The Education Business Blog

What is the best way to break into education publishing? If you are young and starting out what launching pads set you up well for a career in the world of instructional materials and software?

I'm bullish in the industry and think we are in one of the most creative and fascinating eras as traditional print publishing blends with digital production and distribution. There is going to be a huge amount of disruption but there will be an enormous amount of opportunity in the midst of all the changes.

In the first part of this series I focused on the best ways to prepare and organize your search. Today I turn the focus on what kinds of jobs industry entrants should consider.

Print or Software? (both!)

Digitization is hitting instructional content full force but books are not going away any time soon. The cost of equipping every student with a tablet or laptop is still prohibitive (despite the bleating of the hardware companies).

For this reason seek a blended tech/print publisher rather than a pure tech or print play. Print and software are built using two very different paradigms - each of which has a lot to teach a newcomer. Learning how to work with both will set you up for the long haul.

Company Size

When I started out in the mid '80's I was told to get operating experience at a large company. At the time this was a sound approach - big companies had the resources to invest in new people that smaller companies didn't and seeing well developed processes deployed at scale was a solid base.

In the age of agile development and a market in the midst of disruptive change I don't think that advice holds. Most of the big companies are thrashing around trying to find a strategy that will hold. While there is still a great deal to be learned in a large publishing house I'm not sure I would start there today.

As the bigs have consolidated over the past 5 years many of their best people have fled to smaller companies where the politics and uncertainty are more in their control. If you are looking for good mentors (and you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you - right?) then you can find them there.

More importantly the small companies can react nimbly to the changes going on around them. In eras of disruptive change the big organisms die off and smaller ones fill their niches (to become tomorrow's giants).

Go International

Education publishing is globalizing but until recently it has been a very parochial business - companies were organized around serving specific nations. Culture and politics still play a huge role in what materials get selected and produce a drag on the pace of globalization. But the long money at places like Pearson and HMH is on a fully global industry (HMH's slogan is "Your Global Education Services Provider").

Because the industry has been so fractured there are few people with experience who know how to work the international side of things. This creates an opportunity for new people who have taught overseas or who are willing to take on the unknown.

Even if the job you start in isn't international in scope be sure the company you are talking to is engaging internationally.

Jobs To Consider

I polled a table full of industry veteran executives on what jobs they would want to start in today if they were in your shoes. Here are some ideas - but don't limit yourself to them. As I stated in my last post companies hire people to solve problems - your goal is to find a problem that you have some basic aptitude for regardless of the title.

Sales - There is no better way to understand how a business really works than to go out and sell. When I started in the Cable TV industry in the early '80's I was filled with idealism about arts and political programming. Knocking on doors taught me that people just wanted more sports, more reruns, and more movies.

A few seasons selling to schools will help you understand the real reasons buying decisions are made and exactly how they are organized. If you are going to be in the sausage business you really do want to know how it is made.

Consulting - Most education companies have a sales role called "Consultant." In this context it really means a former educator who can go toe to toe with the educators on the other side of the table. It is an essential role and one that former teachers and administrators are uniquely qualified for. Also, if you think asking for the order is icky this may be a good way to get your sales experience.

Consultants travel a lot - you will learn to love your local airport.

Customer Service - This is another great entry spot, particularly if travel is not your cup of tea. Spending your days talking to customers is as good a grounding in the realities of the business as Sales.

In particular Customer Service gets an up front and close look at the systems that power the business. In an era of data driven decision making that is critical experience.

Teach - You should consider a couple of years in the classroom. I'm a bit of an anomaly in the business in that my experience was teaching Japanese businessmen English for half a year. Most senior people in education started as teachers and many went on to be administrators before crossing over.

But there is an interesting and potentially better approach available to today's initiates. Seek out one of the many virtual school organizations and teach on-line. This is going to be a critical component of the product mix for all publishers going forward and understanding what works and what doesn't in this environment will make you more effective.

While you are teaching seek out publishing companies and see if you can get on an advisory board for new products or act as a part time writer. Many people use this approach to get into editorial. It gives both sides the opportunity to get to know each other.

Other jobs to consider if your skills bend that way are Marketing Support, Business Analyst, and Editorial Support.

Purchasing, Finance, and Operations are essential areas - but the skills in these departments are generally transferable between industries rather than specific to education publishing.

