Erica Holburn

Meet Erica, Deputy Editor of Girlfriend magazine (girlfriend.com.au). She has landed an amazing job and has just become engaged to the love of her life! Check out what she has to say:

What's your current job/position?

Deputy Editor, Girlfriend magazine - quite possibly one of the best jobs on earth (to me, anyway)! On any given day, I could be interviewing specialists and inspiring chicks, sub-editing the pages in the magazine, organising a shoot, attending an event, workshopping ideas with my editor, writing stories, commissioning work, editing our quarterly Love To Shop fashion special and generally having a great time in the office with the Girlfriend team.

How did you get there?

Luck, determination, application and obsession!

I've been obsessed with magazines since I bought my first copies of Girlfriend and Dolly when I was 14 (we're talking mile-high piles of glossies in my bedroom, checking newsagents every week for deliveries of my favourite titles and the kind of thrill some people get out of riding big waves when I discover a new title on the stands or a new online mag).

After high school, I deferred uni to work in advertising for a year (it was a cool office but my main tasks were unpacking the dishwasher and stationery orders!). I then came to the realisation that I would need a degree to get where I really wanted to be - writing for magazines. I studied journalism at Macquarie University in Sydney, while working in a PR role for a small company.

After uni, I got my first job in magazines, as an editorial coordinator for K-Zone (a kids' title), freelanced for Total Girl, then moved onto Girlfriend as Beauty Editor (the perfect job for any girl who likes to be spoilt and pampered). After eighteen months as Beauty Editor, I was promoted to Deputy Editor.

What is your most memorable moment at high school?

It would have to be the day my Year 7 (in NSW, high school starts in Year 7) English teacher told me to stand in front of the class and recite the word 'something' over and over until I stopped pronouncing it 'somethink'. I went to primary school in Brissie and apparently it's a Queenslander vernacular thing I picked up. So embarrassing but she turned out to be one of my most valued teachers (and as public speaking is part of my job, it's a good thing she corrected me early on!).

Did you have any struggles as a teenager?

Did I ever! I'm a perfectionist, so I struggled a lot internally with my parents' divorce, living without my mum and growing up in general. I put a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself and took a while to figure out who I am and how to cope.

How did you cope with difficult situations? (What strategies did you use? Which ones worked?)

Very, very badly! I'm a bit of a cautionary tale for coping with situations in your teens and early 20s. I shopped, I overate/snacked/binged, I dated the wrong guys, I kept everything inside... Outside, I'm sure I was a vision of self-control, all the while I was stressed, anxious and unsure of myself. Anything counterproductive, other than taking drugs and drinking alcohol, you can imagine, I did.

It wasn't until I was 23, fresh out of a long-term relationship and beginning my career with Girlfriend, that I began to deal with things productively and accept myself. I began to deal with stress, anxiety and body hang-ups in more productive ways - exercising and deep breathing, talking with my girlfriends, thinking of myself as a whole person (not just a body), eating only when I'm hungry (and for energy to do the exercise I love), and taking some of the pressure to succeed off myself.

Coincidentally, a year later I met the love of my life who accepted me 100% for who I am and prompted me to explore my spiritual side, too, which helped me rediscover my Christian faith.

Some girls have written in and asked about how to speak to boys. Any suggestions?

Now, this is my specialty, as I asked my now-fiance out on our first date. At the time I asked Jim out, I was feeling very self-confident. I had a good job, great friends and I was fit and healthy. I think your self-perception helps a lot with boys, so working on your self-esteem is a great place to start (WAGN has great tips about self-esteem on the site!).

I struck up a conversation with Jim at the beach - he was a surfing instructor and I was keen (not just because of him!) to take lessons. I saw him a few times, and always smiled, said 'hi' and chatted about surfing or something more general, then I simply asked if he'd like to go on a date. He said yes and it went from there.

I've found that a smile, humour, something to talk about, self-confidence and being yourself are the key to getting boys to take notice.

What advice would you like to offer teenage girls?

Go easy on yourself. With all the other pressures in life, being your own best friend will help you get through. That means looking after yourself (mind, body and soul) by exercising, eating the right foods, taking time to relax, having a broad self-perception (I think of myself as a happy, cute, healthy girl who loves to write and has something to offer the world, rather than just someone with a wobbly tummy) and not thinking you have to be PERFECT at everything. I also think a good group of friends is priceless.