HarperCollins Publishers, Managing Editorial Assistant, New York, NY

I was required to have an internship in publishing as part of my master's program, so I used SpartanCareers to find my internship. I looked in other places as well (Internet search, job sites) until I found something that interested me at Pace Communications. I had never heard of Pace before my internship and did some research on the company. Pace is a custom magazine publishing company that works with big clients (Verizon, Wells Fargo, Southwest Airlines) to produce consumer magazines, both print and digital, as well as websites for companies like Four Seasons. I actually applied and interviewed for two different editorial internships at Pace and was turned down for both of them. However, they circulated my resume around to other departments and I was picked up by the Head of Digital Marketing.

My main responsibility was to write weekly blog posts on trends in digital publishing. I would look up news about various new digital eReaders, tablets, trends in how people are reading in digital formats, etc. Then I would write a post that would be published on the Pace website. I also helped with various projects as they came up, including data entry into a content management system, copyediting and fact checking, and other research and writing assignments. I worked about nine hours a week.

I was able to witness the daily ins and outs and goings on at a magazine publishing company and learn about the process, from beginning to end, of creating a magazine and getting it to consumers. I also learned a lot about the world of digital publishing. Since I wanted to go into publishing, this internship was especially helpful in exposing me to how publishers are responding to our digital world. I was able to get first-hand experience through my boss who was a wealth of information about digital publishing and about social media marketing, which was incredibly interesting and a useful set of skills.

I am currently working in New York City at HarperCollins Publishers, a prestigious book publishing company located right in midtown Manhattan. I work as the Managing Editorial Assistant for eBooks and audio books. Working with digital media at my internship certainly helped prepare me for the data management I perform on a daily basis at my job. It also gave me a better idea of the publishing process, even though I work with books instead of magazines.

I recommend using any and all resources you have. Network and make connections. Even if you don't get an internship right away, take all the interviews you can get. It helps for practice and getting your foot in the door. Ask other students, your advisors, and professors about the options—often they will be able to point you in the right direction. Once you're in an internship, meet as many people as you can since they will become new connections and can help you find a job after graduation.

<--Back to Internship Spotlight Main Page