Orion launches extended internship for those looking to change career

The Orion Publishing Group has today opened applications for its 2023 paid remote internship, which has been extended to six weeks based on feedback collated over the past three years. 

Building on the success of the 2022 scheme, the publisher is welcoming applications from those who are looking to change career or have taken time away from work. Successful applicants will experience the scheme alongside at least one other virtual intern, with the aim of creating a stronger network to build on for future industry contacts. 

The publisher has hosted 24 candidates since the work experience scheme launched in 2020, with placements across the breadth of the business, helping interns discover the many roles and opportunities publishing can offer. 

Six past interns have gone on to secure permanent jobs in the industry, three within Hachette. Close to 3,000 people have applied for the internship since 2020, which also won a FutureBook Award in 2022.

Open for applications today (14th June), the first placement will begin in August 2023 with pro-rata pay in line with the Hachette starting salary of £26,500 per annum. Each intern will be hosted by a different team within Orion and will spend their internship working closely with their departmental mentor to work on projects and gain a better understanding of the publishing process.

The placement offers the chance to become involved with the wider company and attend a variety of meetings, as well as meet staff from all parts of business to receive informal mentoring or career guidance. Interns are also invited to spend at least one day at their closest Hachette national office.

For those interested in applying, Orion staff and former interns now working in the industry will be hosting a webinar on 21st June. Applications close on Wednesday 12th July. 

Anna Valentine, managing director of The Orion Publishing Group, said: "We’re very proud of our FutureBook Award-winning annual internship, and of each and every candidate who completed the scheme with us, and are thrilled that so many have gone on to secure employment within publishing, especially within Hachette and Orion.

"We’re always open to feedback on what we can do better, and so I’m delighted that this year we have been able to take this on board and extend the period our interns are with us. Publishing has to be agile and open to change and we hope the internship is a key pillar of those qualities for years to come."

Lucy Bilton, former intern and now publishing administrator at Orion, said: "The Orion Virtual Internship has been nothing short of life-changing for me. Discovering the scheme was unbelievably exciting – everything I had previously considered a barrier to entering publishing was being openly and warmly welcomed.

"Career changes/breaks, diverse work experience and a regional base were all things Orion was encouraging applicants to draw on and celebrate. The internship really does provide access to all areas of the business, which is brilliant."