Maria Atallah

Internships can be a great way to get a taste of what a dream job might (or might not) look like a few years down the line. Here, art history senior Maria Atallah ’22 shares her experience as an Editorial Assistant at Vogue Paris, a position that she took on entirely remotely for two semesters. While it was challenging to adapt to remote work, Maria made the best of her experience and learned a lot along the way – what was most exciting was seeing her name appear on Vogue articles!   

What are your pronouns?  

She/her/hers

Tell us a little bit about your background?  

I am from Lebanon. After graduating high school, I studied English literature for a year at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, before moving to Paris. I started attending AUP in January 2019.

Which company/organization are you currently interning with?  

Vogue Paris. 

Where is your internship taking place?   

Paris, France.  

When is your internship taking place?  

It took place during Fall and Spring semesters 2021. 

What is your job title?  

Editorial Assistant 

What types of responsibilities and/or tasks do you have in your internship? What's a typical day for you like? 

Typically I would attend an editorial meeting with all the journalists and editors in the morning. Afterwards, I would spend the day translating and editing articles and managing Vogue Paris’ English Facebook and Twitter pages. 

What are the biggest challenges and successes you’ve experienced during your internship?  

It was really challenging to get used to a fully remote workday. As my internship took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, I only had the opportunity to visit the office twice, and I’m disappointed I did not get to have a “real” office experience. However, I still enjoyed my internship tremendously, and seeing my name on Vogue articles was such a huge reward! 

What language(s) are you speaking/using in your internship?  

English and French. 

Tells us about your future goals/aspirations. Is this internship relevant? Do you think it will help you along the way? How?  

I would love to work in the fashion industry or in the publishing industry, so this internship was a dream come true! It will certainly help me along the way, since I have learned a lot from it, and because Vogue is an industry leader.