[Jobs] "How to Find Publishing Industry Jobs"

[Everett Gavel]

Hello List,

There are a ton of good, useful tips in this article
that, despite it being geared towards those looking for
publishing-industry jobs, will help anyone looking for
a job.

To Your Success!
Everett
www.everettgavel.com



How to Find Publishing Industry Jobs
by John Hewitt, @ PoeWar.com  { 2004 11 11 }
www.poewar.com/how-to-find-publishing-industry-jobs/


People believe there is a secret to finding writing and
editing work. They are always asking me how to find a
job as a proofreader, a copy editor or any of a number
of publishing jobs. The truth is that finding a job in
this industry is very similar to finding work in any
industry. You have to be prepared. You have to be
assertive. You have to spend time, effort and even
money on your job search. There is no quick fix for a
job search.

The number of people who do not know the basics of
conducting a job search consistently surprises me. I
suppose that is one explanation for why so many people
give up. Therefore, I am providing this guide to
looking for work in the publishing industry. If any of
the steps seem particularly obvious to you, please
understand that some people just do not know these
things or for some reason believe that these things do
not apply to the publishing industry.

Note: There is very little difference between the
process of looking for full time employment and the
process of looking for freelance work. While freelance
writing is somewhat of a special case, freelance
editing and proofreading use much the same process as
regular employment. The main difference is that you
specify to publishers that you are looking for
freelance assignments.


Step One: Become Qualified

Many people who want to work in the publishing industry
don't have the qualifications. If you want to be a
proofreader, for example, it takes more than just a
belief that you are "good with grammar".

Research the field you intend to work in:
*   Buy the appropriate books.
*   Subscribe to any industry magazines you can find.
*   Visit and join professional groups within the
industry.
*   Take the appropriate classes.
*   Get a degree if you can.
*   Try to find one or more mentors in the field.


Unless you are actively working to make yourself the
best possible candidate for the job, you are going to
have trouble landing the job you want. If you are not
qualified for the job you want, consider seeking a job
for which you are qualified, but limit your
applications to the industry you hope to grow into.
Medium and large publishers employ a variety of support
personnel from secretaries to clerks to interns and
sales people. Once you are working in the industry in
any capacity, it is easier to build your career from
the inside than the outside.


Step Two: Demonstrate Your Qualifications

If you are qualified to look for a job in your field,
you must be able to prove it. This means you must
create a resume and a portfolio. There are entire books
about writing resumes, so I won't detail the process
here, but be sure your resume reflects the experience
that qualifies you for the job you are looking for.

While many people choose to use a resume service, I
believe it is better to learn how to write your own
resume. The reason is that you will want the option of
customizing your resume to individual job
opportunities. If a company is looking for a writer who
knows FrameMaker, you will want to make sure that you
feature that skill on your resume. If the next company
cares about HTML skills and does not ask for FrameMaker
skills, you will want to make changes again. When you
know what skills an employer is looking for, you need
to make sure your resume reflects those skills as much
as your qualifications will allow.

A writer or editor's portfolio is a collection of their
work samples. Again, the samples should reflect the job
you are looking for. If you are applying for an editor
job, you should have samples of the publications you
have edited in the past and be ready to demonstrate how
your work is reflected by those samples. A technical
writer would collect technical documents they have
worked on. A proofreader would bring in samples of the
text they have proofed.


Step Three: Research Employers

This is the step that most people try to skip over, and
that is why most job searches fail. It is possible to
find a job through newspaper or web site
advertisements. Feel free to use them as part of your
search.

Unfortunately, advertised jobs have the most
competition for them. The people who are willing to
pick up the phone and cold-call employers are more
likely to find a job. Before you call, however, you
should know the employer's background as much as
possible.

Make a list of publishers in your job search area.
While cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago and Los
Angeles have the greatest number of publishers, every
urban area has publishers and related companies:

*   Book publishers
*   Magazine publishers
*   Newspaper publishers
*   Technical publishers
*   Online publishers
*   Broadcasters
*   Advertising companies
*   Public relations firms


I live in a medium-sized city with about 500,000
residents. A quick search of the phone book under the
publisher headings turned up approximately 100
different publishers. I live within 90 miles of
another, larger city with 250 listed publishers. Not
every publisher will interest me in a job search, but
it would be easy to create a list of thirty or more
publishers I would like to know more about. I could
consult many more sources in my search than just the
phone book. Writer's Market, especially the online
edition, is easy to search through and provides all
sorts of details about publishers. Internet searches
are another possibility. You can also contact your
local chamber of commerce or Better Business Bureau for
information.

