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When Amanda Niederauer ’08 (Bernardsville, N.J.) began her interim-session externship at Quick & Simple magazine, she was considering a career in the publishing industry. Now that she has completed her time with Kimberly Sica ’04, an editorial assistant at the New York City-based publication, she feels even stronger that publishing is for her.
Neiderauer, an American studies major and president of Student Government, spent two days shadowing Sica, who showed her the inner workings of the new magazine, which was launched in August by The Hearst Corporation.
“It was interesting to see how much actually went into the production of a magazine. There are so many aspects I had never thought of before,” Niederauer says.
She was among more than 275 Lafayette students who gained first-hand knowledge of the professional world during January’s interim session by serving externships with alumni and other experienced professionals in business, the arts, education, healthcare, law, engineering, science, government, non-profits, and other fields. The students observed work practices, learned about careers they may consider entering after college, and developed professional networking contacts.
Niederauer toured the magazine’s numerous departments, speaking with department heads, and had an opportunity to read letters to the editor.
Kimberly showed me all that went on at the magazine,” Niederauer says. “It was interesting to see how all the departments work together to come up with a finished product. I had never really thought about all the things that have to come together.”
Quick & Simple routinely has health advice, recipes, fashion tips, and family stories, Sica says.
Niederauer expressed special interest in the photography department and was given an extensive tour of the magazine’s photo studio.
“After seeing what they do in the photo department, it heightened my desire to continue pursuing photography,” she says. “I definitely know that is what I want to do following graduation.”
After hosting her first externship, Sica says the experience is something she’d like to continue.
“As a recent graduate I was honored to be able to host Amanda,” she says. “She did a great job and had good questions and showed a sincere desire to pursue a career in the industry.”
An externship helped lead her to her position at Quick & Simple, says Sica, who majored in government and law. “I was an extern myself, and the program definitely helped me. My externship host was someone who allowed me to get this position.”
Niederauer feels that having an opportunity to serve an externship early in her college career will prove beneficial.
“Now I have much more time to put into what I want to do following graduation,” she says. “I’m able now to know what I want to do and set my sights on that.”
Neiderauer is an Orientation Leader, a member of the staff of The Marquis miterary magazine, and works for Lafayette’s Annual Fund. She is a member of Alpha Phi sorority.