If you already have a foundation in one of these areas and burn to enter this particular industry they are great places to get your foot in the door. But if you are starting out with the specific goal of getting into ed publishing I'd recommend one of the other positions listed above.

Summary

Taking the time to learn the craft early will pay off in spades as you build your career. Resist the urge to skip steps, the most important of which is working directly with customers (or being one...).

Even if you have a burning desire to do something very specific - editing, coding, selling - you will probably benefit from filling some of the other roles in an education publishing operation first. There is no substitute for boots on the ground experience.

Welcome, we need you!

(read Part 1 here)

How do you find a job in education publishing or technology?

Recently I was asked for my thoughts on entering our industry by a mid-twenties alum of my high school. In the course of the conversation I found myself getting re-excited by all the great prospects in our industry. It also spurred me to turn my own experience over and reflect on what worked for me 25 years ago when I was in his shoes.

I'm grateful I was asked to help because it brought my focus back to why we do what we do.

My thoughts on this fall into two categories. Today I'll share a couple of timeless ideas for a job search that I've seen work. In the next installment I'll delve into where the interesting opportunities are today and where I'd look if I were just starting out.

Any Job Search - Any Time

Odds are you will find a great job through networking. Monster or more traditional means can help you frame a search but the best jobs surface inside of networks of influence. Your focus should be on accessing those networks. The following tips are the most essential to this process.

Focus on Skills Not On Job Title

Take the time to look at where your particular talents are and have ready examples for proof. Don't say "I want to be an Editor." Do say "I enjoy bringing order to chaos - and here are two examples of how I've done that..."

An interviewer knows you want to be in their business - you are looking for a job after all - what they want to discover is how you will add value to the organization. You do that through your unique talents and your challenge is to bring those into high relief.

In my case I'd taken an eclectic path (street musician, camp counselor, entrepreneur, credit manager, sales, trainee). Early on most of us have this kind of wandering profile. Teasing the common threads out so that you can articulate them takes work.

We are usually oblivious to our greatest talents because we just see it as "how I do things." It wasn't until I'd sat down with "Where Do I Go From Here With My Life" that I learned how to do this. I wrote a 100 page "job autobiography" and then went hunting for common threads. When I was done I'd baked it down to three key bullets that showed how I had added value in every situation I'd been in.

Most people try to cast a wide net in search of "a job." The problem is that most companies don't have "jobs" lying around - they have problems they need to solve. To solve them they want people with the right aptitude and skills to address them. Which leads to the next point.

Be As Specific As You Can Be

The more clarity you have about precisely what you want to do the more successful your search will be. This sounds counterintuitive to many job seekers - which is part of why it works. You will stand out.

The truth is that other than industries populated by sociopaths* most people empathize with those looking for work and want to help. But you need to give them a clear idea of how they can help. A general statement that you want to be employed doesn't help them. The more specific you can be the easier it is for them to understand how to tap their network of influence to assist you.

How should you be specific? If you are doing a informational interview know the industry and general problem set you are interested in. If you are interviewing for a particular job don't focus on the job title - focus on the problems that the person doing the job is expected to deal with and how you are suited for that. Don't say "I'd like to be a Sales Rep." Do say "As we've discussed I have a passion for helping kids learn which is why I want to leverage those skills to reach more learners through education technology. My classroom experience gives me a leg up on the real problems teachers are wrestling with..."

What's The Worst They Can Say - No?

A job search is fundamentally a sales job. When you have your product knowledge down (see above) it then becomes a numbers game. The more people you talk to the closer you get to finding the right opportunity. But reaching out to strangers takes some guts.

Even when you know or think someone has a position I recommend asking for an informational interview. Until you meet them and vice versa the fit remains unclear. If you are not right for them but they are impressed with you they will direct you elsewhere in their network.

A respectful request for help in your search will meet with a wide variety of responses. Some will ignore you completely, some will refuse, but enough will make 30 or 60 minutes available to chat with you that it will work over time.

It is hard not to take the rejection personally - but the reality is that the people you want to be talking to are often extremely busy and your approach just didn't rise above the radar level for them. It really isn't personal so don't take it that way (or find a another way to reach them).

And remember - victory in any interview is at least two more contacts. Reward yourself when you accomplish this.

