He started his new role last week having joined from the Sunday Times where he was commissioning editor for the newspapers men's section, InGear.
Kurs will be responsible for Arena's front section called Intelligence, which consists of news and topical features, as well as commissioning and editing main features for the magazine.
"Try to get as much experience as possible in every facet of a publication's production - from writing and proof reading, to page design and picture research," advises Kurs.
"Obviously, learning how to commission and edit is the most important skill, along with the ability to quickly assess whether copy filed by a writer works, and if it doesn't, then how it can be made to work - which all comes from experience," he told Journalism.co.uk.
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Related articles
- Recruiting for inclusion: a guide for media organisations
- Newsrewired special: training and retaining new journalists
- How has the pandemic changed media recruitment?
- Jo Adetunji, editor of The Conversation, on recruiting diverse talent
- David Higgerson, chief audience officer, Reach plc, on overcoming leadership challenges during the pandemic
