From Macmillan to Mentorship: Career Readiness at Girls Write Now

Last week Macmillan employees across Editorial, Sales, Marketing, Publicity, and other departments came together to give tips to the Girls Write Now community about what it takes to get a book into the hands of bookworms—and to break into the publishing industry.

In true Girls Write Now style, the chat began with a Heart-warmer—a prompt meant to get to know one another and spark conversation: “What book are you most excited about?” Attendees responded with titles across genres and connected over mutual favorites before Macmillan employees started sharing about their professional journeys. Then attendees joined speakers in breakout rooms to talk further and ask all of their burning questions about the publishing industry.

Speakers included Carin Siegfried: Field Sales Rep, Trade Sales; Kelly Stone: Associate Editor, St. Martin’s Publishing Group; Elishia Merricks: Producer, Macmillan Audio; Audrey Diestelkamp: Executive Director, Marketing, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; Sarah Crudele: Assistant, Permissions; Alexei Esikoff: Senior Managing Editor, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; Patricia Rivera: Associate Manager, Communications; and Sarah Bode, Associate Director of Marketing for Henry Holt and Co.

As Macmillan’s speakers can attest to, finding your niche can be difficult and confusing. And getting your start, can be overwhelming—from crafting resumes and cover letters, to nailing down interviews, and sifting through the thousands of job listings…Alright, deep breath! We’ve got good news: this summer Girls Write Now is offering Career Exploration: From Searching to Securing the Position, a Journey meant to give you the tools to land your dream job (and, of course, figure out what your dream job is in the first place)!

This Journey provides a strategic roadmap for navigating the modern workforce, moving from self-discovery to landing the position. You will begin by identifying your unique strengths, interests, and skills, before diving into the practical mechanics of a job/internship search, including where to find opportunities, what application tracking looks like, and how to level up your abilities. Through hands-on workshops and mentorship, you will learn to dissect job descriptions and tailor your resume and cover letter to meet industry standards. The experience culminates in job interview training and a networking event, ensuring you emerge with a polished professional toolkit and the confidence to connect with industry leaders. Learn more about our Career Journey today.