Careering ahead

Posted on September 12, 2010 in Uncategorized

The SYP’s Careering Ahead event held in the iconic setting of 80 Strand, home to major publishing conglomerate Penguin Books, saw prestigious speakers and experts in their field of publishing and recruitment.

Alison Baverstock – Senior Lecturer in Publishing Studies at Kingston University and author of various publishing guides, including How To Get A Job in Publishing. Suzanne Collier – Founder of Bookcareers.com and member of the Association of Career Professionals and the Institute of Career Guidance. Claire Law – Recruitment Consultant and founder of Atwood Tate.

The evening began with Alison asking the audience how many were looking to get into publishing, of which the majority raised their hands. She proceeded to explain her journey into the industry, acknowledging that she was very ‘bookish’ when growing up but chose to study a History and Art degree – so as not to ruin her love of books – with the intention of a career in publishing after this. Her first job in publishing allowed her to make various contacts in the industry. She progressed to Heinemann, Macmillan and went on to consultancy and writing about the industry. From here, she and a friend set up the MA course at Kinston University. Her advice was that nowadays, you have to train yourself and become as informed as you can about the industry, proving yourself along the way. She also highlighted the below point as areas to help secure a job.

– Publishing is a business – Be careful not to say you ‘like reading’ in an interview. There is more to a role in publishing than just ‘reading books.’

– Nosiness – Keep up with the latest trends, what’s hot and what’s not.

– A genuine interest in the industry.

– An eye for details and awareness of what goes with what.

– Collaboration and working beyond your job description.

– Networking.

She also highlighted that an MA in publishing allows you the time to ‘think’ as well as giving an in depth history of publishing and the opportunity to complete a work placement which is highly valuable when applying for jobs. The benefits of working in the industry for Alison, are that she has job satisfaction and is working in an area that matters to society, it allows flexibility and ultimately, provides good quiz knowledge!

After studying an English Literature degree, Claire Law taught English abroad with the intent of pursuing a career in publishing. At a time before the internet and email, she received two offers, one for a temporary role at Penguin and a second permanent role for a business to business publisher, accepting the latter for the job security it offered. This role gave her the opportunity to build some solid office and administration skills and she was fortunate to be contacted by an agency for a Rights Assistant role at Orion. She then progressed to become Rights Manager at Headline before moving into publishing recruitment, setting up the London branch of Inspired Selection.

After a brief break from the industry in 2008, she realised she missed the industry and decided to set up her own business with Sue Trafford. The recession hit in 2009 so the decision of setting up a recruitment agency was not one that was taken lightly. 2010 saw the launch of Atwood Tate [www.atwoodtate.co.uk] where Claire says that the best part about her job is helping people get into the industry, staying in touch and offering advice to recruiters and candidates. She also offers the following top tips for candidates:

– Research sectors and pick your main areas of interest.

– Complete work experience to get a flavour for the industry and different departments.

– Be prepared to do a different role in your first job and move on from here.

– Ensure you have a strong CV which is regularly updated with your skills and experience.

– Attend networking events.

– Engage in social media – Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

– Complete additional training where possible.

– Keep up-to-date with the industry. Read The Bookseller and other relevant news articles.

– Register with publishing recruitment agencies and meet with your consultant.

– Make sure you prepare well for interviews.

Suzanne Collier is the founder of bookcareers.com and sees private clients for career development. She has been helping people develop their book publishing careers for over 20 years. Suzanne has worked in almost every department within book publishing, and regularly lectures on careers within the industry as well as offering consultancy services to book publishers. She is a former chair of the SYP.

When raising the question of how many people were in a publishing role of some capacity, half of the audience acknowledged this. Her advice was to ‘forget the recession’ and focus on yourself. Companies are still recruiting even in times of recruitment freezes. Vital roles are being replaced; therefore there are still opportunities available.

Suzanne offered the following advice in relation to standing out in the early stages of recruitment:

– Practise spelling and grammar in your CV, covering letter, emails and on any social media you use. These must to immaculate, especially for an industry focused on ‘words and grammar’ as a business.

– Initiative tests on websites – Read the questions and be aware of what they are asking.The bookcareers.com website has various tests to ensure you are paying attention. This may be the case for other recruitment agencies and employers.

– Avoid reading the job advertisement too quickly. Look at it in detail and break it down into exact what the role will be doing.

– Read about, and investigate, the company you are applying to work for, so you can tailor your CV for every role.

– CV – Never use text boxes and never submit a photograph unless asked.

– Experience – Make sure you do not overstate your experience. Employers are able to identify when a candidate is ‘glorifying’ their role, especially if it is a work experience placement.

– Progressing your career – impress your current employer in order to get more responsibility and experience in your current role.

A Q&A session raised some interesting points such as how to stand out from the crowd when you are in competition with hundreds of other candidates. The panel agreed that a strong CV and cover letter are vital – well crafted to the job description and the company – along with a genuine interest for the industry, stating clearly what your skills can offer. Make your interests ‘interesting’. Don’t just say you ‘enjoy reading’, but state what you have read.

Work experience is highly valuable but ensure you don’t get ‘stuck’ in a role. Try to secure a permanent role as soon as possible.

For those looking at a career change into publishing, look at your skills and apply for the right jobs in relation to these. With advances and developments taking place in publishing, this is easier than ever. You may be from an industry where your acquired skills will be significant to the publishing arena.

Whether you are starting out, looking to change departments or going for that all important promotion, the panel highlighted the importance of volunteering, enthusiasm and reading as much as you can in order to gain the knowledge and experience that will equip you when securing your ideal publishing role.