Working in Publishing Day 2014

MA Publishing student Ionie Ince writes about her experience at the Working in Publishing Day (4 March) at the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies. The day started with workshops on applications, interviews, and prospecting for jobs, followed by an afternoon of speed-dating with professionals from a range of book, magazine and journal publishers. The afternoon ended with a talk from Joanna Prior, MD of Penguin General. The organizations in attendance included: Bloomsbury Publishing, Cambridge University Press, Hearst, Hodder & Stoughton, IPC Media, Osprey, Oxfam, Oxford University Press, Penguin, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley.

‘The last time the Buckley Building felt this busy was during enrolment and six months later, we're back, feeling equally nervous, but far better informed. Working In Publishing Day is one of the many highlights on the Brookes calendar: we've been eagerly anticipating it for weeks and it's clear to see why. The day starts off with extremely useful workshops; interview techniques, application letters and finding your unique selling points (USPs). This is particularly comforting to those of us who are apprehensive about our imminent entry into the “Real World”.

After a breather it's time to put some of those interview techniques into action – a good first impression matters after all! Our afternoon is split into 15-minute slots during which we speed-date with publishers. With roughly 45 professionals from 35 companies, the excitement in the room is palpable and infectious. It's brilliant to be able to talk to individuals with an inside perspective into the industry and, since we tailored our 'dates' to our interests, it provides a wealth of information. Networking in publishing is necessary for success and, if you're a little shy as I am, it can be a bit of a hurdle at first. Fortunately, those I spoke to were eager to talk about their work and experiences. It's especially comforting to learn that most of these professionals started out as students just like us. Who knows, in a few years we may be back, sitting on the other side of the table.’

Ionie Ince is an MA Digital Publishing student who has just started work experience with Angry Robot Books. She can be found on Twitter - @ionieSCULLY and would welcome the chance to chat about books.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 19 Mar 2014 around 2pm

Filed Under #Events | #Publishing