Hi I’m Erin Littlejohn and for the past week I have been at Profile Magazine doing work experience. I am in Year 10 at St Johns College and I have been reading Profile for a long time. I am so excited to receive this opportunity as I have always wanted to do work experience with a magazine or publishing group. Recently, my Mum went to the launch of the Sunshine Coast Business Awards and, feeling inspired after the event, she said, "Why not try Profile?". She said that I should tell Profile why I wanted to do work experience with them and just to give it a go. What did I have to lose? A week later I got a call for an interview.

Fast forward to this week and I have had the opportunity of a lifetime to do work experience here at the magazine's office, being supervised by the Marketing and Digital Coordinator, Jaclyn. I’m super excited to learn about how a magazine runs and how each individual person contributes. I can't wait for the week to begin.  

Day 1:

Writing styles can vary significantly and today I got to take a look at the styles of the writers here at the office as well as occasional guest contributors. From witty and fun stories to pieces that connect to today’s society and the people in it, I compared and analysed the different writing styles and related them to my own work. After being shown around the office, I began to discover my own preferences for particular styles and formulated my own opinions. Everyone at Profile Magazine works together, from the littlest of things to big events. The teamwork and sense of community evident in the office really brings a positive vibe - laughing coworkers, others sharing their ideas - it brings out the best in everyone.

Day 2:

I took a look at how Profile Magazine posts on its Instagram to capture the audience and to stick to the theme of the page. Using special techniques learnt, I sourced my own content and began to develop my own ideas for posts. I was showed the ropes of how to manage an event. For example, scheduling when things need to be done by, which is such a good idea to help plan for items in advance. I was also showed how to post on Facebook - who the audience and how best to capture their attention. I learned that Facebook can show the statistics of posts, if the view is high or low, when best to post and why, as well as showing the demographics of people engaging with the page.

Day 3:

Today I worked on formatting an Instagram page, using the tools and techniques I had already learnt. I was helped to set up my first blog and I’ve been playing around with the format and content for it. Today was more of a quiet day in the rollercoaster ride that is the publishing industry, but it was still very interesting. I enjoy the ups and downs of magazine life.

Day 4:

I read some more stories on the Profile website and then put together some Instagram quotes. They had to be unique and less common than other quotes so that the audience doesn't get bored with the same content circulating throughout the social media platform. It was a challenge to find unique quotes but it was also interesting to scroll through a variety of options and trying to think how people would respond. I am intrigued by the different types of content out there and am keen to continue making my own original posts.

Day 5:

My last day - sad face. But we had cake for one of the girls’ birthdays this morning so it’s ok! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Profile Magazine and I definitely know what I want to do in the future. I have loved working with the team and seeing all the hard work they put into the magazine as well as supporting elements such as social media, marketing, events and other projects. I most enjoyed hanging out in the office (don’t worry, I’m still working hard!), talking to people and getting sneak peeks at awesome things to come.
This week has been an amazing experience and I have loved working in a great environment with even better people. The work has been so much fun and very informative. I have learned so many tools and techniques for blogs, posters, editing photographs and much more that I will take away with me. I’ve also learnt so much about what it takes to make a magazine successful. I’m going to miss the office and everyone in it but look forward to coming back in the future, in one way or another...