Train for a career change with Progress in Editorial Skills

In some ways, the life of a civil servant is similar to being a copy-editor and proofreader rolled into one

In some ways, the life of a civil servant is similar to being a copy-editor and proofreader rolled into one. Writing, editing and proofreading policy documents, consultations, draft legislation and the many other written pieces that inform decisions, set out legal requirements or guide the public and businesses through various administrative processes are part of day-to- day life for many officials.

Having left the civil service after a career of 28 years, I wanted to formalise and develop some of the skills I had acquired and use them to take steps to a new career in publishing.

As a complete novice in the world of publishing and the only person in the room with no experience of the industry, I was hoping to learn more about the business side of things and how my existing skills might be enhanced. Following on from taking The Publishing Training Centre’s Introduction to Editorial Skills course in the summer I moved on to Progress in Editorial Skills in November. During the two days, I was able to build on and practice basic principles and techniques from the previous course and learn valuable time-savers and tricks from the tutor and those around me.

A vast amount of knowledge and experience is packed into those two days and you also have the comfort of knowing that much of it is in the excellent accompanying material as an aide-memoire, together with examples and model answers. I know that I will be referring to this a lot in the years to come.

I would certainly recommend the course to anyone seeking to add to or develop their editorial skills. It has given me the confidence to make the move to a publishing career.

Find out more about Progress in Editorial Skills which now runs as a virtual course.