Ever thought about working for a car mag?

[Pstl_pete]

Hey guys,

Modified Mag is hiring right now and I figured what better way to get it out there then post it up on some forums that I frequent. I know there's a lot of true enthusiasts here so if you are interested the info is below.



Modified Magazine is currently looking to fill two editorial positions: Editor/Writer and Tech Editor. The candidates must have a strong background in writing, journalism, and possess excellent automotive knowledge. Skills in photography and automotive mechanics are an asset. An outgoing personality is key since the candidate will be dealing with many vendors and OE manufacturers. A strong work ethic and positive attitude are a must, along with the ability to adapt to a fast paced working environment. You must take directions well, work well with others, and be able to work under the pressure of monthly deadlines.

The Modified Magazine team is looking for someone who is passionate about cars, with an emphasis on modifying them. Modified is focused on the Sport Compact/Tuner/Import car scene, so candidates must have in-depth knowledge and experience with these types of vehicles. Modified is focused primarily on the performance side of these vehicles, so strong technical knowledge and some hands-on tuning experience are a necessity. An Engineering background would be a bonus but real world experience building/tuning vehicles is also highly valued.

Located in Los Angeles, California, primary duties include:

Installing and testing aftermarket performance parts and attending industry-specific shows/events are part of the job. Travel, working overtime and working weekends is sometimes required, so if you're seeking a 9-5 job, this isn't for you.

Writing feature car stories, product reviews, car tests, and event coverage. Attention to detail and a witty writing style are required.

In the Tech Editor position, you will have to setup and manage many product tests and be able to interpret the data and report your findings in a concise yet entertaining manner. Running track tests and shootouts will also be your responsibility. Being familiar with the latest testing equipment, dynos, and having track experience is crucial.

Before applying, please be sure that you meet these requirements. Magazine jobs are often glorified, but in reality they require dedication and passion to succeed.

Please send your resume and a detailed cover letter explaining why you are a strong candidate for the job to: [email protected]

[zenki.life]

oh man this is cool. to bad i can barely speak english as is. haha. otherwise this would be an awesome job!

[a_ghost]

sounds so cool, but i'm tied up right now

[Flybert]

People still read car mags?

[Ninjabread]

People still read american car mags?

Yea, hahaha.

[Flybert]

Exactly.

asdfasdfasdf

[kuppler8]

just another reason i hate california (secretly super jealous of because every thing is in cali)

[ericcastro]

Hey guys,


.............. working overtime and working weekends is sometimes required, so if you're seeking a 9-5 job, this isn't for you..................


...........Magazine jobs are often glorified, but in reality they require dedication and passion to succeed............

dedication is another way of saying, "were fucking you", and today's job is a flat rate, so no overtime.

Jobs like this sound cool, but they aren't. Unless you wanted to do this your whole life, then dont, you will hate it.
If your going for a "dream job", then do what YOU always dreamed of, dont jump into a "paying dues" kind of thing.


BTW,
isnt Pistol Pete a very famous VW car builder and awsomely respected guy that recently was killed in Portland Oregon??
Kinda Rude to take an recently passed away icons name, and use it on a forum not to far from what the man dedicated his life to..............

just sayin.........

[Pank]

He's also a mascot for a few college teams in the southwest.
GEEZ ERIC

plus, the VW guy died in 05 and this guy regged in 04

[ixfxi]

People still read car mags?

funny, i didnt even realize that super street hit the bucket until i was talking to a friend a few weeks ago. all the printed publications are under fire as no one is buying shit to read anymore.... i guess everyone ventures online to hear pro's like me speak. ;-) jk jk

jokes aside though, the japanese magazines are still interesting because theres still vital info in them that isnt easily obtained elsewhere. gotta love japanese magazines......................................... especially the dirty ones.


dedication is another way of saying, "were fucking you", and today's job is a flat rate, so no overtime.

Jobs like this sound cool, but they aren't. Unless you wanted to do this your whole life, then dont, you will hate it.
If your going for a "dream job", then do what YOU always dreamed of, dont jump into a "paying dues" kind of thing.

for once i 100% agree with you, eric castro.

i wanted to spout my mouth in this thread but figured everyones probably growing tired of my negativity.

jobs in the auto industry are way over-glamorized..... not just this one in particular, but all of them really. very underpaid profession nowadays, its a damn shame. but back to the point at hand, theres absolutely no sense in busting your back for someone elses business. might as well be self employed.

[ericcastro]

He's also a mascot for a few college teams in the southwest.
GEEZ ERIC

plus, the VW guy died in 05 and this guy regged in 04
I should have known you would know about the VW stuff, lol.
then I guess I take it back??



for once i 100% agree with you, eric castro.

i wanted to spout my mouth in this thread but figured everyones probably growing tired of my negativity.

jobs in the auto industry are way over-glamorized..... not just this one in particular, but all of them really. very underpaid profession nowadays, its a damn shame. but back to the point at hand, theres absolutely no sense in busting your back for someone elses business. might as well be self employed.

LOL, its cool.
Ive been getting peeled at work, am tired, and am not really in a good mood, i got it today, lol.

