In the long-awaited reunion special of Gilmore Girls—the cult mother-daughter drama that won the hearts of cerebral bookworms everywhere—intellectual daughter Rory grows up to be, unsurprisingly, a journalist.
The Netflix special, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, picks up nine years after we first left the duo: after Rory took off to cover Barack Obama’s first run at the Democratic nomination and embarked on what seemed like a promising career as a freelance writer. Things are not so bright and shiny in Trump’s America, however, as we find Rory flailing, both personally and professionally.
The show’s depiction of Rory’s career caused a bit of drama among journalists, who seemed to agree that Rory’s professional story line desperately needed a reality check. Four working journos have a few words of advice for Rory, who is clearly in need of a 101 refresher course.
Ilana Kaplan (Rolling Stone, Complex, Lenny Letter, VICE, NYLON)
1) You don’t need a lucky outfit to get your dream job, but you do need to come prepared with a solid amount of ideas and critiques for a publication. Rory spends “Winter” and “Spring” looking for a red outfit for her Conde Nast interview, which might be excessive, but it is important to show that you have knowledge about the place you’re interviewing so they can see your passion and competence for the job at hand.
2) Writing jobs, generally, don’t fall into your lap. You usually have to do an edit test to get the gig, so coming to an interview with ideas is just preparation for that. Expect to do the work to get the dream job and show you know what you’re talking about when you’re in front of any EIC, Sandee included.
3) Pay attention: Your sources make your story. Rory takes on a piece about people who “wait in lines,” and she falls asleep talking to her first source. Even if your heart isn’t 100 percent in a story, you can’t let that show. You need to treat every source and every word like your life depends on it. Be grateful for your assignment, and don’t forget to load up on lots of Luke’s coffee.
