EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
WOMEN’S OWN MAGAZINE
Life Goals – To BE wherever I AM!
Work Goals – Start each day with a new attitude, politer mood, and a better mug of coffee.
There are people who don’t have a 9am-6pm. They have a 24/7 – from the time they open their eyes, to the time they put them to rest for a while. They love deadlines as their lifelines, and submit documents at 12:47 am and images at 8:11 am. They stretch their limits, focus on quality work, and have a list of things to do to be prioritized every hour. Mostly editors, lawyers, specialists, researchers and consultants run the list. Meet one such high-on-work-life superhero, Amna Saleem, whose swiftness and flexibility are being utilized by the most firmly rooted lifestyle and fashion publication of our times – Women’s Own.
- What drives you to remain connected with work 24/7?
I absolutely love my work. I’m not the kind of person who would do something just because it’s a part of my ‘job description’. I can’t be that robotic. So it would be my passion for writing, that germ of picking on grammatical errors, and keeping an eye on what’s trending in the world that keeps me going – even if I’m off duty. - Is going the extra mile for work really worth it?
Sometimes, yes. Most of the times, certainly not! I am picky. I work for my satisfaction. Hence, I would go out of my way sometimes to get things done; it’s fashion and lifestyle journalism – why not make work fun and enjoy those few extra miles? - How do you manage to make your team perform at your pace?
They don’t. I can’t and don’t wish to impose people to perform at MY pace. I, however, make sure my team is working slightly faster than their own pace! - What’s a super hectic day like?
It starts with emails, many of which one avoids answering. That follows up with receiving phone calls from random numbers to receive acknowledgement. Our magazine is such that we have a lot of brainstorming to do, so we keep editorial meetings almost every morning. We have deadlines to meet every day so our work’s on track. After writing, editing, and thorough proofreading, I sit with the creative designer and explain the design to him. After the pages are made, there’s final proofreading that takes place. Did I mention lunch? There, sometimes we forget eating! - What facilitates work efficiency?
Coffee, candies, music, and off-the-record talks support our cause best. Regular intervals are absolutely necessary for us to maintain our sanity. Otherwise, the same work can be maddening and well, nobody wants to see that in print! More so, I believe technology is a massive help. The world is a touch away; we have smartphones, wireless internet sticks, and wireless chargers. One is hardly left with any excuse to be lazy, late or work less. - How do you manage to produce quality content during dry intellect days?
Dry Intellect Days [haha]! That’s a good one! I should start celebrating that at work with a few people. Like I said earlier, we have deadlines for each day. However, if an assistant is going through a DID or say, a writer’s block, that’s just a day wasted. We sit again, brainstorm more ideas and give it another day. That’s one perk of a monthly publication! - How do you calm down a hyper state of mind to attain healthy sleep hours?
Certainly, there are days when I have work on my mind or the pressure by the month’s end to put the magazine to bed. I avoid all possible social gatherings, cancel plans, and lose my sleep. Honestly speaking, there is no other solution to that but to run to work the next morning, make sure you finish your work, and deal with the pressure. I’m telling you, it is the best sleep you’ll ever get on the night of the magazine’s closing.
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