I am pleased to announce that, today, I started my job as Circulation Manager for Alternatives Journal.
Alternatives Journal is a thirty-two year old quarterly environmental magazine. It is a high quality publication, with glossy covers and a professional layout, tackling issues overlooked by the mainstream media thoroughly and with academic integrity, and I'm not just saying that because I work for them. Their recent issue, for instance, tackles the issue of water supply, the current threats to its purity and the issue of privatization, still very much a timely issue which the mainstream media has, by and large, forgotten.
Alternatives Journal is a small magazine, but very well respected. The magazine operates out of the University of Waterloo but is independent of the institution. It has a respectable distribution network and can be found on newstands in independent bookstores across Canada and the United States.
I like the people I work with. All are dedicated and ambitious, but I'm able to relate to them. The business manager and I spent part of our lunch break talking about Buffy and :Angel:. I'm certain that this is a good beginning towards a strong working relationship.
My first day was spent shadowing the outgoing circulation manager, learning the nuts and bolts of her work so I can train the incoming intern and then concentrate on finding creative ways to publicize the magazine and increase subscriptions. They have a good circulation system, and loyal subscribers, but they are looking for new markets and ways to improve their web presence. The staff have dedication and ambition, and I am looking forward to lending my ideas.
The job is part time, for now, but it is the first position I've had in my field in years (having fallen out of the urban planning field after graduating just in time to be hit by the first round of Harris cutbacks). After trudging through high-tech database management and corporate clerical work, it will be a pleasure to put my energies into a position that matches more closely my passions. Between this and the fact that I'll be working in the same building I earned my Bachelor of Environmental Sciences degree, it feels very much like coming home.
So, I'll begin my work right here. Would you care to subscribe to Alternatives Journal? It's a great magazine, well worth your attention. Individual subscriptions are available for $25 for one year (4 issues) and $42 for two years (8 issues). Students can subscribe for as little as $19.95. Alternatives Journal is also a registered charity, so donations are most welcome.