Its not really negative, just straight up honesty.
If its your dream, then you will dislike it, but do it.
If its not your dream, you will fucking hate every minute of it and dread going in.
Most entertainment styled jobs are like that I think.

[Pank]

hah, I don't really know much about VW shit, aside from what i've gleaned from my room mate and fellow zilvian inertiaticism

also, nothing wrong with getting a job at a magazine, especially if you love it. Fun jobs are hard work, since there are so many people vying to do it.

[Pstl_pete]

Of course the print business is hurting right now, online is the new craze and companies such as Source Interlink aren't exactly sure how to combat it. Add to the fact that we are in a recession which means advertisers arent spending any money and thats why you see magazines as thin as they are right now. If you've got a solution for us Im all ears. Until then, we much like most companies out there have to weather the storm by reducing costs whatever ways we can.

Trust me, Im not some corporate shmuck, I actually hate the way major corporations function but they provide me with a paycheck and opportunity to do what I love so I cant blame them for being the way they are.

dedication is another way of saying, "were fucking you", and today's job is a flat rate, so no overtime.



Dedication like we're fucking you? God thats such a negative way to look at it. How about we want someone that will work hard, be enthusiastic, and stand behind what they do. Heaven forbid we ask people to work for their money, we should pay them to sit around and do jack so we can all become like GM and Chrysler. Too many people forget that money doesnt grow on trees, you have to work for it so why not do something that you like?


Jobs like this sound cool, but they aren't. Unless you wanted to do this your whole life, then dont, you will hate it.
If your going for a "dream job", then do what YOU always dreamed of, dont jump into a "paying dues" kind of thing.



Have you worked at a magazine before? Because I'd have to say that it sure as hell beats most desk jobs, or factory work which I have done both of. Researching, building, and working on cars, traveling around to drive cars while getting paid for it isnt bad in my books. Sure it can be alot of work at times and its underpaid but show me a job right now that is that much better? There are rarely days when i wake up and say, man I wish I didnt have to go to work today. Shit, nobody dares to question me when Im surfing Zilvia part of the day at work either.

[ericcastro]

Dedication like we're fucking you? God thats such a negative way to look at it. How about we want someone that will work hard, be enthusiastic, and stand behind what they do. Heaven forbid we ask people to work for their money, we should pay them to sit around and do jack so we can all become like GM and Chrysler. Too many people forget that money doesnt grow on trees, you have to work for it so why not do something that you like?
Asking someone to work for there money is fine.
dedication is a way of saying, we arent gonna pay you waht you deserve at all and most likely not treat you according to the california labor laws.

I work WAY harder for my money then you, so I know the shit dont grow on trees.
You know every shitty movie I worked on in the last 6 or 7 years always say, "looking for dedicated people" and all that bs that makes you feel good about them taking advantage of you.
Then you break your hours down and learn that "dedication" means they profit, your hours break down to under minumum wage by almost half, and you keep working for them while they shine and reap the benifits.

so thats why I say, Unless you know from Day one that its what you want to do, you will hate it.
Careers that take over 5 years to get to the point of not being hungry a couple times a month take alot of work and "dedication".
I knew I was gonna do this since I was 9.
Thats how I can push through every shitty day while I work my way up.



Have you worked at a magazine before? Because I'd have to say that it sure as hell beats most desk jobs, or factory work which I have done both of. Researching, building, and working on cars, traveling around to drive cars while getting paid for it isnt bad in my books. Sure it can be alot of work at times and its underpaid but show me a job right now that is that much better? There are rarely days when i wake up and say, man I wish I didnt have to go to work today. Shit, nobody dares to question me when Im surfing Zilvia part of the day at work either.
And I have worked every possable job on the books.
Desk
Fishing boats in Alaska
refineries
lumber mill
years warehouses.
film industry (from lighting to now shooting my own movies).
mcdonalds
zumiez
picking berries
and so much more......
Shit, last month I turned down D1GP offereing me a steady position with them.

Im talking from experience.
But If you think you got it, then go for it!
Be prepared for a REALLY long struggle.
the guys running the thing are probably kinda young, tired looking, trying to have a home/family life. and remember, thats as good as it gets, cause they "made it". lol

[ixfxi]

Dedication like we're fucking you? God thats such a negative way to look at it. How about we want someone that will work hard, be enthusiastic, and stand behind what they do. Heaven forbid we ask people to work for their money, we should pay them to sit around and do jack so we can all become like GM and Chrysler. Too many people forget that money doesnt grow on trees, you have to work for it so why not do something that you like?

I'm all for people to work at their jobs, but how? This is a magazine, its a dying market. To add to your comparison, its like GM saying "hi, we at GM are hiring with the expectation that you'll bail this company out of our soon-to-be-insta-fail"

i will say that its nice to know that in todays market that you guys are hiring though. good luck with that.


