This year GUM is changing things up- we are completely revamping the structure of our team. In previous years, GUM has only had one Deputy Editor, but this year we are refreshing our team to incorporate a series of 4 coordinators who will manage different sub-teams and be points of communication for the Editor-in-Chief. The GUM machine has 4 cogs: Creative Content, Digital Media, Visuals and Business Operations. Each is just as vital as the other.
Applying is easy and no previous experience is required – we merely ask that you have an enthusiasm for media and the creative industries as well as a motivation to learn! GUM aims to be an inclusive platform for all voices and will provide a fantastic experience for anyone looking to go into work in the media, journalism, arts, events management, or PR. You’ll be gaining valuable knowledge of the publication process of a magazine, learning networking skills, as well as having the opportunity to work with a creative, passionate editorial board.
You can apply for multiple roles. If selected for an interview, we will interview you for the one you are best suited for.
Applications will close Saturday 10th of August at midnight. Interviews for Coordinators will be held first and once these have been chosen, interviews for all other positions will follow. Expect these interviews to take place in the third week of August. If applying for these roles, please let us know down below if there are dates that you cannot do – this will not affect your chances of selection. Interviews will be held in person, on campus, in Glasgow. However, if you are unable to attend in person, do not fret, Skype interviews are acceptable.
Find descriptions of the roles on this post and click here for the application form!
If you have any questions, please e-mail [email protected].
Good luck with your application!
CREATIVE CONTENT TEAM
Content Coordinator
In this role you will organise and manage all content sub-editors, being their port of call when needing assistance. You will make sure content deadlines for print stay on track by maintaining efficient communication between content sub-editors. This will involve you being in charge of instigating conversation on the content channel of GUM’s Slack. Slack will be the resource that GUM will use for communication. You must make sure that all articles pitched by editors are logged on this space. You will also work with the Website Manager to make sure that there is an equal distribution of content from each section online. Your job as Content Coordinator is to ensure the quality of work platformed by GUM. GUM is an inclusive platform for all voices, and you must make sure that this shines through in our content. You will write a style guide to direct contributors in this quest. On that note, you will also be in charge of making sure that articles and creative pieces are entered into competitions, such as the SPA Awards.
Features Editor
The features editor is responsible for the opening section of the magazine, and will be pitching article ideas at the weekly Contributors’ meetings (the resulting articles will go online and/or in the print issue of the magazine). Content-wise, the Features section has a very broad range; therefore, articles in this section can be of the personal essay variety, or they may take on a more research-based, informative form. This year, we have published everything from a think-piece about being single when all your friends are in relationships to very serious, politically centred articles. As Features editor, you will also need to reach out to contributors, support them in the writing process, give them feedback, and finally edit their material for print and online. You should also be confident in your ability to fact-check. The perfect candidate has a creative vision and a critical eye, as well as great editing skills.
Culture Editors
We will have two Culture Editors this year. One will be concerned with pitching and editing articles which engage with more widespread cultural conversation- music, arts, literature, film- the other will specifically focus on Glasgow based events and reviews. As the editor concerned with the former, you will conceive and oversee a vertical that takes a fluid approach to how we define culture. This editor will be adept at using culture as a framework to illuminate the issues and causes important to young people and drawing meaningful connections at the intersection of culture and identity, technology, and politics. This year we really want to refocus on the Glasgow in Glasgow University Magazine; being a platform for local artists and projects. Thus, the editor who is concerned with reviews, must have a knowledgeable interest in the local cultural scene. The Culture Editor who will manage reviews will be in charge of reaching out and communicating with various cultural bodies in Glasgow regarding press passes and interviews, so a level of outgoingness and initiative is key! Both editors will aid contributors in their writing process and attend weekly meetings. Organisational and editorial skills are essential for these roles.
Style and Beauty Editor
You are responsible for the fashion editorial of each issue, and for style articles published online and in the magazines. You will work closely with the Editor-in-Chief to execute three shoots for the magazine’s print issues. These photos shoots will correspond with the theme of each issue. You will seek out local creatives (designers, models, photographers, makeup artists, and stylists) and organise locations. Working alongside the Editor-in-Chief, you will direct the photo shoots and ensure that you have enough material for publication. You will also pitch style articles at weekly meetings, reach out to contributors and edit. During shoot periods, you will be given some assistance by the Content Coordinator in editing the articles submitted to your section, so you don’t feel overwhelmed in the week of shoots happening. The ideal candidate needs to be outgoing and willing to reach out to make new contacts on the Glasgow fashion scene. You will need to have great time management, as well as a creative vision and editing skills.