Putting It Together

Developing a clear idea of how you add value with a precise statement of what you want to be doing will add jet fuel to a job search. Your clarity of how you add value and the precision of your goals will make you stand out in a very crowded field. The reaction of people you meet will be along the lines of "wow - this person has some great skills and a strong sense of purpose and I'd like to help them - I know how to help them."

Finally - Go Outside And Play With the Dog

I love the prayer "God - make me half the man my dog thinks I am." A job search can be a soul leeching experience. In my time I've found that 5-6 hours a day focused on it is all I can productively handle. A little of the lemonade you can make from being out of work is finding time to enjoy your family and hobbies. This will recharge your batteries and keep your focus on what is most meaningful in this world.

Exercise is important - those endorphins make you feel better and you need all of that you can get. I've been in the best shape of my life when looking for work - largely because I spent 90 minutes at the gym mid afternoon 3-4 days a week. It was essential to my sanity.

Next Up

Where would I look in Education Publishing and Technology if I was starting out today.

READ PART 2 HERE

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* Investment Banking and Politics come to mind....

Image credit - Jessica Hagy at Indexed

Do you have a bright idea for new education business? Today's guest post is from the team over at the Zell/Lurie Institute's Social Media Fund. Note that the deadline for submission is February 18th - shake out those fingers and warm up the keyboard.

By Darrin Nagengast

The Social Venture Fund at the University of Michigan is one of the world's first student-run venture capital firms focused on supporting social entrepreneurs. We've been covered in the Wall Street Journal and Businessweek and are currently looking to make an investment of up to $250,000in a groundbreaking social enterprise.

In particular, our Education Circle is excited to review business plans focused on disrupting the traditional frameworks in K-12 education and work force development. In addition to having sustainable and scalable business models capable of delivering financial returns, these enterprises should have direct social impact that targets: improving student outcomes, closing achievement gaps, and improving education about and access to post-secondary and employment opportunities.

The circle will be initially focused on the following areas:
• Learning aids and technology in and out of the classroom
• Solutions to enhance the learning environment
• Human capital solutions
• Information and data management systems
• Holistic solutions to effect student health, mind and/or body
• Engagement, empowerment and increased participation of student stakeholders, e.g., teachers, parents, mentors

While we are interested in plans that meet the criteria above submissions are not limited to this scope if you feel you have relevant and outstanding idea.


Entrepreneurs interested in being considered for funding should send a copy of their business plans to svfeducation@umich.edu by February 18th, 2011.

Social media mirrors the dynamic features of a natural ecosystem. Which niche you are going to fill? Here are four examples with loving snarkitude - feel free to add more in comments.

Hamsters constantly post small updates on every aspect of their life. Favorite habitats are Twitter and Facebook. They eat any small scrap of feedback up. Want to know what they had for dinner or what their kids did this afternoon? They will be spinning along on their wheel of self-absorption assuming the whole world is fascinated. If you are a dear friend or a family member I might be interested in this - in small doses. If you are an acquaintance - not so much.

Owls save their powder for long blog posts on their theory of life - posting infrequently but weighing down your RSS reader with dense prose. Favorite habitats are Blogger or their own bespoke blog. They eat spam comments by the barrel and sustain themselves on the infrequent genuine comment that validates their sense of importance. They sit on the Internet's roof and hoot out who, how, and why? But really - why?

Frogs eat small meals all day long, hop around a lot, and don't contribute much. They are quite flexible in habitat - able to survive in almost any media environment that has a steady stream of content. In search of sustenance they will be constantly moving between services scanning and clicking but never adding much to the conversation. Someone has to eat all those flies - but just remember what they flies themselves eat.

Hyenas are scavengers who constantly rebroadcast others' content. Their habitats are YouTube, Scribd and other environments where pirated content flows freely. They eat the sweat of other people, adding a snarky sentence or two as needed. Copyright law is for suckers. The Lion King had their number.

Ostriches assume this whole thing is a fad and stick to their paper address book. Favorite habitat is the 1970's. They eat Filofax pages and any bad news about social media. Most reporters at traditional media are Ostriches. Or Dodos. Extinction looms.
Most of us move around a bit - particularly as our social media perspective matures. Many people start as Hamsters and over time move to Owls or Frogs. Some dive in - discover they don't like it one bit - and revert to Ostrich-hood.

Look at your own on-line interactions and assess which of these profiles you most resemble. Then ask if it is consistent with your values or if it is something you slipped into as a habit? You can evolve.