I remember when, a bushy-tailed 25-year-old, I came to New York and began a job search. Well, back up a bit, I had been searching for a job in NY for 3 months prior to my move, with no success. Waiting tables was out, I had done that already. So I bee-lined for publishing. After all, I have a Master’s Degree. In Philosophy. From Cambridge. I can parse anything; think critically; read fast, and write faster. I’d be a prime employee, right? Well, it took another 8 months before I landed this job at Cambridge; and during that time, I interned, without pay.
This was over 3 years ago, when growth was frantic and Bernie Madoff was still a minor prophet. So here we turn to one of our current interns, reflecting on searching for a job in even tougher times, in an industry seeing greater flux than ever before. What does it feel like now? Any advice from our readers?
When a B.A. feels like B.S
The struggle to land an entry-level position in a changing field and suffering economy
Madhu Rajaraman, Editorial Intern
It seems as though we did everything right. For the past four years, we toiled incessantly, isolating ourselves in the abyss of libraries for hours, sometimes even days at a time, with nothing more than some cans of Amp energy drink and a few textbooks to keep us company. Sure, we had our fun (college is college after all), but when finals week came around, every last ounce of time and energy was invested in one thing: the assurance that upon receiving that coveted piece of paper come May, our scrupulous efforts would not be in vain. Even so, after the last all-nighter has been pulled, the final beer pong tournament played, and tassels turned over to the left, the vast majority of us are faced with a harsh reality: it is near impossible to find a job these days. This reality is present all across the board as far as industries are concerned, but it is particularly challenging within the field of publishing. As the book business undergoes significant changes, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what the implications of these changes will be, both for the industry itself and for the recent graduates who seek to become a part of its workforce.
Publishing is an age-old business, and a trade heavily dependent on social change. The Press, as most of us know, was founded over four centuries ago. As literacy became widespread, the need for commercial printers and publishers grew accordingly. As long as there has been formal education, there has been a demand for the means of spreading this knowledge, and as our knowledge has evolved, so has the technology utilized in its circulation. So it comes as no surprise that publishing has gone from papyrus to typewriter to computer, and that in the modern age even traditional print is becoming increasingly web-based. With magazine and newspaper articles now easily accessible online, print media seems to be on the verge of extinction. Trade books and textbooks appear to be in somewhat higher demand, but even this is rapidly changing as the newest technologies replace print at a considerable pace. Amazon’s Kindle provides a compact digital medium to read what were up until now paperback novels, and even university instructors, especially in the scientific disciplines, are beginning to embrace the idea of the total digitalization of textbooks, so that they can be read on hand-held devices. So what does this mean for publishing, and consequently, for those seeking employment in the business, particularly during trying economic times where full-time work is already scarce as it is?
Recruiting new talent to join any industry is dependent on a number of factors, and perhaps the most important is the ability to keep up with the latest trends and advances that pertain to the field. Since we are amidst a great slew of technological transformations in publishing, it would appear most logical right now for companies to hire young graduates to fill entry-level positions. After all, we are a tech-savvy bunch in comparison to our predecessors, and because we don’t possess as much formal work experience as seasoned professionals do, are willing to work for less pay. However, this is surprisingly not the pattern present in today’s workplace. Many employers, in addition to laying off large amounts of workers, are getting rid of entry-level positions altogether and opting instead to place greater responsibility on incumbents with more experience. While this may be an effective quick-fix in the short-term, the enduring results will likely prove impractical for companies and job-seekers alike; a lose-lose situation.
Since we are amidst a great slew of technological transformations in publishing, it would appear most logical right now for companies to hire young graduates to fill entry-level positions.
According to the Department of Labor, the unemployment rate is highest for those in the 20-29 age group, a statistic that has risen considerably within the past year. While there are a lucky few grads who have managed to land positions and get their careers started immediately, most of us are either stuck with minimum-wage jobs normally reserved for high-school kids, or working for free (I myself am in my second summer as an intern here). Though this can be great for a few additional lines on the resumé and/or some pocket cash, it is only a matter of months before little things like student loans and health insurance start creeping up on us, and we are left unsure of how to deal.
Not only does the lack of entry-level positions out there affect us recent graduates; down the line it could potentially hinder the progress of publishing companies. As senior-level employees retire and the industry becomes increasingly innovative and dependent on technology and new media, there will inevitably be a need for people well-versed in these approaches. And who better to call upon than us, the generation of blogging, social networking sites, and an ever-continuing list of Web 2.0 and new media practices?
