Applications for the GUM team 2017/18 are now open! There are many exciting roles to apply for. Applications will close at midnight on the 22nd May; don’t miss out on the chance to be part of one of the best media teams at Glasgow University!
Why should you join GUM?
If you are considering work in the media industry in the future, it is vital that you start to build up experience at an early stage. GUM is a wonderful platform for you to show your talent and commitment, get your work seen, and it is an incredible experience to put on your CV. Our website this year has grown in popularity, with over 4000 views each month, our Facebook page has over 2000 followers, our Twitter, 1,497 followers and our Instagram has 375 followers. On top of that, each issue of GUM is read by thousands across the city. We pride ourselves on being the oldest student magazine in Scotland (beginning in 1889!) and we are a recognised name with employers throughout the UK. This year GUM was shortlisted for ‘Best Design’ at the UK wide Student Media Awards and has previously been awarded ‘Best Magazine’ twice by the Herald Student Media Awards. A role in GUM will prepare you for jobs within journalism, media production, editorial work, publishing, events management, graphic design, photography, the fashion world or social media management.
This year we really changed up the way in which GUM was run, putting up three articles weekly on the website and holding weekly meetings throughout the year alongside socials and launches. We also ran workshops on a variety of media related skills, including graphic design, organising a fashion shoot, photo editing, writing and computer skills. We have become a very close-knit team, and the constant communication and teamwork provides an excellent opportunity to meet a crowd of like-minded individuals at University. We encourage people from all subjects and disciplines to attend our meetings so it is always a very eclectic group. Teamwork is very important at GUM: the magazine couldn’t be created without everyone working together and it’s a lot of fun!
Why is GUM important?
Today, the media and free speech are incredibly important. There is no better place to voice your opinions on matters both big and small than in a liberal student magazine, like GUM. Our articles cover a multitude of topics and styles- personal essays, columns, political commentary, pop culture. So, if you are passionate about current events or controversial matters, GUM is the perfect place to start. We pride ourselves on producing original, creative content with new sections of the magazine being introduced each year. Moreover the design of GUM has consistently been of the highest quality. We experiment with ideas and the result is a fresh and interesting read!
Fancy getting involved? Read below for full descriptions of all the roles available and a link to the application form.
Editor-in-Chief: As the leader of the team, you will have the opportunity to run an entire magazine and realise your own personal vision. You will learn about all aspects of producing a finished publication. You are responsible for planning the academic year with the release of three issues, as well as producing and editing content for each issue and online. You will lead a team of sixteen editors and organisers and even more contributors. You will work with the online editors to improve the website and social media, with the photo editor to commission illustrations for both the website and the issues, and with events managers to arrange marketing events, release parties and socials. You will also need to raise advertising revenue for the printing costs of the magazine, and will work alongside the treasurer to do this, as well as negotiate with publishers about the prices. The perfect applicant for this role has an enthusiasm for the creative industry, and a clear vision. You will need to be organised, outgoing, and above all, enthusiastic and encouraging to everyone on the team. You will also need to have an eye for detail and amazing editing skills.
Deputy Editor: You are the right hand of the Editor-in-Chief and help out with everything that the Editor does. Some of your responsibilities include: planning deadlines, editing articles, commissioning images, helping with decision-making, working with the graphic designer on lay-out, communicating with publishers, raising revenue and organising events. You will need to have a creative eye, as well as, fantastic time management and organizational skills. It is also important to be able to communicate clearly and to be present to support the Editor-in-Chief.
Photo Editors: This year we will be taking on two photo editors who will manage the responsibilities equally. You are both responsible for commissioning images for GUM. The photo editors communicate with the other sub-editors, the Editor-in-Chief and the graphic designer on what kind of images to acquire and what kind of look is desired. Then the photo editors reach out to illustrators and photographers to commission the images. This job may be very intense for periods of time, but is very rewarding as you both get a say in what the final magazine will look like. 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.
Online Editors: We will be taking on two online editors, who will split the workload between them. You will both manage the website and all social media accounts. You will be responsible for uploading content continuously as it is produced by the contributors and edited by the sub-editors, sending out updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This year we uploaded three articles weekly, so this is a very busy role but a rewarding one as well, particularly as you will be working as a duo and will have creative control over the website. You will also be responsible for executing your own social media strategies, in order to market the magazine, our content and the events. You will need to communicate effectively, with the Editor-in-Chief and the IT Coordinator at the SRC, to ensure that everything online runs smoothly and effectively. These roles are perfect for anyone that has a working knowledge of wordpress, and has a creative vision, showing imitative on ideas and design for the website.
