I haven't posted for a while but it's not neglect, I was busy at a two week work placement with TQMI, a management consultancy.
My main role was to write some content for the website by interviewing the consultants and writing what they said up into articles. But they were all out consulting a lot of the time so I also helped do some market research, looking at how the competition use their websites and social media in an effort to improve how TQMI use theirs.
While this wasn't a strictly publishing placement, I had a really good time and I learnt a lot that I can bring to publishing. Apart from the market research I did and the skills that taught me (very transferable), I learnt a lot from talking to the consultants.
I mean a lot of what they said went a bit over my head as jargon but once I got past that and got into it I really feel I benefited from it. I learnt about the key things a business needs to do do be formally recognised as excellent. I learnt about how to set up a business, how to keep up with constant change, the importance of an engaged staff and the principles and ethics behind good business. "Great but that's still not publishing" I hear vaguely cross your mind but as they have drummed into us from day one on the course - publishing is a business. So these business skills, yeah they aren't going to help me edit a manuscript, but they will help me get the most out of my work and the people around me.
So overall a very busy and very interesting 2 weeks. But I will admit, I'm ready to get out of the world of business development engagement processes and back to books. Simple, lovely books.
My main role was to write some content for the website by interviewing the consultants and writing what they said up into articles. But they were all out consulting a lot of the time so I also helped do some market research, looking at how the competition use their websites and social media in an effort to improve how TQMI use theirs.
While this wasn't a strictly publishing placement, I had a really good time and I learnt a lot that I can bring to publishing. Apart from the market research I did and the skills that taught me (very transferable), I learnt a lot from talking to the consultants.
I mean a lot of what they said went a bit over my head as jargon but once I got past that and got into it I really feel I benefited from it. I learnt about the key things a business needs to do do be formally recognised as excellent. I learnt about how to set up a business, how to keep up with constant change, the importance of an engaged staff and the principles and ethics behind good business. "Great but that's still not publishing" I hear vaguely cross your mind but as they have drummed into us from day one on the course - publishing is a business. So these business skills, yeah they aren't going to help me edit a manuscript, but they will help me get the most out of my work and the people around me.
So overall a very busy and very interesting 2 weeks. But I will admit, I'm ready to get out of the world of business development engagement processes and back to books. Simple, lovely books.
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