For now, the best we can do is keep searching for jobs, stay busy and productive in any way possible, and remain confident that things will pick up, and that we will eventually be given the opportunity to contribute to an industry rich in both history and innovation. Hopefully, that day comes sooner rather than later.
Madhu, you indirectly suggest that not hiring entry-level Gen Y publishing prospects might be a way to stave off the demise of the publishing industry. Do you think that since we gravitate towards Blackberries and Facebook like zombies to dinner, we are seen as hazardous and Other? When it comes down to hiring, an older, more experienced prospect represents publishing tradition: leafy, dusty, and heavy (Just kidding! Kindles get dusty too, and they’re probably clumsy bricks compared to what’s coming). Really, though, I have to wonder if press directors are secretly but consciously not hiring us since we’re so intrinsically partial towards technology and social media and also (because there are many older publishing employees adopting our new-fangled ways, anyway) since we by and large lack the life experience of sacrifice for something that’s worth a damn. My parents talk about living off fish sticks when they both were nudged out of the house after college, so they could 1) start a life together and 2) pay college loans. Many recent grads my age are choosing live at home for a year (or more) while working a paying job, even if it is Starbucks.
So maybe we’re not as tough. Maybe we would, before older employees, be the ones with jumpy hands, quick to aim at the printed book. But it’s safe to say that it’s the economy’s fault, just as it’s easy to putter and scheme when one is dubbed as a Veteran Intern (I haven’t sought out full-time positions where I am because I’m moving soon to attend grad school in the fall). I suppose, then, that this is our struggle: to prove our worth and our distinction. And, in the publishing world, we might also need to prove our dedication to that lovely, leafy, romantic thing that is the book.
JLeva: Lovin’ the books helps a whole bunch. E-books are rocketing to prominence, and everyone points to their explosive growth. *But* they’re still a small percentage of overall sales. You can buy our new books on just about any e-book format, but we still love the print!
As I indicated above, though, this is nothing new. My first job search took a year. It was demoralizing, but worth it. Entry-level positions in publishing are few, and always have been. Fortunately, my awesome internship boss put me in touch with the right person; a former co-worker now at Cambridge.
A degree never means you are entitled to a job. I think a lot of people in this country feel like they’re entitled to stuff and it needs to stop. Now that I have the benefit of hindsight, I see that I learned some valuable life lessons from those minimum wage jobs I took out of college when I had to deal with obnoxious coworkers blasting country music from their cubicle, guests who spat on me, and one of my employees being interviewed on site by two county sheriffs. Maybe I wasn’t using my degree, but I was learning to manage people and difficult situations… something employees who have been in positions for years know a helluva lot more about than tech-savvy n00bs.
If you look really closely at anyone’s job–be it a waitress, stock broker, or gas station attendee… there is humility to any profession. A degree doesn’t mean an easier life or posh position… not that I think this is being argued. So, I wouldn’t knock anything before trying it. It would be nice if the economy was great and we could bring on entry level people—seriously. But the economy isn’t great and people aren’t retiring and it’s wrong to lay people off just because they may not be up on all the new technology. In addition, I think it’s incorrect to assume people who aren’t fresh out of college don’t have a good grasp of “blogging, social networking sites, and an ever-continuing list of Web 2.0 and new media practices.”
JLeva- That’s a really good point, that perhaps we do have a lot more to prove than did the generation prior. We’ve been spoiled by technology, but at the same time gained a lot of skills because of it. While I certainly think that it is important to keep up with advances, I remain faithful to reading books in their traditional form…for as long as they’re around, at least! Hopefully a balance of progress and some faithfulness to tradition will help us prove our dedication to print, in whatever form it takes.
Laura- I wasn’t implying that we are entitled to anything; any job takes hard work and years of dedication. I was simply trying to point out the advantages that may possibly come from hiring recent grads. Also, after working several cashier and retail jobs in college, during which I constantly was faced with rude customers, I am not inexperienced in dealing with difficult people. It is just the scarcity of finding what we like to do, and most of the time having to settle for a while, that is disappointing yet necessary, and that’s what I was trying to get across. I wasn’t, by any means, trying to generalize, about our generation or any other.
I agree with a lot of what Madhu has to say, particularly at the beginning of her post. Like her, I thought I did everything right. Throughout college and graduate school I spent more time in the library than most of the people who worked there, agonized over assignments that probably didn’t warrant more than a hour’s attention, and made it a point to visit professors during their office hours just to get some face time in with the people who I thought would ultimately be determining my future. So, after earning two degrees from the same moderately prestigious university, I felt like I was a shoe-in for any job I wanted.
