This week is #WorkInPublishing Week, a national campaign run by the Publishers' Association to inspire young people aged 14-24 to pursue a career in publishing.
To mark the week, some of our colleagues have told us what attracted them to a career in academic publishing and why they enjoy working at IOP Publishing.
Craig Brownhill, Managment Accountant
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
My greatest motivation for joining the IOP Publishing finance team was the knowledge that our efforts within the publishing entity support the learned society, the IOP, with their mission to broaden the appeal of Physics and inspire everyone to build their knowledge through numerous outreach programmes.
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
I most enjoy the warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere at IOP Publishing. I'm able to realise my full potential, whilst working within a highly collaborative environment with talented and motivated colleagues who are all working towards achieving the company's strategic goals.
Anita Dallasta, Finance and Adminstration Manager
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
My route into academic publishing is not typical, I don't have a traditional publishing career. I had the opportunity to to work at a commercial publisher where I spent over a decade before joining IOP Publishing where I've also been for over ten years too.
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
I'm proud to work at IOP Publishing. It is rewarding knowing that we publish important scientific information; that we partner with authors, academic institutions and business all over the world; and that the profits are used for the advancement of Physics. I believe our mission has attracted great people and that IOP Publishing is committed to investing in those people.
Amy Jin, Library Marketing Manager Asia
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
I enjoy working with people with brilliant minds, sharing and bringing their ideas to the world and connecting people with amazing thoughts and knowledge. I think academic publishing is a very inspiring and challenging way to engage with the process.
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
As a global publisher, IOP Publishing has been developing strategies for different regions and different cultures, and that has been reflected in the growing employee numbers in these areas. My multicultural and multilingual background helps me work with colleagues and customers across the globe. I enjoy working at IOP Publishing where my knowledge and experience can be maximized, and I'm very proud to be contributing to its continued growth.
Lucy Loftus, Senior Application Support Analyst
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
I studied Chemistry at University but also had taken English at A-level and worked in libraries to support my studies. Academic Publishing was a perfect match for the things I was interested in. I am motivated by the fact that what we publish original research that contributes to the wealth of human knowledge. I work in the Peer Review IT team and take pride in the fact that I am directly involved in supporting the proliferation of high quality science content worldwide.
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
IOP Publishing is a great company to work for. Our profits are directly fed back into Physics. We are part of the community we serve, which gives the organisation greater insight into our customer's needs. The work is interesting and varied and the senior management team are fully committed to making sure the every single employee shares their vision. I love the people I work with - IOP Publishing is very good at identifying and retaining talented, creative people. 2020 has been difficult for so many people, but I have been really impressed by the resilience and professionalism of IOP Publishing employees. I feel privileged to work at such a great company.
Tom Miller, Publisher
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
I really enjoy meeting and having conversations with some of the leading figures in applied physics and knowing we commission and publish high-quality research in the journal excites me. It is the breadth of fields and their communities I get to engage with from plasma science to energy applications. I also really enjoy developing our excellent roadmaps programme and getting involved in the editing of these unique and popular articles.
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
The people! I work with a fantastic team of highly professional publishers, editors and academics who are dedicated to ensuring we publish some of the best work in the physical sciences. I also find the wide variety of tasks offered by my role as publisher incredibly interesting too.
Sophie Nuttall, Assistant Publisher
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
From the outside, publishing can appear to be an inaccessible industry whose doors are only open to those with access to relevant internships or with the right connections. Fortunately at IOPP, there is a focus on having applicable skills and competencies rather than solely having specific publishing experience. I was successful, and I have been lucky enough to hold 3 roles at the company: Editorial Assistant, Publishing Coordinator and finally Assistant Publisher.
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
One thing I like in particular about IOP Publishing is the culture. It is forward-thinking and progressive both towards its employees and the communities it serves. There is a clear commitment to employee personal development and career progression.
Holly Purcell, Senior Library Account Developer
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
I didn't know anything about academic publishing when I applied for my first role at IOP Publishing. I was a new graduate and after being told my degree had 'marketing written all over it', I thought I would explore that idea and came across an advert for a Marketing Assistant at IOP Publishing. Once I joined and understood the values of the business, I was really glad to be part of a company that puts scientific progression at the heart of everything it does and gift aids profits to support the scientific community.
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
Definitely the people! I'm sure most IOP Publishing staff would say the same thing, but to be surrounded by people who know their field of expertise inside out is a great motivator, and the pace of change across the industry means there's always something new to learn. The travel opportunities are a real bonus too, and I enjoy meeting our customers in new, exciting places (hopefully we'll get a chance to see them again soon!).
Gabriel Shen, Research Communications Manager
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
Working with leading researchers from across the world and knowing the progress they have made is quite fascinating to me and I feel privileged to be helping them disseminate their work. I believe there is lots of potential to support the academic field in China as .
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
I'm very proud to be part of IOP Publishing as a learned society publisher, working with many leading researchers in the field of physics. I really enjoy the interpersonal relationship and culture – although I'm based in Beijing, I have a very close working relationship with my colleagues in Bristol.
Louise Swinson-Davis, Associate Editor
What attracted you to a career in academic publishing?
Initially I had considered a career in trade publishing. It was at a publishing career talk at university that I started to think about academic publishing as an option. One of its strongest appeals is working on innovative research that can drive progress and have a global impact.
What do you enjoy about working at IOP Publishing?
One of my favourite things about working at IOP Publishing is engaging with academic communities about peer review and research integrity. I've worked with some wonderful and driven colleagues, and have had many opportunities for personal learning and career development.
