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Name: Paige Myers
Title: Vice president of human resources
Number of years in this position: Three
Previous HR experience: Penguin was Myers's first HR job; she began as an assistant 12 years ago and worked her way through the ranks.
Number of HR employees: Thirteen in the New York office under Myers.
Role at Penguin: There are approximately 2,000 employees of The Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and about 1,000 of them are based in New York. Myers oversees hiring for the HR departments at each Penguin location; in New York, everything publishing-related falls under her jurisdiction: editorial, publicity, sales, contracts, sub rights, and marketing, among others. Myers is responsible for compensation, recruitment, and employee relations for those employees. She isn't involved in the day-to-day hiring process anymore, but the in-house recruiters all report to her.

How does a candidate search at Penguin work? "For any open position," says Myers, "we post internally, and often on outside job boards like mediabistro. If it's a really specialized position—like IT—we might post on a very specialized website. There is some print advertising, but not much anymore. It's almost all internet-based." Candidates for Penguin jobs interview first with the HR department. HR sources and screens candidates, and the most qualified are passed on to hiring managers within each department. Hiring managers have the final say on whom to hire, but, notes Myers, "We've screened the candidates, so anyone we're sending, we'd be OK with them hiring."

How are resumes tracked? Resumes that come in to Penguin HR should reference the job you're applying for so that each resume is filtered into the appropriate inbox. Any resume that comes in is saved electronically, and recruiters frequently sift through previously submitted resumes when new jobs come up.

At Penguin, each department's recruiter has a list of all the companies' openings, and resumes are frequently passed among them. That way, says Myers, "even though someone might have sent a resume for an editorial assistant, that recruiter might say, 'This person's experience would be perfect for the sub-rights position that Betty has open,' and would forward it."

What should a cover letter look like? Myers wants to see cover letters that are concise—"the interview is where you can tell the person every single thing about yourself," she says—and typo-free. "If you're not going to put your best foot forward trying to find a job, what are you going to do when you're here?" she asks. Myers also recommends that applicants take a straightforward rather than cutesy approach: "Even when people think they're being funny and creative in their cover letters, you don't have time to read every word. You're skimming. Get to the point, make some key points, say what you're interested in. Be enthusiastic." She stresses that cover letters should be as easy to read as possible. Break up your paragraphs.

If you're applying for an entry-level position, and you're not sure how to sell your somewhat limited qualifications, Myers advises playing up leadership roles from school. "Market that as if it were a job," she says. And certainly mention any internships you might have had.

What should a resume look like? Again, brevity is key. "No three-page resumes," Myers says. She suggests that one way to cut down on length is to eliminate the objective: "We sometimes find that if somebody puts a specific objective on their resume, it really limits them," Myers says. This is particularly true for entry-level candidates, who may be unaware of the scope of positions available within a publishing company. "If they say 'Looking for an adult editorial assistant position,' we would be less likely to say 'Oh, maybe they'd be good for sub rights,'" Myers explains. "And maybe they would have no interest in sub rights, but quite often, they just don't know about it."

What is the interview process like? If you're granted an interview at Penguin, you'll initially speak with the HR staffer recruiting for that position. Before you come in, Myers advises, do some research about the company. Bring a copy of your resume, and, if it's a position you know requires a lot of writing, it's OK to bring writing samples. If you're still unsure about what to bring with you, feel free to ask the recruiter when he or she calls to schedule the interview. Myers describes Penguin as "not an overly corporate environment," but for an interview, candidates should dress sharply. This doesn't necessarily mean a suit—though suits are certainly appropriate—but it doesn't mean business casual either. After the interview, the recruiter will inform each candidate how to proceed from there and will let candidates know when they'll hear back from HR. Any subsequent interviews will be conducted by the hiring managers. It is recommended that you send a prompt, handwritten thank-you note, says Myers, particularly to the hiring managers.

What is the role of the informational interview? Myers does think the informational interview is a valuable tool for gathering information about the publishing industry and about what kinds of positions are available. However, she says, "there's so much volume that we just don't have the resources to grant everyone an informational interview who would request one. We'll do it when we can, especially if we think someone has a particularly strong resume but we don't have anything for them right that second."

Where do the majority of job opportunities arise at Penguin? Penguin typically does the bulk of its hiring at the entry level; at that level, the editorial positions tend to be the most competitive. The emphasis on entry level, says Myers, is simply because there is more turnover at this stage. In addition, she says, "We do promote a lot from within"—but don't think it's impossible to break in if you didn't start in the mailroom.

Final advice? "If there's any way to get an informational interview with someone actually in the business," says Myers, "maybe through your college alumni network, that can always be helpful."

Contact info:
Penguin Group (USA) Human Resources
375 Hudson Street
New York, New York 10014
212-366-2000
www.penguin.com

Have you dealt with the HR department at Penguin Group (USA)? Tell us about your experience below.

Jill Singer is the deputy editor of mediabistro.com.

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