In the publishing field, there are many avenues that you could take to start you the path to success. The largest variety of positions for this field can be found in the sales and marketing, production and design or editorial departments. Because of the many different publishing media, newspapers, magazine, books, Internet, printing jobs, and publishing opportunities are wide open to those who would like to work in this industry. Many eager job hunters are finding links to the top careers in printing or publishing are listed online at job boards like Publishing Crossing.
The competition for jobs in the editorial departments of publishing houses is fierce, but if you have the talent and the drive, you can find these jobs and succeed beyond your wildest dreams. People who work in this field will write, edit, and research the materials that are published by the various businesses. To begin in this field you should look for a position as an editorial assistant or trainee. Your education will be a big part of the decision making when you are applying for one of these entry-level publishing jobs.
There are also marketing positions in the publishing business that are of interest to many prospective job applicants. These are extremely demanding positions for any entry level employee. Most employers will need you to dazzle them on an interview or show a positive track record before being hired for one of the available publishing or printing positions.
The first thing that you should do is make sure that your resume will be noticed when it crosses the desk of decision makers in this field. Chances are very good that the people who are responsible for filling these positions are bombarded by job seekers who are all interested in the same position as you. Because you are seeking a job in a publishing industry, an eye catching, professional resume is a must.
Your cover letter is the first thing that the potential employer will see when they are going through resumes. There are many potential applicants who do not give enough attention to this crucial part of their job seeking efforts. Do some research on the company that you are applying to and you may be able to catch the interest of the person who is presently going through resumes.
An employer will spend about two to four seconds on a cover letter, so yours will have to stand out in that very short period of time. If you have had a discussion about the job or have been referred by someone within the company, open your cover letter with that information. This is more likely to cause the recruiter or human resources person to continue to read the rest of your letter.
If you have not had any prior contact, begin your letter by mentioning an outstanding performance or success that you have just accomplished at your previous job. Make sure, however, that this bit of information is something relevant to the job for which you are now applying, and show how you can do the same thing for their company.
People who are reading resumes for a job in publishing will discard any resume that indicates in any way that you are not qualified for the job. This means that a carelessly written or typo filled resume will be bounced out quickly. Once you have gotten past this hurdle, it is time to concentrate on the actual contents of the resume. Remember that a resume is not the only thing that will land you the job, but it could well be the one thing that will get you in for an interview.
A well-planned resume not only shows your qualifications, it also shows that you are able to organize and display information in a clear and concise manner. This is a crucial qualification for work in the publishing field. Publishers and editors do not have a great deal of time, and if you can create a resume that allows them to focus in on your qualifications without having to read through every last word, it will be appreciated. Keep it brief, and display it in an outline format so that the employer can quickly skip to the areas that they are most interested in.
While your qualifications are still going to be the same for each job that you apply for, the employers and jobs will likely be different. Try to customize your resume for every individual position that you are seeking. Many people have a variety of resumes on file that they use for different job offers.
You should highlight a different part of your qualifications in each version of your resume to make it more effectively target that particular job. For example, if you are looking for an assistant editor position, highlight your journalism education and any editing work that you have done in the past. Even if the editing was done for your college newspaper, it is important to tailor your resume to the duties that you will be required to do.
For a job in the publishing field, you can expect to perform duties such as proofreading, editing, writing, and reading manuscripts. Your resume should be written to showcase and expound upon any of the duties that you have performed that let a prospective employer see your many skills.
