Getting an internship after you graduate May 15, 2012
Posted by Andrew Falconer in : Marketing, Publishing, career profiles, employability and skills , add a comment
Internships have traditionally been targetted at penultimate year students but increasingly graduates are seeing them as a useful means of gaining professional experience. Indeed The Careers Group has a specific internship programme open only to graduates.
At a recent conference for employers, the benefit of having a graduate internship was stressed by Middlesex University alumnus Abdul Ahad who undertook an opportunity with Dennis Publishing. Abdul had already undertaken paid positions in other organisations but decided that he needed a career, not just a job.
In this video Abdul explains to an audience of employers and professionals why he found his graduate internship so valuable.
Getting into Publishing and Writing February 6, 2012
Posted by Andrew Falconer in : Publishing, The Careers Group, entrepreneurship , 1 comment so far
Writing and publishing careers are linked but are seperate professions. A good writer will understand the publishing industry as a commissioning editor should understand their writers.
There are lots of career options in writing - from ad hoc articles for magazines, through novels to technical writing.
Likewise the publishing industry is varied with so many different roles and divisions.
On 21 February we are running a day course to introduce you to these career options and help you explore writing and publishing. Visit the course page for full details of the event and how to register to attend.
Our Top 10 Top Posts December 30, 2011
Posted by Andrew Falconer in : Languages, Law, Marketing, Marketing, Advertising & PR, Media, advertising and PR, arts administration, career profiles, city jobs, civil service, diversity, employability and skills, entrepreneurship , add a commentFrom creative CVs to interviewers wearing pjyamas, this blog has covered them all this year. When we write these posts we think about our target audience of University of London students, but are mindful that people all over the world access these pages and may need different things.
Many of the ideas for posts come from conversations with students. Issues such as being put off during a Skype interview because the interviewer was sitting on a bed in a hotel room wearing boxer shorts. Or navigating the graduate job market with a lower degree result than you were hoping for. Other posts come from campus workshops we facilitate, including my interest in LinkedIn and social media as a career development tool.
Whilst most of the (unpublished) comments are offering cheap viagra, instant Facebook fans or very personal cosmetic surgery, others have provided genuine debate on the issues. It’s nice to get comments and to be able to respond to such queries.
So here is our Top Ten Top Posts of 2011 based on readership, with a bonus 11 and 12 thrown in as a holiday special. Have a great New Year!
Our Careers: Bitesized in the Beeb December 15, 2011
Posted by Andrew Falconer in : Our Careers, Publishing , 2comments
The next post following the previous occupations of The Careers Group employees is from our Head of Content and Information, Lakshmi Hughes.
How do you get a job with the BBC within nine months of leaving university with a 2:2 in history?
Answer: You don’t… unless you have some luck, some passion and you’re prepared to put in some self-effort.
So luck first:
I had a family contact working in a CD-Rom Children’s publishing company. She needed some casual work so after university I was able to get some useful work experience and a small income. Here I learnt to do basic research, word processing skills and adjust to working a five-day week in an office.
The role was temporary so the clock was ticking to find a job. I had a vague idea about going into media but I wasn’t too sure how. I thought the only way people got jobs was through networking and word-of-mouth. I didn’t really understand how this worked so was very relieved when a friend had applied for (and got) a job advertised in The Guardian as a press officer at the National Theatre.
Shortly afterwards a role came up at the BBC looking for an online editorial assistant. The description looked interesting and matched some of my skills. I persuaded myself to apply and told myself that it was better to try and fail than not to try at all!
Following my interest:
The BBC job wanted a person with an interest in education and the internet.
I’d always loved learning and the children’s publishing house had learning outcomes for its products. I also had an addiction to BBC television. The internet was still new in the mid-nineties so my interest was based solely on a book called “The Virtual Community”. It described a digital network where people shared ideas and problems/solutions with others all over the world. It sounded amazing and something I wanted to work in.
I also realised electronic media was a less competitive area than mainstream television and that I stood a better chance of getting a “foot in the door”.
