Editor: Paul Chevannes Company: Tiffany & Co. Number of years in editing/proofreading: 30+ years
Tell us a little about yourself, including how you got started as an editor/proofreader?
It’s uncommon to go to school and say “I want to be an editor.” It’s more common to roll into the profession based on your individual passions.
For me, I have loved words all my life. I studied graphic design and English in college. From there, my career took off in publishing and advertising and then into the editorial world.
What is your area of focus and why did you select this niche?
I am a visual person and love words. My career started in publishing and advertising where my love of words and graphic design mixed. Then I got my role at Tiffany & Co. where I work with teams overseeing advertising, website, books, catalogs, and more. I love the scope of work and how every day is something new. When you work with so many different mixes of media, you never know what is going to come up next.
Walk us through a typical workday. How do you manage your time?
I typically start each day with a team meeting where we review projects. We use different project management tools and Microsoft Suite to stay connected and coordinate our work.
What is your favorite thing about being an editor/proofreader?
I love words and reading, and in my career I get to do both. As an editor, we get to view things in a complete way.
What is your biggest challenge and how do you work through this?
A big challenge I have is working with deadlines. We are a global company servicing people around the world. We often receive things at the last minute, often from different time zones. If I receive something that is urgent in the evening, I may have to work at night to accommodate a colleague in a different time zone.
Another challenge working in an environment where we provide content for around the globe is working with different languages. Our translators are the backbone of our work who help us be successful in providing accurate content in different languages.
What are you currently working on?
At Tiffany & Co. we are currently working on a massive ad campaign with Jay-Z and Beyoncé that includes print, digital, and videos.
What advice do you have for someone who is just starting their career as an editor?
Whether or not this is the career path you set for yourself, if you don’t enter it with passion, it will be difficult to be successful. Editing can have ever-changing schedules, so having patience is key. You also often work with a variety of writers. Take the time to listen to them, adapt to each author so you get the most from them.
Tiffany & Co. rarely has vacant positions in my department because we have such low turnover. We also don’t currently hire interns though I hope to change that down the road. If you are interested in a career at Tiffany & Co., keep an eye on our job board.
I leave you with this Holly Golightly quote from Breakfast at Tiffany’s: “Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that’d make me feel like Tiffany’s, then - then I’d buy some furniture and give the cat a name.”