Not the case at all.
Instead, I was unemployed for 3 months following graduation and lived with my grandmother in the basement of the house I grew up in, which was great, but still a little embarrassing. The first job I landed was as a bouncer at a dive-bar in my hometown, which is not the exactly the ideal position for someone with a frame as delicate as mine. But hey, I needed the money. During this time, somewhere in between miraculously breaking up fights and trying to overcome the incredible sense of entitlement that five years in academia had instilled in me, I combed the internet for jobs and tried to expand my professional network as much as possible. It was hard, it was discouraging, and it was depressing. All of this was certainly not what I expected after graduating in the top 10% of my undergraduate and graduate classes.
Looking back on it now, I think I was a little too hard on myself when I graduated without any career prospects. In reality, most young people find themselves in a situation similar to mine after they finish college – maybe not the whole living with grandma part or becoming the least intimidating bouncer in history, but definitely struggling to find gainful employment.
The truth is that finding a job is exhausting in every sense of the word, especially when you’re passionate about something, like Madhu clearly is. But before suggesting that companies start laying off seasoned leadership and experienced professionals in order to make way for a generation of young people with a predilection for electronically publicizing every mundane development in their lives via Facebook and Twitter, it might be helpful to try to understand the counter argument: Right now, most companies, especially in publishing, are operating on a razor-thin budget, and it’s therefore in the companies’ best interest to retain experienced employees, most whom actively engage in social networking and stay abreast of the latest media trends, instead of trading them in for younger, marginally cheaper entry-level hires. I do, however, think that once the industry regains its footing, which I’m sure will be very soon, things will look up for the new batch of grads. I certainly hope so because I am one.
I don’t think that anyone is reinventing the wheel here. I have absolutely no experience with publishing, but how does not hiring younger kids hinder a publishing company? Find manuscript, contract author, print, deliver, right? Who wants some new punks who think they know everything and have zero work ethic. Why not hire people who have already ran the gauntlet for a decade. Some real workhorses. Also “tech savvy” kids are in abundance. You need to set yourself apart.
If there is more internet press for a book or more tweets about it on twitter it will not change my purchasing decisions. I feel like good books sell themselves. Any books I have purchased in the last decade have been by recommendation, or because they were referenced by an author I like. More tech savvy folks are not that clutch really. They’ll geek out all day instead of getting work done(me).
I ended up in New York on accident. I graduated in 2007, but was living in California with my dad. I came out to visit my mom over the 2007-2008 holidays and then she dropped it that i was staying out here. I having spent all my money over new years and whatnot, began to look for a job. It took me a few months and ended up in my position by default as they fired the previous person and I switched seats.
But some big things to consider that I now realize after receiving resumes for my firm every day.
Apply for jobs early in the morning.
Attach a one page resume as a .pdf
NO OBJECTIVE
Relevant Experience first – Education last
Keep it simple – no full sentences – no picture – no overly bold or italics or underlining
Keep the body short of your email.
Use an email that is your name, not some funny middle school one.
The job i have now i sent a six sentence email with my resume. Basically saying “I will be good at this and thank you for your time and consideration.”
If you show that you can handle whatever is thrown at you with a glass is half full attitude you will get a job. I have little or no sympathy for anyone. Take some time to prepare and then execute, and if it isn’t where you want to work then apply elsewhere. This is New York. Roll with the punches, there will be more of them.
I like Nick’s use of “clutch.”
Nick: Yeah, the tech savvy set are hard to pin down.
Sometimes when I’m working on a load of book campaigns, and keeping this blog up, I wonder how people can just keep cranking out their blog material (especially the people who consistently trot out the quality reading).
I have a lot of fun with this blog, but I work on other things too. I’ve had lots of friends who really do stare at Google Reader 5 hours a day.
Dont get discouraged! I just read a good book called The Power of Small. THey have some wonderful tips for social networking and good ways to keep it all from getting overwhelming.
Some people hit the nail on the head. An education is about learning NOT job preparation. Once you finish your formal schooling, you get a job and begin to learn all over.
A degree too often is a piece of paper that says you regurgitated what the professor wanted to hear. Doesn’t make you competent outside of academia.
Get off your high horse, start at the bottom and work your way up. Prove your competence in the real world.