An eye for food porn coupled with a steady diet of giant burgers and rainbow shakes may not be enough to land you a job at INSIDER Food, one of the food industry’s leading companies in digital media and online publications.
Think you have what it takes?
We got the inside scoop on what’s it really like to work for this foodie powerhouse, straight from the mouth of one of INSIDER’s posterchildren who consume your news feed daily.
Meet Herrine Ro:
More than just “that tiny girl who eats everything”, Herrine’s an NYU alumna, accomplished journalist, and seasoned professional within the food industry, working for notable names like Food Network, and now, INSIDER food. Somehow, amidst her crazy day-to-day schedule, I got the chance to ask her everyone’s burning questions:
How would you describe your job?
Herrine: A normal day at the office as an Associate Story Producer involves analyzing trends on Food Instagram’s, reading food publications (like Spoon University, Eater, and Thrillist) and talking to PR about restaurants around the city.
What’s it like behind the scenes?
Herrine: I shoot with 3-4 restaurants a day, other days 1-2. Traveling is a huge part of the job—I just came back from Boston, next week I’m going to Staten island, then Queens, and then Miami. After finding a restaurant, I pick the food, and set up a date to go with a videographer. And after shooting, I do the behind the scenes work, like writing the scripts for captions before passing it off to the editors. It takes at least 8 hours to edit and finalize a single video. Normally, this entire process takes from 2 or 3 days.
Do people ever recognize you on the street?
Herrine: Yeah, people will ask, “Aren’t you the girl who eats on camera?” or “Oh, you’re the Insider girl!” Not only in NYC, but also in Boston and everywhere else. If you told me what I’m doing now, I wouldn’t believe it.
What are your favorite and least favorite things about your job?
Favorite: Trying all the crazy foods! And speaking to ‘ground shakers‘ of the food industry. Such as April Bloomfield, Top Chef contestant, Chef Lee Anne Wong, and several Chopped winners.
Least favorite: The consequences of eating tons of unhealthy stuff. (PRO TIP: Don’t finish a massive pizza by yourself when you’ve got a giant burger and waffle tower to waiting for you next).
Top 3 foods I NEED to try in New York City?
1. Le Rivage’s French Onion Soup Burger. Apparently, Michael Kors brought his whole team in to eat it. Normally, I only eat a few bites. But this burger? I finished it.
2. Sophia’s Pizzeria’s Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pizza. No words.
3. Bing Box’s limited offer Pina Colada Bingsu. It’s served inside a pineapple and topped with everything.
What are the next big food trends?
Herrine: Right now, it’s all about big foods, tiny foods, Unicorns and Ube. Next up will be all about cool new desserts and regional foods. People want to know about the cultural origins of certain foods.
Within the last few years, our social media landscape has made tremendous strides towards pleasing an extremely visual audience. In today’s digital space, content is king. And with the stage set for foodie culture and culinary tourism, there’s a high chance you’ve seen one of INSIDER Food’s endless stream of food videos.
It’s natural to assume Herrine and other story producers have the ‘dream job’, as their duties often push the boundaries of work and play.
Getting a job like Herrine’s, or even getting a foot into the food industry leaves no room for underestimation. Rather, it takes a high degree of proactivity, curiosity, and most importantly, keeping up with the latest food trends. See what Herrine’s eating on Instagram and Facebook.