Self-effort:
It took a lot of time to fill out the application form. I concentrated most effort on the part about what made me suitable for the role and the previous employment sections. I weaved their words and requirements into these sections and highlighted the skills I had that met these.
When I got the news I had an interview I read through my application and found out more about the skills I didn’t have, such as HTML. I remember spending an afternoon in front of a computer trying to get to grips with it. I also splashed out on a suit for the interview.
Pre-interview test: my nerves were the real challenge, after much crossing out I finished the task!
At the interview three people quizzed me. After putting me at ease I was able to answer the questions spontaneously.
Outcome:
I got the job and was given an amazing opportunity to work with intelligent, skilful people for the next 15 years. I never stopped learning and worked on some extraordinary projects including setting up a Schools Online service GCSE Bitesize, BBC Four online and even the BBC Homepage.
If you are interested in careers within the media sector, our Facebook page has lots of useful information. We also have hundreds of resources on Careers Tagged. Specific information about the BBC can also be found on Careers Tagged.
Publishing is about life August 10, 2011
Posted by Andrew Falconer in : Publishing , add a comment
Every year students at Royal Holloway, University of London can attend the high profile campus event Creative Careers. As the name suggests the event features careers in the creative sectors and alumni share their experience and give advice to students. One of the problems in the creative industries is actually knowing what they are. It isn’t perhaps the most useful term in that suggests other industries aren’t creative, or that all roles within the industry are, by default, creative.
Careers Advisers see a lot of students interested in working in publishing. For some it is about literature and writing, about editing and improving on somebody else’s work. For others it might be about the glamour and prestige of working in a publishing house. But it isn’t all like the role Kate Winslet played in The Holiday and Ugly Betty is not necessarily the most realistic portrayal of the industry.
Our online resource Careers Tagged has lots of useful information about publishing and the different roles available. What does a commissioning editor do? With so few graduate schems in publishing, how do you break into it? The resources on Careers Tagged have been pulled together to give you an easy to access research tool to help you see where you might fit in.
Possibly one of the most useful resources on there is the Society of Young Publishers. They run events throughout the year which are great opportunities to meet others interested in the industry and hear from those who have made it their career. The Society is no longer just for the young but for anybody keen to develop their understanding of this diverse profession.
Roles in publishing – video profiles March 14, 2011
Posted by TCG Info in : Media , add a commentYou know how it is, you click on one link on Youtube and before you know it you’ve lost an hour watching the related videos… Well from looking at one video on publishing careers, I found a whole array of job profile videos, many for early career roles, that give a nice introduction to what the roles involve.
(And for more details about these kinds of jobs in publishing, make sure you read the Skillset and Prospects written profiles too)
Bloomsbury Publishing
- Editorial Assistant
- Publicity Assistant
- Managing Editor
- Paperbacks Editor
- Rights and Contracts Executive
- Online Marketing Manager
- Operations Manager, Information Systems Department
Pearson
Penguin
- Getting into Publishing presentation
Random House (International)
Bertelsmann (Germany)
Videos in English
- Manager Business Cooperations
- Group Advertisement Director
- Business Manager New Media
- Corporate Audit
New Facebook pages – Careers in the Media and SICS September 30, 2009
Posted by Helen Curry in : Media , 1 comment so farJust like buses, none for ages then suddenly two at once:
Careers in the Media
This page is for anyone interested in a career in Television, Radio, Film, Journalism or Publishing. It will be updated regularly with jobs (for students and graduates, mostly in London), links to other opportunities and resources, and careers tips from employers.
If you post up any questions you have or feedback, one of our advisers or information officers will get back to you.
SICS: Specialist Institutions’ Careers Service
This page is for users of the SICS services, undergraduates, postgraduates and research staff from the following institutions:
Birkbeck, University of London; Heythrop College; The Institute of Cancer Research; Institute of Education; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Marine Biological Station, Millport; Royal Veterinary College; School of Advanced Study; School of Pharmacy; St George’s, University of London; University of London Institute in Paris.
It has information about the service, careers advice sessions and upcoming events. Again, if you have any questions about SICS you can post them here.
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