And the Cup Floweth Over

And the Cup Floweth Over

I can't hand out any magical recipes, but I can say that I think I'm finally seeing a return on all the sweat equity I've been putting forth, for it seems I have found the proper mixture of occupationally interesting ingredients at just the right time.

I'm happy to share that this week things in my neck of the woods have gone from crickets, to a grand cacophony. My resume is getting not just attention, but the right kind of attention, particularly in the children's publishing field I so desire to break into. My cover letters have lost what I can only describe as a stiffness, and I think I'd attribute that to the opportunities I've been applying to. Most recently there have been several openings in the exact job titles I'm seeking, and talking about my love for children's books and young readers alike just comes naturally. 

In addition to several upcoming job interviews (Oh yeah!), I've also been invited to participate in several part-time or remote internships, with an interview for another potential position next week. As if that isn't fabulous enough, I've also been getting some great referrals for my side business. (The one where I help literary professionals with everything from editing to marketing to writing and more.) If this dreamlike state continues, perhaps I'll even get the chance to pick from a handful of job offers, but I don't like to get ahead of myself. Really, I just wanted to share how good it feels to know that the hard work and the (wo)man hours I've been putting in are getting me results.

Passion, persistence and perseverance are my gold-medal traits this week, because without them I wouldn't be heading in this exciting and fun new direction. You can be sure I'll post any affirmative decisions, as well as the necessary shout-outs to friends and colleagues who have helped me along the way, as soon as I have 'em.

Until then...

~Michelle In Turn

How to Proceed

Good Afternoon All,

It's great to write to you on this beautiful Summer day. But, I have to admit, I have been running into a few challenges lately.

One of the challenges of changing careers is finding opportunities to freshen up, your repertoire that is. An interesting hiccup of trying to achieve this in publishing is that many of the internship opportunities I am seeking, particularly in the children's editorial field, will only take on "college students" for their internship programs.

Now, this is not because the publishing industry is ageist, nothing like that. It's because there are laws in place to protect workers from being taken advantage of. Laws that say when you work, you need to be compensated. But, since many publisher's don't want to shell out cash to pay their inexperienced interns, they shell out college credit instead. For an undergrad, this is a fantastic solution. However, for an experienced professional like myself, it's quite a road block.

The good news is that there are alternatives like taking on an internship at a literary internship, much like I did, or working for a newspaper or magazine. Again, great options, but my goal is to get IN HOUSE EXPERIENCE WITH A CHILDREN'S BOOK PUBLISHER. Hmmmm. On the one hand I have a great background that lends itself nicely to a career in publishing, however, on the other it's I have gained no in house experience that would make me more appealing to them.

As always, I will have to be creative and resourceful, and eek out ways to get around these silly little rules. If only I had a full-time entry-level position, then I could afford to take graduate-level publishing classes that would allow me to qualify for the internships. But with nearly $40K left in school loan debt from my previous career, it seems unwise to continue stacking on that pile. Perhaps I can find a relevant grant or scholarship? A good idea indeed...

~Michelle In Turn

Lessons from a Fortune Cookie

Every now and then I find a great statement that really inspires me inside one of those crispy little fortune cookies. When I do, I keep them in the little zippered pouch in my wallet until I have time to tape them onto my refrigerator so they stay fresh in my mind. One of the fortunes that has been helping me out over the last few weeks is:

Never stop. One always stops as soon as something is about to happen.

I can't say that I've been waiting for the right opportunity to come along, because that would imply that I've been sitting on my butt expecting employers to knock on my door, bearing gifts, and inviting me to join the ranks of their company.

No, I have not been waiting at all. I've been hitting the pavement, scheduling business lunches, joining groups, writing blogs, connecting with others via social media, scouring websites and job sites and articles about both established and up-and-coming publishing organizations. I've revised my resume, built an online presence, kept in touch with former employers and clients,  and written countless thoughtful and well-articulated cover letters.

Alas, the perfect job offer has not come my way...yet. The trickiest part about landing the right career is that it rarely comes easy. If you're sitting at home waiting for your new boss to show up, it's incredibly unlikely that you are ever going to meet. 

I must admit that it can be a bit disheartening to put so much time, energy, creativity and passion into a job search and come up empty handed– but that is by no means an excuse to give up. When you are determined to do something, to be something, or to say something, you simply keep pushing yourself until you've accomplished that aspiration.  If what you've done this far isn't working, try a new approach, learn a new skill, and keep working towards that end goal.

It always helps to have a strong supporter in your corner, and I'm blessed to have a fiance` who can always see the bright side of everything, and who has reminded me that in the past year I have:

1) Taken a HUGE risk in giving up my tenured, high-seniority position for a life passion.
2) Earned a scholarship to a creative writing program in Tuscany, where I wrote the full draft of a children's book for my nephew and created the illustrations for it.
3) Found a super part-time job to help me in my transition, and that bridged my love for teaching and for cooking by becoming a children's culinary school instructor. It was fun, it supported my local community, and helped me rekindle a passion for cooking that had been dormant for a while.
4) I took my first official step into the publishing world by working part-time at my local Barnes & Noble as a children's bookseller.
5) I landed an internship at a literary agency, and built a good initial understanding of the agency side of the industry, and honed my developmental editorial skills.
6) I started my own small business helping literary professionals with everything from editing their novels, to writing and launching social media campaigns and more.

And these are only the tangible acts I can put down on paper, it doesn't include the reading, the research, the networking etc. So, while at the moment it may feel like I'm treading water, I've really done a lot.

Next time you're feeling down, or like you're just never going to get a break, make a list of your accomplishments, and then flip that page over and make a list of small steps you can take to get you where you want to be. Then just start checking them off!

Best,
~Michelle In Turn