PRACTICAL SKILLS
If you're attending The Get Into Publishing Festival, we'll assume you all share a common goal - to start, discover or develop your career in the industry! To do this isn't easy! This part of our festival is designed to give the tips, tricks and advice to those applying for roles - with the aim to give you the best possible chance of securing your dream job!
SATURDAY 21st AUGUST
CV Speed Dating Workshop
10am-4pm - (The Business Centre)
Overseen by Melanie Tansey, HR Director at Hachette UK
Lead by HR Director Melanie Tansey alongside her predecessor Dominic Mahony, this interactive workshop will offer you 1-1 time with HR professionals who know what makes a successful CV! Around all day all visitors are free to pop in whenever they wish and get some personal advice about their CV! Whether you are preparing to apply for a job in publishing for the first time, or you are a few applications into your career - our professionals can tell you what they look for in a wonderful application!
Melanie Tansey joined Hachette in 2018, having previously lead tech firms and creatives as a director. She has previously worked as the Group HR Director at ITN.
Preparing for a Career (A Lecture)
2pm-3pm - (The Great Hall)
Presented by Jakes Hodges, Junior Editor at Orion, Hachette
Junior Editor Jake Hodges talks openly about the skills he prioritised learning before joining the industry, and the knowledge he developed that he felt was most beneficial to him once he did make it to his desired role! Jake will take questions from the audience as well as touching on his usage of Twitter to build a connection to the industry, his research of particular publishing houses and imprints, as well as learning about specific techniques within editing or producing marketing campaigns.
Jake Hodges started his publishing career as an intern at PRH's Vintage imprint, and later began a full-time role with them in the editorial department. After working as an assistant for 2 years, Jake moved over to Orion where he took the Junior Editor spot.
SUNDAY 22nd AUGUST
Routes into Publishing (A Panel)
1pm-3pm - (The Auditorium)
Panelled by 10 industry professionals from those who work in Rights to Editorial, Cover Design to Metadata!
Everyone in publishing that you talk to will tell you how they got to where they are in their careers, and believe me, they will all be completely different! From those people who sent out hundreds of applications before they finally got that winning interview, or those that knew someone who knew someone else! Even those who say they were in the right place at the right time, we'll talk with you through the possible ways to make your dreams a reality!
Top 10 Interview Hacks (A Lecture)
2:30pm-3:30 - (The Great Hall)
Presented by Val Garside, HR Director at Penguin Random House
There are always dos and don'ts in interviews - but knowing specifics within your chosen industry is always a good thing! These tips will not apply in every single interview with every single publisher - but you definitely cannot lose out by hearing someone as experienced as Val talk about the 10 things she would advise you consider when preparing and executing an interview! For beginners or those who are looking for a career or role change!
Val Garside began her publishing career at Penguin Random House in the HR team, and having been there for five years she is now the HR Director.
Making the Most of your Time in the Industry (A Lecture)
5-6pm - (Members Room)
Presented by David Barker and Cat Mitchell, Lecturers in Publishing and ex-publishing insiders!
So, you've made it into one of the most competitive industries. You passed those scary first interviews, and you're where you've been aiming to get to. But, now what? How do you make the most of this time and progress? David and Cat have many years of experience between them, working at the UK's biggest publishing houses in both London and New York, they discuss how to make friends, stay calm and enjoy yourself in what are about to be wonderful years working on books!
David Barker worked at Continuum, later part of Bloomsbury, as an editorial director for many years before becoming the publishing director of Bloomsbury Academic.
Cat Mitchell began her publishing career at the infamous Michael Joseph as a publicity assistant, and after making a big impact on those around her, she moved over to Vintage, before finally moving over to Penguin General as a Campaigns Officer.