Hello folks,
It has been a while since I last rambled on about anything really, mainly because between balancing two jobs, charity work, a German course, and something of a social life, I just haven’t really had the time.
That’s not to say that I do have the time right now. But my crappy laptop, of which I’ve been the un-proud owner for just over two years, appears to have staged its own 48-hour protest and will not let me access any of my work. And, right now, The Scheme 2016 is on my mind like an over-played pop song.
Quick recap for those of you who have been out of the Penguin Random House loop. Last year was the first year that any major UK publishing house had offered a longer term paid internship in their offices. Not only are The Scheme finalists paid well, they are given an insight into publishing that you can’t get from a textbook or a degree certificate. They are thrown into the deep-end of publishing with a lot of support. In addition to this, The Scheme does not ask for your education level; Neil Morrison and the HR team just want to know that you’re committed and can bring something different to the table.
It has been my dream for many years to write and publish my own book, the main issue with this being that I barely have time to write my own signature let alone a couple of hundred pages. Don’t get me wrong, there are countless first chapters of unfinished stories lying around my life, the most recent having been written one morning at 3am on the back of a Halifax bank envelope. My second dream, something which became more of a reality this time last year, was to work for a publishing house, namely Penguin Random House. I could be happy there, among the books and the authors and the marketing events.
So who can believe my luck when, just a few months before I’m set to graduate, PRH release the application details for their brand new, so very exciting new 12 month internship. A chance to work with some of the greatest authors and most experienced publishers in the centre of London. A chance to bring your own ideas to the table, and to really engage with social media on a national level. A generous pay and annual leave scheme. And, above all, a chance to realise the closest I have to a lifelong dream.
The application process excited me. Unlike many other job roles, PRH didn’t want to see your AQA GCSE certificates or your outdated CV. Heck, they didn’t even care if I’d been to university. They wanted the real you, to see past the paperwork and the fancy buzz words that someone told you needed to be fitted into your ten-line personal statement. They wanted to see your creativity, to see the life you’re living now and how this shapes you everyday, to know who inspires you, who motivates you to get up and go. Where does your enthusiasm come from? Where do you see yourself in five years? They needed authenticity.
Pretty soon, of the thousands of applications sent in, we were whittled down to 48 wonderful applicants, all ready and waiting to become the marketing extraordinaires of th next 12 months. The pressure was on. The next stage was a video interview, except nobody was on the other end of the screen. The questions came thick and fast, and there was very little time to prepare. But of course this was the case, because given the time to prepare, I would have made up anything to sell my experiences. As it happens, my responses were natural (and nervous, and stumbling, and awkward). I came out of the interview with three main thoughts.
- How lucky I would be to make it through to the next stage after that catastrophe!
- How awful my voice sounded through my laptop microphone.
- How the ‘sound-proof’ self study rooms in the silent section of the University of York library were in no way sound proof, and if anything, accentuated my voice.
In spite of all of this, I made it to the final 20 (which turned into the final 19 once someone dropped out?!). I was sent a hamper of PRH gifts and goodies, and invited down to London for a two day selection process (all expenses paid). PRH did not do anything by halves. We spent the first day learning all about the company and each of the different imprints. We asked questions, travelled around London in a minibus, had dinner with the team, and retreated to a wonderful hotel on the South Bank. The second day was full of interview activities including a group project, pitching exercises, and an hour long interview. It was nerve-wracking and exhilarating and tiring all in one, but by the time I was on the train home, I was full to the brim with love for and in awe of the company. I also had a headache.
One of the most rewarding parts of this process was being able to meet the other finalists. As expected, we all turned out to be very similar, very interesting people. One of the schemers was a published author, another worked in sales, two people had only just finished college. The finalists came from as far as Canada and Brighton. Four finalists were chosen from our group of 19. And from what I’ve heard, they have had an incredible time so far, full of all the promised adventures.
A year later, I’m now in the position where I’ve been working at the hospital for a year and this is a galaxy away from the life I would have led in London. I was ready for this opportunity a year ago. I was in the zone, had spent a lot of time on my blogging and social media, and I was determined as anyone. I made it to the final stages by taking it step by step, and letting my raw enthusiasm show.
You don’t have to be the most academic, they don’t ask how far you got in the Duke of Edinburgh Award (Gold, by the way), nobody is asking to see a degree certificate. They don’t even ask you for your name to begin with. The Scheme is about you and your love for all things publishing. The Scheme is about you and your relationship with the world around you, with social media. The Scheme is about what motivates you, what excites you.
So if any of what I have said sounds appealing and you share my dream, then go for it! Apply for The Scheme 2016 and see how far you get. Even if you leave the process early, you leave with a little more awareness of yourself and of what you want in life, and nobody can ask for more than that. What are you waiting for?
#TheScheme2016
14.03.2016
PS, stay tuned are there might be a blog appearing with some important info I’d like to share!
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