Hi all,

the starting point for this topic was an email exchange between Maxine Clarke and me. We thought it could be a useful to share it with others in my position (would be editor, currently working at the bench), and hopefully to bring some more editors to answer these questions too!

Here are my questions:

1. Which skills would you look for in an applicant?

2. Especially, are there any that most interns don’t have, and how do they obtain them eventually?

3. A related questions i guess, or just a different way of phrasing the above: what can i do to prepare myself towards an internship as an assistant editor?

To which i would add:

4. Which training would you recommend?

Here is Maxine’s answer (questions 1-3):

To prepare yourself I think it is useful to network (as you are doing by attending Source Event and being on Nature Network, for example), and also try to do some related work of some kind. For example, some people enter competitions (eg Daily Telegraph young science writer, Nature Jobs graduate journal), or get pieces published freelance, or have a blog or website to showcase their work, or work on a small publication (eg student newspaper), or do a course for some relevant skill, or other. In short, think of ways to demonstrate your interest in science and the publishing process. And I know this sounds obvious, but if you are offered an interview at one of the Nature journals, I suggest you read a few issues of the journal, and take a look around its website (eg “about the journal” and “information” pages), first. You would be amazed at how many candidates do not do this, and then can’t answer interview questions (eg to nominate and describe a recent article that the candidate has enjoyed).

Enjoy!