Getting into a job in publishing is not that difficult a problem for the recent graduate or the seasoned professional crossing fields. Entrants to the publishing world will work to help disseminate ideas, thoughts, information, etc. The general job is to pass on words, be it from the Gutenberg press to the latest blog. There are a variety of jobs in the publishing world that one can apply for, and so long as there is a need for information to pass from one to another, there will be a need for publishers. Other key interests should be in sales and advertising as they are key in the publishing industry for generating profits.
When you are entering the publishing world, there are a set of skills you will need to apply to your job. Primarily, someone who is entering the publishing world, whether they are crossover professionals or recent graduates, should be proficient in the skills of sales, marketing, publicity, and graphic design. They need to be able to sell whatever creative or non-fictional work is being published, generating high revenues for the creators of the work and the publishing firm. What is more important in an applicant is an overwhelming love of the publishing industry, as well as for writing and the spoken word in general. The creation of knowledge in a form that will spread it to the masses is a noble profession.
Opportunities through Internship
On method frequently utilized by students to break into the publishing industry is to become an intern, allowing a potential future employee to get their foot in the door before even finishing college. It allows the entrants to gain and learn valuable skills and techniques from more seasoned professionals. The sales experience gained from exposure to the industry is invaluable to those who may even leave the publishing field for other industries where those skills are valuable. Being an intern does not pay well, if at all, in the monetary sense. Rather, the intern is being paid the knowledge of the industry, and contacts for future business. This will prove to be much more valuable in the future as the intern is moving on with their career.
Interns find themselves having to pick up a lot of the slack for regular employees, working as hard as a full time employee for the interns’ wages. It is in fact the case that the typical entry level employee earns less than $30,000 as a median annual salary. This one fact, combined with the competition to enter the world of publishing, illustrates the level of dedication and love for the job, seeing as there are typically more applicants as positions available. This also illustrates the benefit of internships, and their ability to create job opportunities for entry level applicants into the world of publishing. This compliments the internship's penchant for giving the interns a great set of skills for their future careers. The only downside to internships is that they are inappropriate for professionals who are changing their careers, seeing as internships are directed to college students and recent graduates.
When applying for a publishing position, sometimes it is an unusual background with skills that are not as typical that will allow you to get in the door for a job. Skills differing from those typically found in publishing employees add to the full capabilities of the firm, and can expand the firms reach and applicability to the industry. Since publishing tends to be a slow to change, slow to grow industry, the entry of fresh ideas can help to stimulate new directions, and can make the résumé of a new applicant jump out and be noticed. One such innovation that has aided the publishing industry is the adaptation of internet and electronic technologies. Producing content for blogs and electronic books enables a larger need in the industry for those with technical capabilities and graphic design. This leads to a need for applicants with a technical and graphic design experience, even if they do not have publishing experience. These innovations are what drive the publishing industry into new growth.
Just as with any other industry or business, what ensures that you get in for the interview is a good application, résumé, and cover letter. The cover letter especially will ensure that you make it past the initial review and that the reviewer will read the resume and bring you in for an interview. Many publishing firms will first read the cover letter, and because the position is a sales one primarily, it should be about selling yourself before the resume. One should advertise not only their skill set, but the same kind of fiery passion that compels individuals for working for less money than the norm. Communication skills, not just for speaking but also in writing, are very important.
Conclusion
The publishing world is constantly evolving thanks to fresh graduates and fresh new ideas coming in from the outside. People like these have a passion for the industry that keeps it thriving. Unfortunately, the industry is not growing as much as the employee base wanting to enter the industry. Come with a passion, a killer cover letter, and skills to take the publishing industry far.
