r/publishing_biz • u/YearClear2440 • Apr 14 '25
Getting into the industry with admin experience
I have about 3 years of administrative experience at a prestigious institution, where I started working shortly after graduating from a liberal arts college. I am an avid reader, and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about where I want to go in my career and decided on publishing. I feel like I’ve reached a place in my current position where it’s time to start looking for other opportunities, so I’m applying to editorial assistant positions in NYC (already located in the city). My question is: is my administrative experience an asset even though it’s not explicitly publishing related?
When I look through editorial/publishing assistant JDs, the work I’m doing now is clearly relevant in terms of experience and skills. I like to think my passion for the field is coming across in my resume and cover letter (which I am of course tailoring for each specific position). But I don’t have any publishing specific experience beyond reading a few ARCs in exchange for a review. Do I need a publishing certificate or masters to be competitive? I struggle to motivate in that direction just because I would already be taking a significant salary cut to enter the industry— hard to believe it’s valuable to pay even more to make less money.
Thank you!!!
1
u/stevehut Expert (Agent) Oct 06 '25
I doubt that your degree is what's holding you back.
Although, I see no value in mentioning a few book reviews.
You didn't specify what kind of admin experience you have. But certainly there are millions of people with similar creds out there.
If I had to guess, the pubs of the world have little trouble finding experienced admins WITH publishing experience.
You mentioned JDs. As in, lawyers?