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Topic: publishing certificates (nyu or columbia)
| Author | Message |
| getmeoutofhere | Posted – 7/13/2007 8:45:37 PM | show profile i have a BU journalism degree and two years experience as a reporter, but ny publishing is the toughest nut to crack. ever. i'm thinking that some publishing courses at either nyu or columbia may make me a slightly more competitive applicant to some entry-level positions... is this true? does anyone have any experience with either college's "certificate" program? are they good, respected, worthwhile? or just a whole lot of money for some resume fluff? |
| Writer'sBlockBuster | Posted – 9/4/2007 10:58:47 PM | show profile I have the same question. And I've heard that Columbia is better for those interested in book publishing, while NYU is better for those who want to work at a magazine. However, it seems as though the Columbia course is competitive, whereas the NYU program pretty much admits anyone. I'd love to know more about all this. Comments anyone? Experiences to share? |
| bookmap | Posted – 9/4/2007 11:33:59 PM | show profile Writer's BlockBuster Are you talking about the summer publishing programs? If so, NYU does not just take anyone, I was rejected from both, as a matter of fact. Columbia and NYU both split the time between book and magazine publishing, so I don't know if one is better than the other. Would you rather work with books or magazines? If books, you might want to consider the Denver Publishing Institute, which only deals with books, and devotes one day to magazines. I went there this summer, and it was amazing. Those are the only 3 summer publishing programs that exist, so let me know if you want more info! |
| Unemployed-gal | Posted – 9/5/2007 9:37:52 AM | show profile There's also the Radcliffe publishing program. I went to the summer program at NYU in 2006, and while I learned a lot while I was there, there's a big BUT to the whole process. These courses are the kind of things were you ave to make the most of wat you're given; you aren't just going to be handed a job straight out of the program. I should know; I've been searching for a job since June 2006, and this is with three internships in publishing under my belt. Every time I keep being told I don't have enough experience. However, people are always impressed that I have the course on there. So I guess its six of one, a half dozen of another. You just have to make the most of what you have. |
| foodlit | Posted – 9/5/2007 11:44:22 AM | show profile Not sure, but didn't the Radcliffe program move to Columbia? It doesn't exist at Radcliffe/Harvard anymore. |
| Writer'sBlockBuster | Posted – 10/9/2007 12:15:09 AM | show profile | email poster I hope I can bump this thread up if possible... mp, I'm aware of the summer program, but there's also a "professional certificate" that you can get from NYU in either publishing or editing. I believe it requires five courses (editing) or ten courses (publishing), all of which run between $450 and $600 and are offered at night. From what I've gathered, it seems that all you need to do is pick a course and pay for it, and you're in. But maybe I'm mistaken. Unemployed, thanks for your honesty. I certainly wouldn't expect a job to be handed to me on a silver platter, but I was hoping that access to career fairs with recruiters and such might be a foot in the door. I've heard that a lot of EAs come from programs such as this, so I was wondering if anyone here had tried something of that nature. I'm a little dismayed that you still haven't been able to find a job despite three internships due to "lack of experience." Is this typical, do you think? I can't imagine how anyone could afford to do that many internships without a paying job... |
| ebh | Posted – 10/9/2007 11:29:44 AM | show profile Hi, wanted to confirm that the NYU publishing and editing certificates are indeed run the way Blockbuster described. I'm aiming to obtain an editing certificate to have some additional freelance work/money. Having said that, if you're looking to get a publishing certificate for a full-time job in book or magazine publishing, I can imagine that it's not a "guarantee" to get your foot in the door. Nonetheless, my understanding is that the NYU program is well respected and will certainly give you a leg up. |
| elleemby | Posted – 10/9/2007 3:30:01 PM | show profile Yes, anyone can take those NYU certificate classes ... I don't know about the worth of the actual certificate on your resume, but I do know I've taken some great classes thru it, taught by people in the industry, so like a previous poster said, if you can make the most of it, it could be worth it. I know one person in my copyediting class who got a gig thru the professor. Plus, I did actually learn some stuff. So my suggestion is to do what I do and don't worry about the actual certificate, simply take the classes that seem most interesting and relevant to you. |
| ManhattanMatt | Posted – 10/9/2007 7:39:43 PM | show profile Value ... If you're looking into these programs to actually LEARN something, then I'm sure it's worth the tuition, time, and effort. I doubt it will have any value, however, on your resume in landing a job ... about as worthless as a master's degree in journalism. |
| Unemployed-gal | Posted – 10/10/2007 11:08:35 AM | show profile WBB--it's not that I don't have a "lack of experience." It's that I didn't have as much experience as the person who was ultimately hired. So I guess what I'm saying is that having a certificate from one of those programs isn't a sure-fire way of getting a job in publishing. I mean, even though the NYU course is prominent on my resume under the "education" section, employers hardly even look at it. They always jump to what I've done practically. Nothing beats hands-on experience. |
