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 Ever wondered what it takes to become the editor of one of the country's hottest new magazines? We had a chat to Margot Irwin, the editor of New Zealand Women's Health to find out!
Read on to find out if you're cut out for a thrilling job in the media industry like Margot!
Name: Margot Irwin Employer: Pacific Magazines Ltd Position: Editor, New Zealand Women’s Health  Can you give us a brief job description?As Editor I oversee what goes into the magazine from start to finish – content, contributors – the works! How did you get this job? Umm… I applied for it and got it! What inspired you to get into this field? I’ve always expressed myself through writing and I love being surrounded by positive creative people – so to work in publishing was a no-brainer really! What can readers expect from the first issue of New Zealand Women's Health? Our first issue of NZ Women’s Health is an all-encompassing life bible offering tips and advice on everything that’s important to Kiwi women! We recognise that heath and wellbeing is an essential part of every woman’s daily life – from her fitness regime to her career and travel plans – not withstanding her relationship and style aspirations! The launch issue of New Zealand Women’s Health includes a special report into exactly why being Kiwi is good for your health, strategies to improve your work life balance so you can log off and live large, awesome travel tips, meals that are kind to your behind, and last but not least, fashion pages with workout gear to die for! What is a typical week at work like for you? It depends on where that week falls in the month. If we are on deadline it is madness and I basically don’t leave the office from dawn ‘til dusk! Deadline week involves signing off each and every page of the mag to make sure it arrives in the hot little hands of readers in perfect shape! If we’re not on deadline my time is divided between liaising with freelance contributors such as writers, photographers, stylists, hair and makeup artists and then of course my wonderful team!  What do you enjoy about your job most of all? Being in a creative environment that’s all about inspiring women to be the best they can be. I love that we offer our readers advice on everything that’s important in their life – from their beauty regime, to their workout, their relationship and their ability to whip up waistline-friendly dishes in the kitchen! Best perks of the job? Seeing a result – in some jobs you can work your butt off without ever seeing a result or getting to enjoy it. Working on a monthly magazine means that every month you get to see a finished product and know that all your hard work has paid off. Another fab perk is having access to advice from our NZ Women’s Health experts – they are a fantastic group of women who truly are paving the way in their respective fields! What personality traits/skills/attributes help a person get a job like yours? Being able to relate to different personalities and people is really important and it is also essential to remain grounded and remember why you’re in the job and who you are doing it for – the readers. It’s also important to really believe in what you’re doing, so for a magazine such as NZ Women’s Health, you really do live by the mantra “It’s Good To Be You!” Most memorable moment of your job so far? Putting the launch issue to bed is my most memorable moment! It’s also been amazing to see the creative talents of Kiwis from far and wide come together to produce such a fantastic first issue. Any advice for nzgirls wanting to get into this field? It depends really – if you are a school leaver and about to embark on your studies, then I’d recommend studying journalism/communications at Uni. If you’re already in the workforce but have a Degree, you could take a year out to return to study and complete a Grad Dip in Journalism. If you have great feature ideas, fire them off to Editors, even if they say no it’s still a good way to get your name in front of them. Either way, you need to be prepared to do the hard slog before you get anywhere – I spent a summer answering the phones, franking mail and making coffees just to get my foot in the door! Where would you like to go from here? I’m very happy where I am actually! Although I wouldn’t mind winning our launch issue competition – an epic 23 day trekking journey in the Everest region of Nepal – mint! We're giving away 10 susbscriptions to New Zealand Women's Health as well as some fabulous goodie bags! To get yourself in the draw just click here... |
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