Applications are now open for our publishing internship programme for summer 2025.
Our internships are designed to allow you to get to know the company and us to get to know you. Our internship programme is also one of our means of recruiting new staff, and several of our current employees started out as interns. You can read about the internship experiences of some of them here.
While we can’t guarantee that an internship will lead to a long-term position with us, we can guarantee that the experience you gain will be relevant, useful and representative of what happens in a professional publishing company. And you get to meet nice people.
About us
We are a fully employee-owned small business based in Perth, Scotland, with clients worldwide. We currently have 16 employees.
With continuous recognition as Investors In People since 2005, and Investors In Young People since 2017, we are proud of our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We hold a Silver Award for Investors in People and a Gold Award for Investors in Young People, proving that we are among the best in supporting and developing our young talent.
We have a comprehensive training programme including both internal and external training courses, along with a scheme for providing financial support for long-term distance learning courses.
Our bright and spacious office is located in a modern office building close to the centre of Perth. All employees can take advantage of our flexible working policy, and more experienced staff also have the opportunity to work fully or partly from home.
We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership status, or pregnancy or maternity status.
About the job
The publishing internship will involve assisting one or more of our production teams to deliver publications on schedule to the required level of quality. Your tasks will be tailored to the specific skills you bring but are likely to include undertaking or assisting with:
- styling and preparing files for copy-editing
- collating proofs and proofreading
- some journal project management tasks.
The internship will run for a period of up to 13 weeks (start date to be mutually agreed). This is a full-time post (37.5 hours weekly) based at our office in Perth.
You will be kept busy and your contribution will certainly be valued. We can promise that you won’t be bored.
As a Living Wage Employer, we pay our interns a salary that is at least the real living wage. This year it is £2047.50 per calendar month.
About you
You must have an excellent command of English and at least a basic understanding of scientific terminology.
Studying for or possessing a degree in an academic or publishing subject is essential, and this year we are particularly interested in candidates with a science or technology background.
Applications from postgraduate publishing students are welcome.
How to apply
If you are smart, resourceful, and interested, here is what to do:
- tell us why you believe you would be suitable for this post
- attach a full CV in MS Word or PDF format.
Send your application to Dr Lucy Harrier using our application form. Please let us know where you first saw this vacancy.
Applications close at noon on Friday 9 May 2025. All applications will be acknowledged. We will contact you if we wish to arrange an interview, which will include a short test.
FAQ: Some questions asked by previous applicants, with answers
- Read up on what we want to see in your appplication.
- Apply as soon as possible. If we receive strong applications then we may commence interviews sooner than the closing date.
- Submit as comprehensive an application as possible. Explain why you are suitable and supply a full CV, including details of your school and university education as well as any work experience you have.
- Your cover letter is vital, as it tells us how good you are at conveying information – the core service we provide. It should have impeccable spelling and grammar. Tell us what you can offer, not just how you expect to benefit from the job.
The overall objective of the test is to assess your English-language abilities. You will be asked to make singular words plural (e.g. plural of millennium) and vice versa (e.g. singular of algae), distinguish between common confusables (e.g. averse and adverse) and improve, clarify or correct sentences containing errors. You will have 30 minutes.
This year we are looking in particular for candidates with a background in science or technology, but we will accept applications from candidates from any field. As long as you possess or are working towards a degree in an academic subject, you are welcome to apply.
For information, about half of our employees have a degree in a science subject (mostly life sciences but also engineering and mathematics) and the other half have a degree in a humanities subject (mostly English but also languages and history). Almost half have a PhD. A postgraduate publishing qualification will be advantageous.
Yes. Reasonable travel expenses from a UK address to our offices in Perth and back will be paid. At the interview you will receive an expense claim form.
Reasonable travel expenses might include, for example, the cost of an economy class train or bus ticket and a simple meal or sandwich. If you anticipate incurring additional costs, such as hotel stays or flights, these must be discussed with us and approved in advance to ensure reimbursement.
Not in the internship, which is office-based. There are options to work from home for part or all of the time in other roles, once you have sufficient experience of the work, our processes, the software we use and how the company runs.
No. The nature of the writing, editing or proofreading work we undertake makes job sharing virtually impossible: you alone will be responsible for completing the projects you are assigned, and, in general, it is not possible to share this work with someone else.
Reduced-hours posts can be requested and management team will consider these in the light of prevailing and expected business environment and the impact on the business, clients and colleagues. We cannot guarantee agreeing to requests for such posts. This advertisement is for a full-time post.
You will be a valued member of an organisation that works for the long-term benefit of its employees, prioritising sustainable growth over short-term gains. You’ll be kept in the loop on company performance and goals and get to share in our successes through discretionary payments on top of your salary. And you’ll have a say in the decisions that shape the future of the company.
Our company culture is characterised by collaboration, innovation and a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We foster an environment where employees are encouraged to share ideas, learn from one another and contribute to the overall success of the business. We value transparency and we strive to maintain a positive and supportive atmosphere.
We believe in investing in our employees’ growth and development. Here are some avenues for professional advancement within Prepress Projects:
Training: We provide team training sessions and in-house workshops on editing principles and technical skills. We arrange for all our employees to attend external training from accredited providers such as Publishing Scotland and the CIEP.
Coaching: ILM-accredited coaches provide guidance and support to help our employees navigate their careers. We currently have five members of staff who are qualified coaches.
Internal mobility: We encourage employees to explore their role within the company. If you remain with us after your internship, you will have opportunities for lateral moves or promotions as your skills improve.
Performance appraisals: Regular performance reviews provide constructive feedback and identify areas for improvement based on our company values. You will have the chance to feed back to your manager too.
Leadership development: Aspiring leaders can participate in leadership programmes and apprenticeships to develop management and strategic skills.