Thanks to a generous contribution by the Canada Summer Jobs program, my long standing dream to find the perfect circ intern has suddenly become a dream to find the perfect paid temporary circ assistant. Here's another (more concrete) invitation to come to the "other side" of publishing, this time with a paycheque and some prestige attached.

Those who responded to my original plea for interested and passionate magazine lovers are encouraged to re-apply, provided they're of the student variety. And please see my earlier post if you'd like a better idea of what awaits you.

Circulation and Online Marketing Assistant

The Walrus has an immediate opening for a paid, six week student placement as an assistant to the Circulation and Marketing department. The successful candidate will assist the magazine with various marketing tasks, including, but not limited to:

• Developing and implementing promotional pieces
• Researching and implementing micro-marketing campaigns
• Developing various relationships with other organizations and individuals for sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Assist with the overall circulation and marketing strategy
• Event coordination and assistance
• Web marketing and promotion

The assistant will be supervised by the circulation and online department, and will be trained in how circulation and online marketing play a significant role in a magazine’s success. Familiarity with basics of magazine circulation strategy is a plus.

Please be advised that that this is a thirty hour a week, six week paid position funded through the HRDC Canada Summer Jobs program, and all applicants must be high school or university students between the ages of 15 and 30.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and two letters of reference to the email address or physical address provided below. In your letter, clearly state your interest and experience in magazine circulation and marketing. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Applications should be sent to stacey.may@walrusmagazine.com  or to:

Stacey May Fowles
Director of Circulation and Marketing
The Walrus
19 Duncan St., Suite 101
Toronto ON M5H 3H1

The other night I went out for a few beers with some of my favourite “circulation friends,” a small group of great people I’ve been friends with for many a year who all work on the my side of the biz. What began as a “beer after work to catch up” became a pretty epic discussion/rant session on all things circulation and marketing; direct mail, audits, renewals, and yes, a little bit of industry gossip here and there (hey, a recession is no fun without the gossip.) For a lot of us the circ department is a one person shop that few understand, so it’s a relief and a comfort to occasionally be around our own kind. Not only was the session a chance to learn and help each other, it was also a rare opportunity to feel, for lack of a better word, “understood.”

So consider this an invitation; if I proposed a casual circ mixer every couple of months, would you come? One night at a downtown bar where those doing circ and those interested in circ could meet and greet and have a helpful chat, no association membership required?

Let me know your feelings in the comments, and based on interest I’ll something up.

And don't forget to get your nominations in for the CMC Magazine Marketer of the Year Award. The award can be given for consistent excellence over a lifetime of work or for a particularly noteworthy achievement during the year. The award will be presented at the CMC Luncheon at the 2008 MagNet Conference. Click here for more details.