Work in Publishing Week: Technology

Curious about publishing, but want to find out what it’s really like? Who better to share with you what a career is like at Penguin Random House than the people doing these jobs?

During Work in Publishing Week, our colleagues from Marketing, Design, Technology, Production, Publicity, Editorial, Sales and Distribution will share their insights. We’ll also be giving tips from our Resourcing team about how to make your application stand out.

Yesterday we spoke to Amy about Design, and today we’re talking to Callum Ring about Technology. Callum is a Junior Security Analyst:

Hi, I’m Callum Ring; I work within the Security Operations team.

I originally signed up as an apprentice. My apprenticeship recruiter spoke to me about Penguin Random House, and I recognised the name immediately and upon some more thorough Googling, found out my whole childhood of Puffin and Ladybird books were a part of Penguin. The interview was a great success and I was offered the job the following day!

Fast Forward two years later, and I’m furthering my career in Security Operations.

Hi Callum, could you tell us one thing that would surprise people about your job?

I think the most surprising things about being a Security Analyst is how community and people-focused it is. On face value, “Security Analyst” sounds very techy and you may imagine someone who hides away in a corner and stays very isolated, but in reality, it is the complete opposite! Don’t get me wrong you still need to know your stuff and have an interest in technology, however, the reality is that a lot of the work we do involves other teams and we rely on other people’s support to ensure that we are doing our job properly. If I were to stay isolated and become the stereotypical IT person, I wouldn’t get anywhere near as much done. The Security community as a whole is very social too and this means that there is always a conference or summit going on somewhere, the majority of which are all really useful.

What skills do you need to work in Technology?

There are a number of things that I think make up a good Security/Cyber Security analyst. I think you need to have a vested interest in technology, not just isolated to a single company – The same issues that affect us are happening all over the world, so keeping an eye out on technology across the globe is very important. Next, a good foundation always helps – I worked within Penguin’s 2^nd line support team for around 18 months before making my move so I understand how the Technology and infrastructure within our business works as I have worked on it for a long period of time. I think understanding the way your company works is really important too! There are thousands of tools and policies that we could implement, but if they’re not right for Penguin then there really isn’t any point in using them. Finally, I think attitude is key to being successful in any role, but specifically Security. The reason that I’m in this position is mostly because of my attitude. You get knocked back a lot when in this kind of role and every day is full of surprises so staying positive and always trying to improve yourself and the business is how you’re going to be successful!

Top tips for applying for a job in Technology from our Resourcing team:

For our Technology roles, if you have good communication skills, customer service, and telephone skills – include them in your application. Technology affects everyone at Penguin Random House, every day – so you’d be dealing with lots of people across the company. Prioritisation is also a great skill to highlight, so if you’ve managed to juggle multiple projects, we’d like to hear about it.

Of course, technology skills are essential, and we’ll be looking for a demonstration that you’re good at picking up new systems quickly in your application. Perhaps you’ve had to learn a new piece of software to finish a project on a deadline.

Before drafting your cover letter, read the job advert thoroughly. If there’s any techy jargon you don’t fully understand, be sure to research what it means and show how your skill set could be transferrable.

Interested in paid work experience?

Our application window is currently open, and you can apply here. Places are chosen by random selection, and applications close at noon on 20th November. You can learn more about work experience at Penguin Random House here.

Hear more about what the day to day involves from Pete Williams and Stacy Ammons, who both run different teams within Technology: