How I got my internship at Harper's Bazaar Arabia?

After finishing my internship for B.Tech, I was desperately searching for jobs. Engineering did not excite me at all, so I'd spend my time on fashion and beauty websites and their Instagram pages. By some miracle, I started following Milli Midwood, who was then Assistant Digital Editor at Harper's Bazaar Arabia. She was also an emerging influencer in the Middle East. All I knew was that I wanted to be her. 

She'd post about fashion, her then boyfriend and fitness among several other things. Her life seemed perfect. Isn't that what social media does, anyway? Making everyone's lives look better than ours. Speaking of her content, she hosted a collaboration with a gym at the time. Inviting people to workout with her and in someway it was linked to sustainability. I wanted to go so badly, even though it meant waking up at 4am and sitting through an hour long drive (My parents drove me!). 

When I did arrive at the location, I remember feeling out of place. I was the only woman/ person of color there to be precise. To add on this, everyone was at least 5x fitter than I was. The workout was held at a warehouse-like place. I remember feeling awkward and still do to this point when I look back at it. But, the positive aspect which kept me a uplifted was Milli's kindness. 

The trainer asked us to start with a run, a lap in fact of the parking lot near the gym. My stamina wasn't the best and so I came in last but standing near the gym entrace was Milli, holding on to the door, waiting for the last person (a.k.a me) to join in. She didn't go in, she waited. It helped. 

I went through the session with such difficulty, feeling short (which I was among all of them), weak and out of place. There were exercises where I was given simpler alternatives as I couldn't keep up with the group. The session got over and I remember slyly taking pictures to put up on my then Instagram page where I sorted of tried to upload regularly. And once I took my content, I walked out. I am not sure I even said a bye or hi to Milli during the time. 

The next day, I posted a few Instagram stories tagging her and she responded thanking me for coming to the event. That was my shot, the time when I could ask her about interning at Harper's. I did and she asked me to drop in my resume to her. And as they say rest is history! 

Five years since that incident and today I am working as a SEO Writer at Bloomingdale's, a dream job for me. There have been countless struggles along the way but I am glad I did not stop. This blog right here will be the proof on Internet that brown girls with their oily hair, sometimes quiet demeanour and a mountain of self-doubt can break through. A reminder for me and for any other brown girl who is afraid to take the leap.