ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Lola Christina Alao, I’m a freelance journalist. My work has been published in Dazed, Glamour, VICE, The Independent, The Evening Standard etc.

So what do you actually do?

I research, pitch and write stories for different publications. My work mostly lives online and often involves interviewing interesting people for features, as well as working on shorter news pieces. I write across a lot of different topics, mainly culture and lifestyle. I have a strong interest in women-led features, and aim to amplifying marginalised voices in my work.

What has your career path been?

Once I finished sixth form at 19, I went straight into full time work. I’ve always worked in media, and started out as an apprentice at The Telegraph, working in advertising. I had a blog during this time which I’d work on in the evenings, where I’d cover culture and a bit of politics. After a year and a half I was promoted, and went on to work as a Junior Insight Analyst, where I would analyse online ads and create proposals to persuade brands to advertise with the company. I was in that job for a year before I was made redundant!

The summer I was made redundant, I was asked to write my first published article for Grazia. My name was put forward to the editor after I met Victoria Sanusi at a networking event, who has always hyped me up ever since.

I then spent a year at VICE doing a similar role that was slightly more data heavy before leaving in the middle of a pandemic and focusing on freelance writing. Since then, I’ve done other jobs here and there, like a three month stint working in PR as a Senior Account Executive, but I’ve always found my way back to writing & journalism which is what I love to do.

What is the best part of your job?

Writing genuinely feels like a hobby for me because I’ve always enjoyed it so much. So being able to do it as a job feels really special. I also love interviewing different people I would’ve otherwise never crossed paths with and learning from them.

Why do you do your job?

Putting my all into journalism was the best decision I ever made, it’s an amazing feeling to be able to say I make money from something I enjoy. At school, English was always my favourite subject, so it just feels right to be in this job. I also do my job to amplify voices that aren’t heard and to express myself the best way I know how, which is to write.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Editors are giving you edits to ultimately make you a better writer, not because they hate you or your work!

Network, network network. It’s an annoying word that gets thrown around. But “network” with the mindset of “I might come out of this with a new genuine connection, or we might not vibe like we thought we would and that’s cool too”. Speak to people to get to know them as a person and then the career benefits might follow later – but don’t put pressure on it.

Check out Lola’s socials below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

Right now, my work is mainly split between two companies. Mondays and Tuesdays I work on the commercial team for Time Out 10am-6pm, and Wednesdays to Fridays I work as an SEO Journalist for The Evening Standard 9am-6pm. Sometimes I take on extra commissions for other companies and work on them in the evenings.

A typical day looks something like this: I’ll usually wake up at around 7:30 (but will snooze my alarm until around 8am if I haven’t had the necessary hours of sleep needed to not be grumpy all day). I’ll scroll on my phone for a while, opening Twitter and replying to any messages, then I’ll head straight for the shower. Next it’s time for breakfast, which usually consists of a coffee with oat milk and sometimes a bowl of cereal I’ve forced (I don’t like cereal much) myself to eat because it’s the right thing to do. During this time, I’ll have a browse through various digital sites like The Independent and The Metro to see which big news stories have come out. I then have a think about feature or news ideas or I can pitch that are pegged to these stories.

Though I’m a freelancer, my days are actually quite fixed in terms of timings. So before starting my shift, I try to make time for freelance admin which could involve handing in a piece I’ve completed the previous evening, sending (or chasing) invoices, reaching out to case studies, updating my portfolio or drafting pitches.

If it’s a day I’m working for Time Out, I’ll start at 10am and will be assigned work by my editor throughout the day. This can be anything from updating affiliate article round ups, to writing commercial emails for brands, and writing commercial social copy.

If it’s an Evening Standard day, I’ll start at 9am and will be expected to both pitch ideas and work on news stories that have been assigned by my editors. Throughout the day, I write these stories up, choose an image for them, submit them – and will sometimes be asked to make amendments after an editor has read through them. I’m also asked to update articles if the story has developed since it was first published. At lunchtime, I’ll eat and scroll through Twitter and Instagram. Sometimes I’ll go to my Friday lunchtime spin class before rushing home to shower, eat and then continue working (thankfully my gym is only a five minute walk away). If my dad isn’t too busy with his work, we’ll go to spin together.

The rest of the working day follows a similar structure, continuing to work on stories and pitch ideas based on news that might have come in throughout the day.

In the evening, I’ll sometimes go to a gym class (either weights or yoga) if I haven’t been at lunchtime, get back home to shower, cook and eat. Then I’ll watch something on TV (this summer it was Love Island religiously) reply to any voice notes from friends, speak to my boyfriend and relax.

If I’ve taken on an extra commission(s) that week, often an 1000 word feature I’ve interviewed different case studies for, it will mean I work on those in the evening. I’ll make a very quick dinner, then head straight back to my desk to do as much as I can before it gets too late.