Are you passionate about books and looking to start a career where you can be a part of creating and sharing amazing stories? Our 6th annual Traineeship Programme is now open for applications starting in January 2022.

The Traineeship Programme has had, and will continue to have, a positive impact on the business by bringing in new voices and backgrounds to HarperCollins. This entry level programme was created to offer additional opportunities for talented individuals from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds to join the publishing industry.

The two trainees are brought into the business on a training contract and paid the equivalent of our entry level salary at £24,250* per annum. The programme will start in January 2022 and successful candidates will spend 12 months completing rotations in key areas of our business from publicity, sales, marketing, editorial, design, audio and digital.

The trainees will enjoy free books and e-books, a state-of-the-art office in London Bridge, retail discounts, based at home days**, discounted gym membership, wellbeing initiatives, 26 days holiday and lots more!

It will be a busy, exciting year with plenty of opportunity to learn all about HarperCollins, one of the world’s largest publishers, get insight into the publishing industry and build a network of publishing contacts to take with you on your career journey. Throughout the year, trainees will also be given:

• Expert mentoring with a senior leader in the business

• Development opportunities and team projects

• Career development planning and coaching

• Opportunities to join our employee-led network groups  

• Training on-the-job with a range of publishing experts

• Structured learning through courses, online training, project work and coursework

You will get involved in important and exciting aspects of our business with opportunities to take part in key industry events such as book fairs and literary events, engage with schools and charities and attend HarperCollins industry talks and seminars.

The Traineeship Programme has been running since 2016 and offers opportunities for talented individuals from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds to join the publishing industry. People from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups continue to be underrepresented and make up 13% of respondents in the Publishing Associations diversity survey 2020, which is below the population of England and Wales (14% according to the ONS). This figure has remained relatively consistent over time and falls short of the Publishers Association’s target of 15% by 2022. (https://www.publishers.org.uk/publications/diversity-survey-of-the-publishing-workforce-2020/)

*Subject to pay review October 2021

**Trainees will mirror our pilot company model of 2 days per week minimum based in the offices. This may vary to ensure we can offer the most effective training and experience for our trainees.

To Apply

HarperCollins are all about telling stories for all, and we really want to know yours!

The application process is managed via our blind recruitment platform to ensure optimum fairness and consistency for everyone. You will fill out a few details about yourself and answer bespoke application questions which relate to the skills and passions we are looking for in our trainees for 2022. We do not require a CV during the screening process, but will ask you to upload one for reference later on the process.

There are a couple of things to remember, please read the next section carefully:

• The Traineeship Programme has been created to offer opportunities to those from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds in the publishing industry. Anyone eligible for the traineeship should also consider applying to our Early Careers Programme.  

• You do not need a degree to apply

• You do not need publishing experience to apply

• Check out our careers site for more information on the application process https://corporate.harpercollins.co.uk/careers/

Support

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking internships or entry level positions. For more information visit http://www.booktradecharity.org/

The Spare Room Project aims to help, by matching interns and job seekers from outside London with people in the book industry who live in the capital and who can offer them a place to stay. By easing accommodation costs, this enables people to take up roles that would otherwise have been financially difficult. The Project also helps people who have interviews in London. https://thespareroomproject.co.uk/

Overview of HarperCollins

With a history stretching back 200 years, HarperCollins is the second largest consumer book publisher in the world. Here at HarperCollins UK, we publish around 1,500 books a year for readers of all ages and interests.

Our bestsellers include Jonathan Franzen, David Walliams, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy. George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. And legendary titles by legacy authors J.R.R. Tolkien, Agatha Christie and C.S. Lewis. We’re home to the most iconic bears, Paddington, Rupert and Winnie the Pooh, and Judith Kerr and Michael Morpurgo, Mr Men & Little Miss and Minecraft for our younger readers.

Over in Collins Learning, our education division is a pioneer in reference publishing. We develop market-leading dictionaries, atlases and bibles, state-of-the-art online learning platforms and award-winning books for school age students.

We tell stories for everyone. Our authors, who make that happen, are at heart of our business. We are proud to publish many brilliant diverse authors and actively seek out new voices from diverse backgrounds. We are fully committed to diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workforce and in our publishing. We are working towards increasing the diversity of our colleagues to better represent the readership and communities we serve. We want to create an inclusive culture and a great place to work.

HarperCollins Publishers is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and those who wish to work with us. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds. HarperCollins can accommodate reasonable changes to the process in order to help you to be successful in your job application if you have a disability.