Politics Editor
The Politics Editor at GUM will be inheriting a SPA 2019 nominated section, one that sought to provide scope for voice and access to journalism. You will be required to provide coverage of global political affairs (the more global – the better) in both digital and print. Candidates should expect to provide editorial leadership to those wishing to contribute to the magazine, opening lines of communication via email and social media.
As Politics Editor, you will have to edit articles prior to publication, providing detailed content and flow analysis. Furthermore, you should be aware that pieces need to meet editorial standards, and approach matters with nuance, careful consideration, and in line with the values of GUM (i.e. inclusive, intersectional, and introspective). Politics is a difficult section to maintain, and it is perfectly reasonable to turn down pieces that either misalign with values or intend to cause offence for the sake of offence. It’s not about shock, it’s about providing space for those who rarely have it in Politics.
Impartiality is important, and you do not have to agree with the pieces produced. But it is important to be able to defend the work published in your section, as it’s what editors are responsible for. The section doesn’t have to reiterate what’s happening in the press. It should look to complement content found in the mainstream, providing contextual narratives and individual perspectives that would go unreported otherwise.
Science Editor
You will be organising a relatively new section, which has only increased in popularity over the last few years. Your objective is to take current news within science and technology and make them into approachable and fun articles. You will need great social skills to reach out to potential contributors. You will attend weekly meetings, pitching ideas for both print and online, and edit articles. You will need to have sound knowledge and stay up to date with the science and technology world. You will also need excellent language and editing skills to produce articles for publication.
Creative Writing Editor
A creative thinker is needed to reach out to contributors to submit creative pieces under the theme of each issue and choose carefully what will go into the publication. You will be communicating with writers as you edit their work. Discretion with editorial procedures is critical, as creative writing is a section that often gets inundated with poems and short stories. It’s important to be able to decide which pieces are fresh, innovative and not too lyrical or predictable. Giving feedback in a manner that is helpful for the contributor and finds a balance between being critical and supportive. It takes a lot of courage for contributors to send in such personal writing, so the role requires an extra attention & sensitivity in the feedback process. This section gets a particularly large amount of contributions, so staying on top of administrative tasks such as emails is very important. You will also prepare, host and supervise creative writing workshops.
Copy Editors
This year, GUM will have two Copy Editors, as receiving work from all of the sections can be quite overwhelming. As a duo, you will be responsible for editing each and every article for both online and print, and will be the final sets of eyes before an article goes out for publication. You will need to be highly organised, with an eye for detail, scrupulous editing skills, and knowledge of style guides. You will also need to attend meetings, to ensure constant communication with the Content Coordinator. You will also need to communicate effectively with everyone else on the team to ensure that there are no mistakes. The ideal candidates are patient, motivated, meticulous with amazing language, editing, and fact-checking skills.
DIGITAL MEDIA TEAM
Digital Media Coordinator
You will manage GUM’s Facebook, which is GUM’s most-followed platform. Thus you will be working intimately with the Website Manager as you work together to ensure that the posts uploaded to GUM’s website are shared with the public on Facebook. You will be communicating with the events team to post events. You will also work with the events photographer to post their photos to Facebook. You will be responsible for making sure that the Social Media Manager’s content uploads are consistent with yours. Encouraging creative content members to share articles they like will also be one of your tasks.
Social Media Manager
You will be in charge of running GUM’s Instagram, a platform which demands a strong, consistent aesthetic. You will be streamlining GUM’s look on this app in order to boost our following. You will be posting stories most days engaging with contributors, resharing their stories of us and using Instagram as a way to interact with fellow Glasgow based magazines. Someone with witty captions, who knows how to project the fresh image GUM is trying to present is what we are looking for. You will be working with the Events Managers to helps promote any events or workshops. Social Media Manager and Digital Media Coordinator will work together to reengage GUM’s twitter.
Website Manager
In the role of Website Manager for GUM you will be responsible for updating the website with new articles and managing some of the social media. The website runs on WordPress, but don’t worry it’s very easy to use so don’t be turned off if you’re not familiar with website management systems! You’ll need to organise weekly schedules of articles for a continuous flow of content, work closely with the other editors and social media team and manage the online archive of published issues. You will also need to source fair-use images and illustrations for articles using CreativeCommons and make sure that all online sources and article authors are appropriately credited and linked to. You may also need to go back to articles to make small edits upon author requests. Organisational skills and timekeeping are key but note that this role only requires a couple of hours per week.
