Not every career move is a step up; there are a wealth of opportunities across the whole publishing industry to explore. Publishing offers a lot of lateral mobility, whether that's switching functions (editorial to production, or into rights) or switching sectors (trade to academic, or into STM).
• Identify your transferable skills before you apply: Project management, stakeholder communication, attention to detail and platform/CMS knowledge often carry across functions even when the day-to-day looks different. Name them explicitly in your CV and cover letter.
• Address the move head-on in your application: Don't leave a hiring manager to guess why you're switching. A line or two explaining your motivation, genuine interest in the function, a specific skill you want to build, reassures them you've thought it through.
• Target roles with some overlap, not a complete reset: A production editor moving into digital publishing has more credibility applying for a hybrid or digitally-focused production role than jumping straight into a pure UX position with no relevant experience.
• Use your network and a recruiter to open doors: Lateral moves are harder to make through a CV alone, since you're not the obvious fit on paper. A conversation with a hiring manager or a recruiter like Redwood Publishing Recruitment, who can vouch for your transferable skills, does more heavy lifting than the CV itself.
• Be realistic about salary and seniority: A lateral or sector move sometimes means a step sideways rather than up in salary, at least initially. Decide in advance what trade-off you're willing to make for the right opportunity.
A lateral move, positioned well, can open up a career path that a purely upward trajectory never would.