Clare Cutting - internship with Harper Collins, Glasgow
Clare Cutting, a third year Modern Languages student, secured an internship with Harper Collins in Glasgow. We spoke to Clare and her supervisor, Gavin Gray (Editor) about their experiences this summer within the Language Content Team.
I found this opportunity through Careers Network and it sounded perfect as it would allow me to use my language skills, develop my interest in grammar and build my knowledge of language publishing. As I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a career, I thought this would be a good opportunity to see if this type of work interested me.
I helped to project manage the proofreading stage of a large English-Chinese dictionary. During my internship, I developed so many skills. These ranged from practical skills, such as learning new software programs, through to developing interpersonal skills such as effective communication.
I was given responsibility from the start of my role. I was able to liaise with a range of colleagues and they always showed an interest in what I was doing. Above all, I would say that my growth in confidence has been the biggest change and this internship has really made me believe that I will be able to survive in the real world after university! I really enjoyed my time with Collins and I would now consider a role within publishing.
I would advise students to use Careers Network and their Careers Connect website to look for opportunities. They have so many ideas for work experience that I never would have thought of before. It’s an invaluable source!
Throughout her internship, Clare had to work closely with a team of freelance proofreaders who work from their own homes. Clare was in charge of sending out files to these proofreaders and agreeing return dates and fees. Although – as a student of French and German – Clare had no previous experience of Chinese, her linguistic understanding and sensitivity to translation issues meant that she very quickly got up to speed on what was required of her.
As well as her language skills, Clare’s IT skills were key to her success. She proved to be a highly competent and confident individual who excelled at everything that was asked of her.
With a heritage stretching back nearly 200 years, HarperCollins is one of the world's foremost English-language publishers. HarperCollins is proud to publish prize–winners and international giants, rising stars and home-grown heroes, chart toppers and cult favourites as well as many of the world’s most trusted education and reference brands. In 2012, HarperCollins won the prestigious Publisher of the Year Award at the Bookseller Industry Awards.
For more information about HarperCollins, please visit: www.harpercollins.co.uk