Emily
Location: Long Island, New York
Job Quest: Managing editor (aka production editor), copy chief or copy editor
I have worked on magazines and business newspapers for many years and have developed
excellent editing and managerial skills. I have served in reporting, editing, copyediting
and management positions. I value the teamwork involved in creating excellent publications
and put tremendous energy into my work. I enjoy being in the thick of the production
process, helping to anticipate and solve problems, editing stories, and proofreading and
copyfitting pages. If I’m supervising others, I like to lead by example and trust. If it’s
appropriate, I jump in wherever I’m needed.
My job preferences are to work as a managing editor (sometimes referred to as production
editor), copy chief, or copy editor.
My partner, who is also an editor, and I own our home on Long Island, within commuting
distance of New York City. My last full-time position was as managing editor of a
publication whose fortunes were tied to the Internet. After that publication was shut down
in late 2001, I began to look for work —
freelance or full-time. The situation grew more dire
two months later when my partner’s publication also folded. Now both bread winners were out
of work and vying for the same few jobs and use of the same computer. Two unemployment
checks did not begin to cover two Cobras, the mortgage, the designer cat food, and all other
household bills.
After roughly four months, my partner landed a job. That provided one steady paycheck;
health coverage for two, thanks to her company’s domestic-partner benefit; and a little less
competition for available jobs and the home computer. Thanks to friends, former colleagues,
acquaintances, and the unpredictable connections that come from networking, I have gotten a
fair amount of freelance work. I am finding that as one job ends, something else presents
itself before too long. I feel very lucky to have a couple of anchor accounts on which to
build.
Using networking to find a full-time job has proved very difficult. Most publications and
businesses hosting editorial departments are still cutting back rather than hiring. And many
of the people I know who might be in a position to hire are also out of work. I never
dreamed that finding a job would prove so difficult. At times I feel just as much an outcast
as I did when I first entered the job market as a twenty-something with no work experience.
Now I have plenty of experience, but nowhere to share it.
I have looked into changing careers, but all roads seem to lead me back to publishing,
specifically wordsmithing and project management.
What I miss about full-time work—aside from the steady pay and benefits, of course—is the
feeling of camaraderie, the feeling that I’m contributing to something great and that I can
make a difference. (Oops, I think I just revealed what lurks in the hearts of so many
cynical editors out there.) Against the odds, I remain optimistic that I’ll land a job where
I can put my energy and talent to good work.
Emily's Tales
