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Every year, the UK churns out several thousand graduates in English, journalism and related disciplines. Many of these graduates opt for the publishing industry as a source of income, simply because they can directly use the knowledge they have obtained in the course of their first degree. However, publishing is a whole different ball game from academics, and candidates need to be able to handle the different milieu. Publishers require new people to fill posts from Associate Editor to Director, with a hundred variations in between. Each job requires a separate set of aptitudes - while copy-editing requires a keen eye and dogged tenacity, being in an administrative post requires managerial skill and an excellent grasp of public relations. For students, a teacher's recommendation is extremely useful to get jobs in the publishing industry, particularly if the teacher has worked closely with the student on a large research project such as a dissertation. Alternatively, regular work for amateur or niche publications can create a good portfolio to carry during job interviews or while applying to publishers for jobs. Free or low-paying internships, while they seem to be exploitative in terms of paid work, are often excellent sources of experience as well as fetching valuable points on your resume. These internships can also be conducted online - for example on an SEO firm - to minimize overhead costs, and still give the candidate a test of what is to follow. Temp agencies can give beginners entry level jobs or contract deals, which serve as a step up leading to further, better paying jobs from then on. Freelance work has also been known to net permanent clients for full-time candidates later on. Sadly, even the best resume is invisible to clients unless it has a high visibility among high-profile people. The best way to make your resume visible to the public is to search engine optimize your own website, and to promote it in all possible company over Facebook and Twitter. While applying for a job, do not lose heart. Every start-of-the-line professional sends out about a hundred CVs and/or resumes before getting accepted even into something far short of an ideal job. Send out at least ten queries daily, for all the work you can afford to do at one go. During the job-hunting process, candidates can hone up their finer skills by practicing proofreading, copy-editing and other skills essential to the publishing industry. Detailed guides on writing style, proofreaders' marks and annotation styles can be found easily and in cost-effective ways either on the Internet or in bookstores. The more knowledge and jargon a proofreader is equipped with, the more he or she is accepted into society. While planning for a career in the publishing industry, it is wisest to talk to the best in the business - whether a successful publisher in person, or to a good agency who will help candidates get the job that suits their skills best, thus offering maximum job satisfaction.
Looking for publishing jobs? Visit Publishing Recruitment Agencies.
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