Getting Into Print: Jobs in the Publishing Industry

Graduates from universities throughout the United Kingdom are on the hunt for jobs right out of school. The job hunt can be a difficult process, considering many graduates are still in the process of determining what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Often, graduates need to look at their skill sets, their interests, and the most interesting jobs on their list in order to get their fit in the professional door. Graduates who have writing ability, a knack for creativity, and the ability to work hard in a competitive field should consider the publishing industry.

Publishing houses throughout the United Kingdom offer a variety of positions for graduates interested in the industry. Communications or art graduates can get involved in cover and book design for educational textbooks at a small university publisher. Sales graduates and advertising professionals can break into the publishing industry by working on promotions for a large magazine publisher. Editors, copywriters, indexers, and other positions are open in publishing houses big and small for interested graduates.

While there are plenty of publishing houses and printers throughout the United Kingdom, the job market is particularly tight. The Internet has made the self publishing process more accessibly to writers, who market their own materials to consumers and bypass the publishing process. As well, the market for fiction and nonfiction works has always been competitive and has required top notch talents at publishing houses. The qualifications needed to break into entry level publishing positions have gone up over the last decade, with many graduates opting to go into other professions.

As with any pursuit in life, competition is a sign of important work being done by the competitors. Graduates should not be deterred by the high barriers to entry for the publishing industry because there are plenty of ways to circumvent the traditional application process. There is an abundance of UK recruiting firms that offer connections to publishers and take the pressure of marketing applicants off of the graduate applicant. Graduates should also consider temporary publishing projects and internships at their ideal publishing house, as this will give them the valuable experience sought after by employers.

Graduates will see an increase in publishing positions over the next decade, due to the need for technologically savvy professionals to help bring the publishing world on the Web. The average salary of entry level editors ranges from 22,000 to 38,000 pounds per year, depending on the size of publisher. As well, graduates can receive great benefits, interesting advancement opportunities, and free books for their home library.

Rupal Patel is the Marketing Manager at JustClick, who are a leading source of Graduate Jobs and Graduate Careers, also offering a Graduate Lifestyles portal with news and reviews on current affairs.