Publishing Editor - Materials & Nano
After spending several years in post-doctoral research and realising this was not the career for me, I was attracted to the Royal Society of Chemistry's Publishing Editor graduate programme as a way of staying close to science while developing my growing interests in written communication.
The assessment centre day was very well organised, with accommodation and travel expenses covered, and a big effort was made all round to make the attendees feel at ease. It was an interesting and enjoyable day, and I was pleasantly surprised to get a phone call the next week telling me I'd been successful! Although the Publishing Editor role is advertised as a graduate position, it is actually open to anyone with a science background looking to begin a new career in publishing.
Having previously written and reviewed scientific papers (including for Royal Society of Chemistry journals!), it was an enlightening experience to find myself on the other side of the peer review process as an editor. I began working on manuscripts under the very attentive and supportive supervision of my trainer. Working on the Materials teams has allowed me to apply my physics knowledge but also increased my chemistry knowledge a huge amount in lots of areas (I now know a lot about batteries!). I have taken on a number of additional responsibilities, including supporting our associate editors, commissioning cover artwork, and compiling journal issues.
When I first came to Cambridge I was able to rent one of the Royal Society of Chemistry's staff flats, which gave me time to find a suitable place to live and made the move a lot less stressful. The flats are also available for shorter bookings (e.g., for family visits) and are very helpful for staff moving to the area. The Royal Society of Chemistry also looks to help the local community and staff can apply to use a few working days a year to undertake voluntary work.
The Royal Society of Chemistry is a very open and friendly place to work, which is particularly apparent around Christmas when all staff enjoy the annual Christmas lunch at Kings College in Cambridge! I have learnt a lot in just one year, and it is great to work in such a varied role within a friendly and supportive team.
Matthew Blow is a Publishing Editor working in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Publishing Department. To see if there are any current vacancies go to 'RSC: Latest Vacancies' Blog or subscribe to 'RSC: Latest Vacancies' by Email