Events Photographer
You will be GUM’s personal photographer, capturing the magic of the academic year to share with contributors and on our social platforms. Your busiest period will be freshers and refreshers week, you must attend all events. GUM will also be having more talks and events during the academic year, you must attend these too. Your job will be busy, but only for short periods of time. You will be working closely with the Digital Media Coordinator and the Social Media Manager as you will feed your images of events to them for Facebook and Instagram. Some of these images may even be featured in the magazine, so you will also get a chance to interact with the graphics team when we create the print issue. Unfortunately, GUM does not have access to its own camera at the moment, so being able to have access to a DSLR camera yourself will be a must for this role. Experience of working with film cameras is not essential, but GUM would like to experiment this year with getting some 35mm snaps. Additionally, you will also lead one photography walk.
VISUAL TEAM
Illustration and Graphics Coordinator
You will act as the communicator between Illustrations Editor, Communications Designer and Graphic designer. You will create a GUM Flickr for uploading photos that our contributors would like us to use for our articles. It will act as a database which the photo editor can refer to when needed. You will communicate with the Content Coordinator to relay to your team what images need to be retrieved or created for articles. In addition to this, you will guide the graphic designer in coming up with a consistent visual brand for the magazine.
Illustration Editor
Collecting and Sourcing images from contributors will be your main task. You will have relayed to you by the Illustration and Graphics Coordinator what visuals are need for what articles. You will reach out to illustrators and photographers to commission the images as well as having access to the GUM Flickr account to obtain images uploaded voluntarily by contributors. The Communications designer will relieve some of the weight of finding images, as they will create illustrations when in need. The perfect candidates will have some knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as being able to reach out and network with people from all parts of the University and beyond.
Communications Designer
Although GUM likes to source images from local creatives, often certain images cannot be found. It is in these events that your services will be required. In this position, you will act as GUM’s artworker, creating illustrations and graphics for articles. You may also be called upon to make posters for GUM’s print launches. Thus, a knowledge of Adobe Photoshop is desired.
Graphic Designer
As Graphic Designer, you are responsible for the layout and design of the printed issues. You will be working closely with the Editor-in-Chief, Content Coordinator, Illustrations and Graphics Coordinator, as well as the Communications Designer to discuss, plan, and create the visual brand of the magazine. The job is very intense for shorter periods of time leading up to the printing of the issues. You will need to be able to work efficiently, reliably and independently during this time. The perfect candidate is creative and has some previous experience in designing for print. Proficiency in InDesign is a must, and knowledge of Photoshop and Illustrator are preferred but not essential.
BUSINESS OPERATIONS TEAM
Administrative Coordinator
In this role, the Administrative Coordinator will be responsible for the financial side of the magazine, as well as other organisational tasks. You will have access to GUM’s budget meaning you will work intimately with the events and graphics team as you organize events and GUM merchandise. Communicating with the SRC, raising purchase orders, booking rooms for GUM meetings, ensuring distribution of the print issues, setting fundraising targets, setting up merchandise plans and implementing them, sourcing advertising will also be among your tasks. To be successful in this role, you should have excellent organization skills and creative flair when working with a budget.
Advertisement Manager
You will assist the Administrative Coordinator in contacting local businesses to make merchandise, but your main task will be to ensure adverts for the pages of GUM’s print issue. You will be approaching local businesses to explore sponsorship/advertising opportunities. Thus, being a friendly communicator and creative in your thinking of how to attain advertising opportunities is essential. You will also work with the Administrative Coordinator in budget matters.
Events Manager
You will be responsible for organising launch parties, working with the Editor-in-Chief to organise GUM talks and events, socials like a Fresher’s Welcome Event and a Re-Freshers event in January and GUM team potlucks. You will be required to approach venues and work with organizers to host fundraisers as cost-effectively as possible. In addition to this, it will be your job to secure entertainment (DJs, musicians, performers, etc.). The Editor-in-Chief will assist in this task. Together with the Administrative Coordinator, you will develop ideas for generating interest in the magazine and engaging readers (e.g. competitions, ticket giveaways).
