OPPORTUNITIES
Gaining relevant experience is important in influencing your ability to get a graduate job. Here are a selection of ways to boost your CV in preparation for a career in publishing
Whilst this list is aimed at University of York students, much of this information is relevant to anyone with an interest in publishing.
Internships, Work Experience, and Paid Work
Doing an internship or work experience in publishing helps you gain valuable experience and help you decide whether a career in publishing is what you are interested in. Due to the current climate, many companies are not advertising their internships, so it is worth contacting publishers directly for more information.
The British Library has two locations, St Pancras, London and Boston Spa, West Yorkshire. They have paid internships, apprenticeships, work experience, and volunteers.
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The UK head office of Emerald Publishing is located in Bingley, West Yorkshire. They focus on digital academic publications and run paid summer internships and work placements.
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Through working at an independent bookstore rather than a chain allows you to have a closer relationship between the bookshop and the publisher. You can gain experience in selling books, learning what types of books do and don’t sell there, creating a more personal insight into the popularity of different books.
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Penguin Random House, who are based in and around London, offer 2 week work experience placements with a random selection process and pay the National Living Wage. On this placement you will be placed with the Marketing and Publicity, Sales, or Editorial team.​ To help with the cost of accommodation during work experience, Penguin Random House have links with The Spare Room Project and The Book Trade Charity to aid those on lower incomes and who live outside of London. They also run a summer internship program and a six month trainee-ship called The Scheme.
Volunteering
In regards to work experience, volunteering has its perks in that you can volunteer in your spare time, unlike the fixed time frame of a job or work experience.
Library volunteers help with the day to day running of a library and run events, the latter allows you to connect with visiting authors and publishers who may be helpful in giving advice and setting up connections.​
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Volunteering at a literary festival allows you to interact with both the public and the speakers, making connections and gaining experience in event management.
Whilst not selling new books, volunteering in a charity book store, such as Oxfam, helps in learning the types of books sell and don't sell and those that are frequently donated, giving recommendations to customers. You will also become experienced in categorising books quickly and fitting as many books on the back shelves as possible.
Mira Intelligent Read are a not-for-profit Community Interest Company based in Leeds who publish contemporary fiction and non-fiction with a focus on international literature. They employ volunteers who are interested in publishing, with several students on their current team.​
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Whilst at University
Student Media​​​
Writing or editing for a student media group can help you gain skills in writing for the public and in putting together a publication. Here is a selection of student run media groups at the University of York, check out your student union website for similar opportunities:
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Nouse
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The Lemon Press
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York Vision
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The York Historian
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HARDzine (fashion, art, culture)
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Exposure Magazine (film)
Becoming part of a literature or publishing based society can allow you to gain industry relevant experience whilst also meeting new people with similar interests. Here is a selection of relevant societies at the University of York:
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Inklings (Creative Writing Society)
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Literature Society
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Marketing and Advertising Society
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Print Society at Thin Ice Press
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The Looking Glass Anthology (publishing a creative writing anthology)
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