Columnist Question:

Once I moved into the interviewer seat, this is the question I noticed other people stumbling over the most. Editors know you’re probably applying to 10 zillion other places, but they at least want to feel like you’d be more excited to work at their brand than, say, your hometown gas station. Challenge yourself to come up with something unique and personal. (When I worked at a teen magazine, 99 percent of people said they wanted to work there because they “loved it growing up.” That’s great, I thought, but why do you want to work here now?) Is it the magazine you always save space for in your suitcase? Do you love a particular writer? Did they publish a story that impacted your life in a meaningful way?