Features Editor: You are responsible for the first section of the magazine. In the past, GUM has prided itself in a features section that covers alternative subcultures, controversial ideas or current events. You will have the opportunity to come up with your own ideas for articles and realise your own vision. You will need to come along for weekly meetings with pitches for the section (to go both online and within the three issues we release each year). You will need to reach out to contributors, support them in the writing process, give them feedback and finally edit their material for print and online. The perfect candidate has a creative vision and a critical eye, as well as great editing skills.
Culture Editor: You are responsible for the culture section of the magazine; this has always been the most popular section, among both contributors and readers, and covers anything related to the cultural scene: music, arts, literature and film. You will need to handle a big group of contributors, listen to their ideas and assign articles for everyone, as well as guide them in their writing processes. You will need to attend weekly meetings, provide feedback and edit the content for publication. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge about culture and the local Glasgow cultural scene, as well as great organisational and editing skills.
Style Editor: You are responsible for the fashion editorial of each issue, and for style articles published online. You will seek out local creatives (designers, models, photographers and stylists) and organise photo shoots in different locations. These photos hoots will correspond with the theme of each issue. You will be responsible for directing the photo shoots and ensuring that you have enough material for publication. Then you will work with the Editor-in-Chief, and graphic designer to produce a layout. You will also pitch style articles at weekly meetings, reach out to contributors and edit, as well as writing the style editorial in each issue. 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.
Style Assistant: You will be working alongside the Style Editor to organise fashion shoots for each issue. You will help to seek out local creatives (designers, models, photographers and stylists) and organise photo shoots in different locations. These photo shoots will correspond with the theme of each issue. You will need to be highly motivated, and willing to help the Style Editor with organisation, and creative decisions. This role is perfect for someone that wants to gain experience working in the fashion industry, has a creative eye, and is motivated and hard working.
Politics Editor: You will take care of the politics section and have the opportunity to realise your own vision. GUM has been known for publishing controversial opinion columns on different current and local topics. You will need to work towards making the section interesting, current and up to date. You will attend weekly meetings, pitching ideas for both online and issue, reaching out to contributors and editing. The perfect candidate has a great grasp on politics, news and current events. You will also need great editing skills and your own ideas on critical issues that should be covered.
Science and Technology 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 STEM students that will write for the magazine. 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 in the science and technology world. You will also need excellent language and editing skills to produce articles for publication.
Creative Writing Editor: The creative writing section was brand new this year and has been growing in popularity. As editor, you will reach out to contributors to submit creative pieces under the theme of each issue, and choose carefully what will go into the publication, whilst also communicating with writers as you edit their work. You will also need to attend weekly meetings, and encourage contributors to submit work for online (this can be around any theme). The ideal candidate will have a creative eye and creative writing skills, as well as being an enthusiastic, approachable person, who is willing to reach out to contributors, and edit carefully.
Copy Editor: You will be responsible for editing each and every article for both online and print, and will be the final set of eyes before an article goes out for publication. You need to be highly organised, with an eye for detail, and scrupulous editing skills. You will also need to attend meetings, to ensure constant communication with the Editor-in-Chief and sub editors. You will need to communicate effectively with everyone on the team to ensure that there are no mistakes. The ideal candidate is patient, motivated, with amazing language and editing skills.
Events Manager: We will be taking on two events managers this year that will work together to organise events throughout the year. You will be responsible for seeking out venues, performers and organising ticket sales, in line with the launch of each issue. Events are an enormous amount of work so we are looking for two highly motivated individuals, who are able to communicate effectively, and are not afraid to reach out to contacts. You will also need to communicate effectively with the Editor-in-Chief as well as the Treasurer to organise fundraising possibilities; for example, other events, as well as launches, which can help GUM raise revenue. This is a hard but rewarding role, as you will have control over exciting events, making potential contacts for the future.
Treasurer: This is a brand new role but a very important one. You will be responsible for keeping track of GUM’s finances, assisting the Editor-in-Chief with securing funding from the SRC and coming up with innovative ideas to raise money. You will work closely with the Events Managers to ensure that funds are raised at each events, and you will come up with your own ideas for interesting ways in which to do this. You will also organise the team, in reaching out to potential advertisers. The ideal person for this role will be incredibly organised, and a good communicator, who has creative ideas and enthusiasm for raising money for the magazine.
So, what are you waiting for? Applying is easy and no previous experience is required for any of the roles. We merely ask that you have an enthusiasm for media and the creative industries, as well as, a motivation to learn. You can apply for several roles. Follow this link to fill out the application form: https://docs.google.com/a/glasgowuniversitymagazine.co.uk/forms/d/1ul43D3aFkS1JW-Mzk8Np5mfBp94mgA9xIvjVw3Mxqtk/edit
The deadline is midnight on the 22nd May. We will be holding a Q and A with the current editors on Tuesday 16th May in the Williams Room of the SRC from 5-7pm so please come along if you are interested!
We will get back to you by the end of May and interviews will take place in June. Good luck!
