WELCOME 2: TWENTITY.COM ~ The Home for Twentysomethings

Stepping Up The Game - 10-10-07

“You can march to the beat of a different drummer and have everyone call you a fool. But if you march to the same beat as everyone else, and are a fool, no one will tell you different.” -Adam Ferguson

Name: Adam Ferguson

Age: 26

Occupation: Publicist

Did you go to college? Where? Attended Grand Valley State University in Michigian for my undergraduate degree and currently there for grad school

What did you study? Public Relations/Advertising/Business Minor

Where do you work? Baker Publishing Group

Where are you from? Honestly – who knows? Michigan most my life but I feel at home in Chicago and Virginia Beach.

Why did you pick this career?
My love of reading and writing and books, and corresponding with people. This job takes my strengths and desires and combines them into a job.

What are your future plans for your career?
I would like to see a few different sides of the industry: especially acquisitions, sales and editing.

How did you get involved in this career?
I moved back to Grand Rapids, MI unexpectedly, just over a year ago. I was already two and a half years out of college and though I had enjoyed my life so far, I had not purposely pursued a career yet. I decided this move was a good time to begin. I sent my resumes to publishing companies in the area and voila.

How did you prepare yourself for this career?
I read a lot, I wrote a lot, I pursued a degree in Public Relations, I followed my gut quite a bit (it’s amazing how little decisions in life come back to visit you later).

What are the downsides to this profession?
The workload is quite amazing. There is almost literally infinite possibilities you can give to this job. If you ever get to the point where all of your work is “done,” there is always something else you can do to publicize the books you work with. It is never boring, and the days go by quickly, but it is tough to feel like your work is done for the day.

What is a typical workday for you?
Reading and responding to email in the morning, which includes interview requests, interview bookings, review reports, author relations, and book requests. In the afternoon, I tend to spend time sending books out for review and perusing the web for new media outlets to use for our authors.

How might this job be a stepping stone to other professions?
I can see this job helping immensely in a future sales or journalism career. In many ways, I am selling myself and our titles. The timeliness of the work I do, the speed at which it needs to be done, the writing involved can only help in preparation for a writing/journalism career.

What is the single-most important piece of advice you can offer a person pursuing this career? Read and write. Do them often.

What steps do you recommend to someone who is planning to pursue this career?
Pursue a degree in writing/communications/public relations. If you struggle with communication or reading or writing, the degrees will teach the skills in many ways. If you are strong in these areas, a degree will hone the skills. Throughout the degree process, read and write as much as you can. Get involved with people. Learn to interact with different personalities. Then simply work to get the job. Never give up.

What professional or community volunteer organizations are you currently a member of?
I am pursuing an MBA which takes up a bit of time. I have been involved with Toastmasters and plan to join again soon and I work with students at a local church.

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