How to get experience within the publishing industry

The publishing industry is a tough one to crack (though what industry isn't when you're a millenial ... I mean?!?!). When I first told everyone about wanting to get into publishing, so many people told me to give up the dream, because it wasn't going to happen. But guess what, I worked my butt off for years and I finally got my dream job.
Getting experience is so hard, so I thought I'd chat about all the things that both myself and friends working their way into the industry have done to give us a little boost to finally secure that full time graduate work. 
One thing that I really wish I'd done earlier is work out exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to go into publishing for ages, but I didn't realise what a wide variety of jobs there are in the industry: from editing, to marketing, to illustrating, there's so much to choose from. I've always been more intrigued by the editorial side of things, and that's what I've pursued. But, what I also didn't realise is that it really matters what you get your experience in. If all of your experience is with adult non-fiction publishing, for example, it's very hard to transfer into kids' fiction. This is where things get really tough. I always thought as long as I got editorial experience, that I'd be sorted, but it's not the case. All of my experience is in academic publishing, so that's where I've ended up, and I'm loving it now I'm here, but for a while I was so distraught that I didn't end up in any kind of fiction publishing.
So, let's actually get onto what you're all here for. Experience. It's there, and it's possible, but it can be hard, especially when nepotism doesn't work in your favour (I mean, c'mon, why couldn't I have had a cousin in Penguin??). First up, join the SYP. They advertise a whole load of jobs going in the industry and hold regular conferences to talk about getting into publishing and changes that are going on at the moment. You have to buy a membership, but it's worth it in my opinion to see all the jobs in one place, and be able to gain some important contacts. 
Next up, start hunting. I started searching at my uni itself. Get involved with a school newspaper: there's marketing, different editorial sectors to get into, sub editing, and photography too. It's a good way to show that you really want to get into publishing, it's not *too* time consuming, and you can try out a few different things to see what you really enjoy. I wrote for mine too to start building up a writing portfolio, which can help show that you're capable if you want to get into the editorial side of things.
Look at university societies, get on board with their marketing/editorial needs and get some experience that way. There are also usually a few job fairs a year. Go to these, chat to any publishers present in person, and get an idea of what they want from applicants.
Next up: search local. Look at local publishers/newspapers in your home and/or university town. Enquire about any internship or shadowing positions. They're likely to be unpaid, but if you do this early on, whilst you're still at uni, it's a good chance to spend a few weeks getting involved in the industry. I hate the idea of unpaid internships or summer positions as much as anybody, but sometimes it's what you've got to do to get your foot in the door.
Then: go global. Hear me out on this. Get freelancing. Search on twitter for jobs you can do at home, or in your local area. I found the job that the majority of my experience came from on Twitter, and I honestly would not be where I am without it. There are so many fab accounts that post/retweet jobs and publishing events going on. A few of my faves have to be: @jobsinbooks,  @pubjobsuk and @publishingjobs. There are so many accounts out there, and some of the bigger publishing houses like Penguin and Hachette have whole accounts dedicated to their careers sector. There are a whole other ways to find freelance publishing jobs, but Twitter is definitely a good start.
Finally, talk to careers advisors at your uni, or head to a recruitment branch. Talk about what you want to do and find out what you need, or what you can do to get there. With a good amount of experience behind you, it can and will happen, but it takes a while. I feel like I totally lucked out on some of my experience, but I really did work hard at securing it, and I hope chatting about some of the ways I did is helpful.
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What is it really like to work in a Wetherspoons?

I'm gonna kick start this by saying that I genuinely loved the time I spent working in a Wetherspoons. Everything is going to be a lil bit tongue-in-cheek in this post, and there's no malice intended behind my words. Also, it's not a weird Kopparberg spon, I just figured this post would be a fab excuse to buy one of my favourite ciders 'for the blog', ya know?
So, working at Wetherspoons was my first job post-uni, aka my first job as a degree holder. I'd never worked in a pub or restaurant before and honestly thought I'd hate the whole thing. But I loved it. It was hella stressful, and filled with long hours, but it was so sociable and relatively responsibility-free that I found it a (mostly) enjoyable experience.

Let's get to the nitty gritty of it. It's not as easy as it looks. They don't just let you loose serving alcohol all day when you start; you have to go for an all day training course before you do anything, and continue to do online training whilst you work there. Compared to a whole lot of other pubs you could work in, Wetherspoons are surprisingly strict. Just putting it out there, but a Spoonie knows what they're talking about when it comes to products. 

In case of a random inspection (which happens weekly), you have to know how to perfectly serve every single drink available, which glass it needs to go in, how much ice you need, etc etc. You even need to have things perfect down to the bottle facing the customer. It makes you disciplined and ensures that you know exactly what you're doing, so make sure you respect your server. 

