>>
>> The science and technology group in Encyclopaedia Britannica's
>> editorial department, of which I am group leader, has an opening in
>> an area that I like to call "computers and society." Our HR
>> department has posted the job opening at the Web sites of
>> organizations such as the History of Science Society and the
>> Society for the History of Technology, but so far we've had no
>> responses. I've decided to take a more active role in the job
>> search by contacting academics associated with programs in the
>> history of society and technology, particularly in the area of
>> electronics and electronic media.
>>
>> It has occurred to me that academic programs such as yours might
>> have a number of graduate students who would be willing to consider
>> an editorial job with a reference publisher. If your department's
>> policies permit, I will be happy to send you our HR department's
>> brief job description, along with my own perhaps less cryptic
>> description, for you to disseminate or post at your institution as
>> you see fit.
>>
>> I look forward to your response.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Robert Curley
>> Senior Editor, Science & Technology
>> Encyclopaedia Britannica
>> Tel.: (312) 347-7913
>> Fax: (312) 294-2162
>> E-mail: rcurley(a)eb.com
> Attached is our HR department's job description, which describes in
> a general way the company's expectations of a candidate for any
> associate or assistant editor's position, with a few added comments
> regarding general science background. The description is heavy in
> the day-to-day responsibilities of the job, but light in the subject
> area.
>
> As I prefer to describe it, the editor would be responsible for
> maintaining and enriching EB's coverage of the technical aspects of
> computers and information technology, but what I'd especially like
> is somebody who actively thinks about the impact of IT on the modern
> way of life. The editor would formulate what EB has to say, for
> instance, about the digital divide, and not just the microprocessor.
>
> To that end, EB has many technical articles on electronics and
> telecoms, from the telegraph to the transistor. We also have many
> biographies and a growing number of articles on computer and
> electronic companies. In recent years we've been expanding our
> biographies and historical articles in the area of computer history,
> from Charles Babbage's Analytic Engine to Sergey Brin and Larry
> Page's search engine. We're also trying to expand into more popular
> or social aspects of the computer revolution, publishing articles,
> for instance, on virtual communities by Howard Rheingold and on the
> history of computer games by Henry Lowood.
>
> The editor would be responsible for commissioning new or revised
> articles from such authors, so far as annual editorial budgets
> allow. But the editor would also do quite a bit of his or her own
> updating and new writing, depending on his or her expertise and the
> level of detail needed. The editor would work with our illustrators
> and photo editors in obtaining drawings and photographs for
> articles, and he or she would work with all other departments in our
> editorial workflow that are responsible for moving articles from the
> editor's computer to our online and print publications.
>
> Though possibly coming from an academic background, the editor would
> have to know that EB is a business, and that efficiency and
> scheduling are central to the organization of our work. We're proud
> to produce a quality product, but we have to produce a marketable
> product, and so editors must know how to place reasonable limits on
> projects and move them along to the customers.
>
> I believe the attachment states that applicants should send their
> resumes directly to the email address Staffing(a)eb.com, citing the
> specific position being applied for. But if there are any questions
> related to my comments above, please feel free to contact me.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Rob Curley
>
> Senior Editor, Science & Technology
> Encyclopaedia Britannica
> Tel.: (312) 347-7913
> Fax: (312) 294-2162
> E-mail: rcurley(a)eb.com
>
