Alumni - Cleo Favaretto, MA Publishing Media

When I started on the MA programme in Publishing Media, my life suddenly turned into a rollercoaster of emotions and events. Every day has been different from the previous one, with so many opportunities to meet new people and live new experiences that now that I think about it, almost ten months later, I still find it hard to believe how much has happened.

The programme is intense in a positive way and gives a 360° insight into all the different aspects of publishing, from its various departments such as editorial, marketing and production, to different sectors of the industry, from trade to academic and educational, involving the latest developments in digital and audio publishing. Another amazing aspect is that the course is held in high regard by the UK industry, and this makes it an incredible springboard for your career.

When I applied for the MA and received the FLTRP scholarship, I hoped this meant I was in the right place, and this turned out to be the case. I had the chance to visit various book fairs, from Frankfurt to Bologna, and to volunteer at the London Book Fair. The Oxford International Centre for Publishing has many links with Oxford and London associations such as the Oxford Publishing Society and the Society of Young Publishers, and it is often the central hub for interesting conferences, which are amazing opportunities to network and to receive feedback from people in the industry, both about jobs and about coursework.

In October, I applied for a year-long editorial internship at Ebury, a non-fiction imprint of Penguin Random House, and I got the job! For the past few months I have commuted to London one day a week, and it has been the best thing that could ever happen to me! The one piece of advice I would give is to look for internships and work experience; the course is very practical and useful, but the best way to absorb the load of information is to see it come to life in a real office, and Brookes gives you plenty of opportunities to find your perfect match, or to explore the industry if you are not sure about your dream role just yet.

Posted on 30 Jul 2018 around 10am