Have you worked at a magazine before? Because I'd have to say that it sure as hell beats most desk jobs, or factory work which I have done both of. Researching, building, and working on cars, traveling around to drive cars while getting paid for it isnt bad in my books. Sure it can be alot of work at times and its underpaid but show me a job right now that is that much better? There are rarely days when i wake up and say, man I wish I didnt have to go to work today. Shit, nobody dares to question me when Im surfing Zilvia part of the day at work either.

i ran my business in the same building as an online publication many years ago, and i can tell you that its a lot of fun working for peanuts when youre in your early 20s. shit gets tired real quick soonafter though

I'll give you guys a quick wakeup call, to all you who want to "do what they love doing" ......... work starts to become mundane regardless how much you enjoy what you do. why? because when youre stuck at work slaving away (and are not getting paid the amount you deserve) you quickly start to wonder why you are working, when you could be at:
1) the beach
2) in your bed watching tv
3) getting some sex

all that glamor of dream job comes to an end when youre an adult and just want to go home and chill

[kandyflip445]

I honestly enjoy car magazines. I can look at cars and stuff while on the toilet. lol

I get REALLY annoyed with the magazines of late though. Most of them have a LOT of errors in punctuation and even spelling. I'm not perfect, but it just annoys me that someone gets paid to proof read an article and shit isn't right in the printed copy.

Good luck to you guys though. Everyone now-a-days wants to just look online. I like having my own copy of things like music, movies, and magazines.

[CamryOnBronze]

I have always been a fan of Modified, still the best out there IMO. Pete, I actually just met your brother on my local forum (xceedspeed.com). Small world- good luck to you guys, I wish the position was design related and I could pick up and move out there!

[brndck]

i buy dsport when it has a dvd.
but i was bummed when last months print issue AND dvd were just shit from motor trend rehashed. there was almost no original material in that issue.

car mags seem to be in the tank. sport compact, turbo, etc doa.
super street is garbage these days.
modified seems to be on shaky legs.
dsport had been good until this last month.
i used to subscribe to like 6-7 u.s. car mags, but now its rare that i'll even buy one per month. the content isn't anything i could find online in 30 seconds on google.
without INTERESTING new articles, it seems like all they have is just printed press releases about new products.

thank god for bonzai mag, style wagon, carboy, option and option 2!

[RossAto370z]

Sounds like a cool job. Magazines are still vital for the bathroom. Laptops just feel awkward!

[ixfxi]

Magazines are still vital for the bathroom. Laptops just feel awkward!

yeah i know, i hate wiping with laptops. only things that feel good are macbooks and issues of super street, ahhh yeah rik daddy... im wipin my ass on you!

[ericcastro]

If you really love writing and motorsports.

(which you will need both of to be succesful in the industry we are talking about)....

Then start a blog.
Nothing personal in it besides opinion. and only if you are talking shit in a funny way. (an all ages funny though, not the newest jargon.)
use other sites as "reference", and post monday, wednesday, friday.

every post should include 3 things,
a story/article about a new product.
a interesting product that covers a wide variety of /car/bike/truck stuff.
a video of automotive/cycle fail.

have stickers for as dirt cheap as you can.
After your 2 month mark, start to contact places for free product to test.

sell ad space on your blog to help you travel to different events, from drift to drag to HIN to dune bugies to monster truck to lawn mower races.

Get photographers by pitching the EXACT same BS the magazine has you eating up. Tell em its for thier resume and could turn into a job if you like there work and dedication, lmao!!

thats a start.
Its what is going to take over print.
its the future.
eventually you can have a forum connected so people can discuss the stories.
there will be no money for awhile,.........but if your dedicated.............

[Frosty_spl]

I did a bunch of design layouts for S3. yay.

[OhtaGerbilHero]

if y'all don't want the job, i'll take it. beats being unemployed, and i'm willing to bet it's better than McDonald's.

[robtech]

there will be no money for awhile...but if you're dedicated...


lol...true enough...i'll stick to making beer

[Fries]

Magazines will always have a spot. It blows to shit and read google. You're not supposed to surf the web on flights.

Most of the sport compact magazines will die off.
Later, they will all merge to create THE ALL POWERFUL[and magical] "CAR MAGAZINE"!

I don't think that it could be that difficult if you can use basic english, [have you read the mags lately?] get along with people fairly well and make up a bullshit story/cool way to say the same shit over again when dudes with too much money tell you about their parts.


Too much negativity in this here thread.

[Fries]

if y'all don't want the job, i'll take it. beats being unemployed, and i'm willing to bet it's better than McDonald's.

That sucks by the way.

[Def]

What's the pay range for the Tech Editor position?

I'm probably a bit over qualified for it, but it seems like an interesting gig for someone that has a passion for writing.

[beb]

Stop thinking cons.

As an automotive mag editor, think about the perks that can come along with this.

I know editors who get to drive cars months before they are released... who hit up the track or go drifting on saturdays for 'work without pay'... There are more important things than just money. Some of these opportunities that you may come across are things that money cannot buy....

[ixfxi]

Stop thinking cons.

As an automotive mag editor, think about the perks that can come along with this.

I know editors who get to drive cars months before they are released... who hit up the track or go drifting on saturdays for 'work without pay'... There are more important things than just money. Some of these opportunities that you may come across are things that money cannot buy....

money cant buy important things, like love.. happiness....

being able to drive a car before it comes out means nothing to me. having money to buy a mclaren f1... well, that means something to me.