After you create a list of publishers to research, you
need to find out more about them. As mentioned, Writer'
s Market has many listings and good details but their
guide is far from exhaustive, especially for publishers
outside of the major cities. Web sites are another
valuable tool. Most companies have some sort of site
these days. Some publisher's sites will be extensive
and full of valuable information. They may even include
a jobs page. Other sites will be rudimentary and
frustrating to navigate. You cannot know how useful a
site will be until you investigate it.

Finally, you should contact the employer directly.
Because this step is only for research, and not to ask
for a job, you should make your request simple. E-mail
or phone the company and ask them to send any brochures
they have about their company and their services. Do
not feel you need to elaborate on why you want the
information. Simply make the request.

The key areas you will want to research are:

*   Services offered / types of publications
*   Potential contacts
*   Company size
*   Compatibility
*   Areas of specialty
*   Employment potential


Step Four: Call Employers

At this stage, you are actively seeking employment, but
you are also looking to develop contacts and form
relationships. This is why you must use the phone
rather than e-mail or regular mail. Mail is a passive
tool; the phone is an assertive tool. Sometimes, you
may want to visit a potential employer in person, but
that is a slower method because of travel time. In
addition, it is disheartening to get dressed up to
visit a potential employer only to find out that the
person is out-of-town or uninterested in talking to
you.

Publishing companies vary widely. Many small publishers
are one, two or three person operations. The person who
picks up the phone might be the person who can give you
a job or steer you toward an opportunity somewhere
else. At a larger company, there may be dozens or
hundreds of employees. This is where your preliminary
research can come in handy. Often, your preliminary
research will identify the person you want to contact.

One concern many people have is their ability to "get
past the secretary" and talk to the person who makes
decisions. While this may be true at some large
publishers, secretaries and receptionists are less
common than they used to be and call screening is not
as common a practice as most people fear. You may be
surprised at how often the person who can hire you
picks up the phone. Be polite and friendly, but not
overbearing. Let them know you are looking for work. If
they say they do not have any opportunities, ask them
for advice or connections. Some people will respond and
be helpful and some will not. Do not worry about the
unfriendly people. People who are unfriendly on the
phone are generally not good employers. Remember that
this is a weeding-out process for you as well. You do
not just want a job; you want to find the company that
is best for you.


Step Five: Master the Interview

Job interviews are grueling; there is no way to get
around it. You have to get dressed up, which generally
means looking at yourself in the mirror and wondering
if this is as good as you get. You have to answer
probing and sometimes stupid questions and find a way,
however difficult, to present yourself as the ideal
candidate. In some cases you have to face one person,
and in other cases you find yourself sitting across a
table from five or more people. The key is to be
yourself, but to be your best self. Do not lie or
exaggerate your skills, because unless you are a
terrific liar, they will see right through you anyway.
Be positive about your abilities, but feel free to
admit when an area is something you are not your best
in. An honest no will get you a better job than a
dishonest yes. A few things to remember:

*   Get a look at the place you are visiting in
advance, if you can.
*   Find out in advance how the people at the company
dress, and dress slightly better. Always be clean and
well groomed. Do not use cologne or perfume; just be
clean.
*   Bring your portfolio with you and be ready to
explain it in a positive way.
*   Demonstrate your knowledge of their company. Be
ready to explain why you want to work for them.
*   Remember the names of your interviewers and get a
business card from them if possible. You will need it
for the next step.
*   Ask when the interviewers plan to make a decision.


Step Six: Follow Up

Do not skip this step. Every step in this process is
important, but this one is how you close the deal. As
part of your job search, invest in a box of thank you
cards. As soon as you get out of your interview, write
a note on one of your thank you cards thanking them for
the interview and restating your interest in the job.
Drop it in the mail that day. Do not let yourself
forget.

Call the employer within three working days of your
interview. Thank them for the interview again and ask
them how the job search is progressing. If you have not
heard from the company by the date they said they
intend to hire someone, call again and ask if they have
made a decision. Many employers do not bother to call
and inform people that they didn't get a job, and it is
better to know as soon as possible if that is the case
so that you can move on.


Step Seven: Go Back to the Beginning

Until you get a job, you continually need to renew your
job search. After your initial research, try to contact
at least five potential employers each week. If you are
running out of possible employers, you need to expand
your search either by considering employers you passed
on before or by expanding your geographic search to
include new locations and markets.


Posted by John Hewitt on Thursday, November 11th, 2004,
at 12:10 pm, and filed under Writing. (at PoeWar.com)