Knowing what you're doing makes it even MORE frustrating when you get the customer that yells 'can you even pour a pint'. Because yes, you can. There's a whole bunch of things that can go wrong when you're pouring that are pretty uncontrollable, and sometimes a bad pint is unavoidable. But heckling isn't. Just don't do it. You're never going to get served a shoddy pint so just stahp. 
Before I worked there, I would never have thought this, but Wetherspoons pubs are hella clean in comparison to a LOT of other places. The close down routine at night is tough, takes forever, and makes you lose a bit of your soul each day. BUT, it's thorough. And this goes for the kitchens as well as bars. 
Yes, you start to question your decision to work there when you're well on your way to a twelve hour shift and you've just broken another glass because who doesn't get sloppy when you're tired? But a cheeky bit of takeout on your way home kinda solves all those problems.
I always thought that you'd face the real alcoholics as the day started to wind down, but that's definitely not the case. It's the men that come in every morning and wait at the bar until the clock ticks over to nine so that you can serve them their pint. This was the only part of the job that I really found upsetting, because drinking a pint of Rattler at 9am is not okay, and neither is insisting that your pint gets poured at 8:59 so you can hand over your money and start drinking at exactly 9. 
I learnt a whole lot whilst working there, but the scariest thing was that there's a special kind of 'sick sand' that exists in the world. It soaks up the liquid in sick, turning everything into lumpy sand so that you can sweep it up. We didn't have to use it very often, but the couple of times that we did were bad, sad days. The second worst thing I learnt was definitely that working in a pub on a hangover is never okay. Especially when someone orders a round of sambuca at 2pm and you have to pour the shots out. Not. Alright.
There's so much involved in being a Spoonie, and I honestly think everyone should have to give it a go to understand how unacceptable your behaviour can be, and why you should give someone that's clearly working hard to help you a break. From the 80 year old that asked me to wipe his bottom (of his glass) every day, to the guy that threw a pint of beer all over my manager at midday, there's always a strange one in the crowd, but there are some absolute gems of regular customers, that I really was sad to leave.
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Dealing with weight gain part nine: getting a desk job

In all honesty, when I initially decided I'd write this a few months back, I hoped that I'd be writing all about how good things have been for my weight gain, and how I felt a lot better about myself. But things have taken a different turn to my idealised version of events, and today I'm talking about the reality of things.

I FINALLY got my dream job

I've got some pretty exciting news to share with you all, and I'm sure you've guessed what it is from the title by now, but I just wanted to touch base on this one. I love discussing things I'm passionate about on my blog - that's what it's really here for - and this is something that I feel so intense about. I've spoken briefly about it here and there, but basically, after months of fruitless searching, I finally landed myself the kind of job I've been dreaming about since I was 15.

10 Interview Tips for Anxiety Sufferers

 

If you suffer from anxiety, you'll know just how crippling it can truly be, especially in high stress situations. I personally find that my anxiety is worst when I'm forced to leave the house and in social situations in which I don't know the other individual(s). Obviously this isn't ideal for interviews. However, I've had to do so many since I graduated last June that I'm *sort of* coming to terms with them, and finding ways in which I can reduce the impact of my anxiety on their outcome. Today I'm going to share these with you, and I really hope they provide some comfort!
Remember to take everything I say here with a pinch of salt: these tips do wonders for my pre-interview anxiety, but if they don't help you, that's totally okay. Even though they can be really painful (I've been tempted to cancel my attendance more than once), sadly the more you do the more you become accustomed to what works for you. I've even made you guys a little video with my top five tips here:

Without further ado, here are my ten interview tips for people who suffer from anxiety:

1.) Prepare everything the night before. If your clothes need ironing, do it now. Plan your outfit, pack your bag and have everything you need sorted. Then, if the worst happens and you miss your alarm, or hit snooze too many times, everything is ready for you to grab in a rush.

2.) Create a route to your interview destination. I'm always endlessly worried about turning up late to an interview, and this basically results in me turning up a sweaty mess (grim). Creating a route on Google Maps, or something similar, the night before means you know exactly where you're going and how long it ought to take.

3.) Leave early. This follows on from tip two - if there's a traffic jam, an accident, or your train is delayed and you haven't left any time for maneouvre, then your anxiety is probably going to skyrocket. Leave some leeway and you're sure to turn up on time. 

4.) Arrive punctually. This might seem to be the exact same thing as the last point, but it's not. You should really try not to turn up too early, as it can disturb your interviewer from their work, and it looks a tad unprofessional. If you are early, pop to a nearby coffee shop, bring a book and calm down a little before heading over.

5.) Save a contact number for the company/interviewer into your phone and write it down on a piece of paper. Although the internet is pretty much everywhere nowadays, if something goes wrong, and you're going to be late, it's helpful to have a contact number handy so that you can warn the interviewer.

6.) Make sure you have everything you need with you. I would recommend bringing some ID and your National Insurance card as well as any other paperwork they have asked for. Alongside this, a pen, some paper and a bottle of water are also really handy. Again, sort this out the night before so that you don't have to stress about finding it on the day.

7.) Have some 'me time' the night before. For me, this involves using a face mask, watching Netflix and changing into my PJs early, but whatever floats your boat is all good. If pampering is your thing, have a peek at my top 5 anti-anxiety beauty products for some inspiration.

8.) Look up common questions for the type of interview you are heading to and practice them. Write out answers, or practice how you would verbally respond. Then *fingers crossed* not all of the questions fired at you will shock you.

9.) Keep your body language positive. Yes, you may be a wreck on the inside, but smiling and giving a firm handshake go a mile. Ultimately, the interviewer just wants to see if you are appropriate for their job, and it never hurts to be friendly.

10.) Finally, remember to breathe. Do a couple of breathing exercises before you go in, and these will help you to reach a place of calm. 

I really hope these tips were useful - what would you add to the list?

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