont worry, if you didnt do it then you have nothing to worry about
loading...
Hi Mia… I did work experience at Cosmo Bride as I was finishing my media degree. I had tried so many times to get in, and all of your magazines were already so busy with other work experience students. I ended up emailing you directly and trying to write something witty and interesting to catch your attention… and it worked!! Although I did not end up working in magazines, it was a great experience and I enjoyed every moment (even dropping off mail and buying coffees for staff!). If you don’t start at the bottom, how can you enjoy the climb to the top?! Always appreciated that you gave me a chance, thank you so much. x
loading...
part of my job is to supervise work experience students and out of the dozen or so i have supervised there was only one who was nice and polite, listened to instructions (the first time) and made notes, she did great work and didn’t argue when being asked to make corrections. she was so great i recommended her for a job, which she was given.
the others had terrible attitudes and such a sense of entitlement it drove me crazy. one guy was so bad i was ready to take my annual leave to avoid him until his time was up. most lied on their cv’s about their expertise in software, this is SO stupid because it takes me about one day to figure that out. one guy argued everytime i asked him to change something – it’s not a suggestion! many didn’t even bother listening to me and then got upset when i made them redo their work. after the first few i got tough and made sure from day one they understood how things would work, i wouldn’t put up with crap and if i was forced to go to my boss about any difficult behaviour then they could forget about being considered for a job, he needs people who are easy to work with and team-players.
what i never understood was that they all said how they really wanted to work there but didn’t seem to realise that if they couldn’t follow my instuctions, do the work well and make a decent impression then i would have no choice but to tell my boss this if he was considering them for a job.
i did some work experience for a magazine when i was a student and i was so thrilled i didn’t care what i had to do, and some of it was mind-numbing. i was so thankfull for the opportunity.
loading...
Back in my day….. I had a hard time in my work experience.
As a 17 y/o, I worked for a high profile new car franchisee.
Sometimes when he was too busy bullying us all and unable to keep his regular massage appointment, I was sent along in his place so that he wouldn’t lose his regular slot [spelling?:)]. I never quite understood why, but for tax or other reasons he wanted to maintain the pattern of expenditure. I was sworn to secrecy, given the cash and ordered to bring back the receipt.
Much to my surprise and teenage delight, his massage was at a “rub and tug” joint disguised as an upmarket health spa.
I used every trick in the book to load him up with work, fake clients, anything, to ensure he was too busy to make his next appointment. I’ve never worked so hard in all my life
Sadly, it was too good to last. Maybe his wife became suspicious – she used to chat a lot with our office staff.
After half a dozen work “experiences”, my educational semenars… sorry, seminars, finished as quickly as I did!
But oh, the memories! Hard times, indeed…
loading...
Back in the 80s, (yup, one of those ‘back in my day’ diatribes), I ran a music publishing business, out of a suburban office. At certain times each year I’d get calls from students asking for WE. I guess they saw my Yellow Pages ad, ‘Music blah, blah,’ and thought ‘well, it’s local and it’s music’. I always tried to deflect them towards the city music publishers (EMI, Warners etc) as I knew that while mundane tasks are supposed to be part of work experience, a modicum of glamour/excitement is certainly inspirational for a WE candidate.
At the same time, I employed a few girls through a government scheme that subsidised their wages. These previously unemployed girls were highly motivated employees who undertook all tasks smilingly, turning post office and lunch runs into social networking opportunities.
As I say, back in my day…. (yawn)
loading...
:O… I’m dumbfounded. I got accepted for a weeks work experience at DOLLY when I was 16 but I lived in Darwin and Dad refused to send me down hahaha. He told me to apply but didn’t think I’d get it.
I would have done anything for those people… then at the end of the week asked them to adopt me so I could fetch them banana’s for the rest of thier lives.
I’m still enthralled with the publishing industry… a magazine junkie, hardcore. I’m 22 and now live in Western Sydney… am I too old for work experience? I could show those ungrateful fruit-hating snobs whats what.
Loving your blog babe
Dani oxox
loading...
Mia I know one of the ungrateful girls that did work experience at Cosmo when you were an editor. Her story was; so there I was standing in Mia’s office on my last day, with this other work experience girl who was thanking Mia…and I just thought to my self, what for???
I couldn’t believe she was bitching about you, I’d be happy just to meet you!
loading...