It's 8 a.m. on a Monday morning, and for most of us school has just started. But for Cosmopolitan magazine’s social media editor, Maddie Hiatt, the day is already in full swing. She's sitting on her couch, coffee in one hand, phone in the other, scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest with laser-like focus. Her eyes dart back and forth between the multiple tabs open on her phone screen, as she checks every single update online.
She stops at a headline: One of the Kardashians has been seen with Timothée Chalamet.
Then: Zendaya was spotted at Coachella.
Hiatt flips to her accounts and posts a mass update.
It's a familiar routine, one that Hiatt repeats throughout the day, every day.
Her sole focus is to capture your attention, and she’ll go far to achieve it. “I’m constantly trying to find ways to get your eyes to look at us,” Hiatt says.
Hustle and hashtag
Sitting across from Hiatt in our virtual meeting, there is a noticeable contrast between our surroundings. She's enclosed by intricate, abstract designs adorning the walls of her artistic space in the Cosmopolitan building in bustling New York City. Meanwhile, I'm caught in another gloomy day, in a dimly lit study room at Drake University.
Hiatt is dressed in a stunning pink ruffled top, her hair styled in loose curls, earbuds dangling off her neck. As a social media editor, she navigates the complex world of digital media, a job she’s been doing for more than a year and a half. It's an ever-expanding field with ample opportunities for many to break into the industry.
Social media managers have recently been listed among the Top 100 Best Jobs in America, as reported by CNNMoney. Over the course of the past 10 years, the profession has experienced a 9% increase in job growth.
“That’s really exciting because that means that there will be jobs that don’t even exist yet in the next couple years,” says Ryan Stoldt, an assistant professor of advertising in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake.
Hiatt, who started in print but quickly saw where the growth was, changed her plans quickly and decided to gamble on moving to Manhattan right out of college.
"Unfortunately, print design isn't sustainable in New York City. It sucks, but that's the reality," Hiatt says. "When I graduated, I had to consider not just five-year Maddie, but also 10-year Maddie, 20-year Maddie, and what would happen if I had a print-only job and the print industry disappeared. What would I do then?"
She had to adjust.
Stoldt says that’s a requirement for the job. “The big difficulty is going to be keeping up with all the changes in technology, and new entrants into the field,” he says. “You're going to have to keep a pretty good eye on what's happening in the industry and be very ready to adapt to change.”
That kind of adaptability makes this job a fit for Hiatt. Scrolling through comments, checking images, and strategizing social content to gather views are a few of the countless tasks Hiatt must tend to on a daily basis. Then there’s the pressure of keeping up with trends and staying ahead of the competition. She misses the fun Friday drinks with friends as word of Taylor Swift's break up spreads or spends Easter dinner in the corner of the family house when Lizzo’s album drops.
But despite the workload, Hiatt only becomes more passionate.
"I love 99% of my job," Hiatt says. "One, I love that I get to be in charge of the social media for the Number One women’s media brand in the world. Two, I get to work with so many different teams, from marketing to art to entertainment. And three, I love that I'm never bored."
The other 1%
Hiatt admits that her role was mentally taxing at first.
"The hard part about being in social right now is separating yourself from the brand," she says. “At the end of the day. I am not Cosmopolitan. I am Maddie Hiatt.” Being the digital face of Cosmo exposes her to negative comments. They’re not necessarily aimed at the editor herself, thought it can still have a significant impact, especially early on.
“I used to think, oh my gosh, I'm not doing a good job. The public is mad at me. They think I'm stupid. When it's, no, I'm not the brand.”
Given that social media is a job that requires constant engagement, Hiatt relies on spending quality time with her fiancé and dog as her primary means of relaxation, whether taking late-night walks or playing games together.
“I’ve been trying to incorporate more off-screen time into my routine,” Hiatt says. “On the weekends I hardly touch my phone just to give my brain a second to recuperate. No one needs to be on all the time.”
Our interview dimmed with light-hearted, sarcastic jokes as we discussed the irony of Hiatt’s tendency to neglect her personal social media accounts. And honestly, who can blame her? Being online all the time is exhausting, especially when consuming content at such a large scale, from depressing news to dealing with hate comments, it’s easy to fall into a dark hole.
Despite this, she spoke in a bright and cheerful tone, her smile growing wider. "Being in social media has taught me the importance of building personal relationships," Hiatt says. "It’s definitely emphasized the significance of those face-to-face connections."