On Thursday, April 21st students were invited to visit Simon & Schuster. Students sat in on a panel of alumni of the Pace Publishing program who now are employed at Simon & Schuster.
The panel included: Angela Zurlo ’07 (Production Manager, Children’s), Natascha Morris ’13 (Editorial Assistant, Children’s-Atheneum), Tatyana Rosalia ’15 (Production Assistant, Children’s), Melanie Mitzman ’12 (Imprint Marketing Manager, Gallery/Pocket), Jisoo Leones ’13 (Sales Assistant, Client Communications), Ebony LaDelle ’10 (Marketing Manager, S&S), Ashley Stout ’12 (Director of Contract Systems & Data), and Clare McGlade ’12 (Production Editor-Managing Editorial, Children’s). Students were welcomed with free books and the panel was moderated by the head of Human Resources, Joy Bertran. Bertran asked the alumni a series of questions and then opened the floor to students. Below are some highlights.
Things Alumni Wish They Knew Before Their First Job:
- You are never going to stop learning!
- Be open to opportunities, learn from everything.
- Take as many different classes as you can, while you are a student.
Career Advice:
- Persevere hard for the job you want!
- Never undervalue the power of networking.
- Don’t burn any bridges, the publishing industry is small.
- Understand that if you’re really dedicated, you need to start from the bottom.
Applying for Jobs:
- Look for a job you Love.
- Make sure your resume matches the subject matter of the imprint you want to work for.
- Your cover letter is a writing sample. Don’t repeat what is already on your resume.
Students were very grateful for the opportunity to meet with the panel and ask questions about entering the industry. There were a mix of students in attendance ranging from undergraduate Pace students that are looking to enter the program and students currently in the M.S. in publishing program.
Students like Brittany Fuller, whose main interest is magazines, found the panel to be informative and enlightening when they discussed each job role and the many benefits and opportunities of working at Simon & Schuster.”It was great to hear from Pace students about their journey to Simon & Schuster, not to mention getting a whole bunch of books!” said Annie Rosa.
Jordan Forney is a Graduate Assistant for the M.S. in Publishing program at Pace University. She’s a proud alumnus of Seton Hill University and calls the United States Virgin Islands her home. If you need her you can find her typing away in the Pace publishing computer lab.