Each month, we will interview one employee to get their opinions on the publishing industry, hear what it’s like to work at Technica, and learn a little bit about them. This month we are interviewing Claire Ebbitt, an editorial assistant who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2017. She studied English and Media & Journalism, both of which have aided her work at Technica.
This is your first publishing job. Did you always want to work in the publishing industry?
I’ve always been interested in books and reading. When I was really little, my mom would just read to me for six or seven hours a day, so I’ve grown up loving books. I really like magazines a lot too, so some kind of job that was communication-centric and involved reading is what I was looking for, and I think this job has been a really good fit so far.
You are a recent college grad — how has the transition from college to working full-time been?
I really like it! At first I was in this state of, “Oh my gosh, I don’t have homework! I can go home and have no responsibilities!” I have also discovered how you can be tired after sitting at a desk all day—that really surprised me. It’s been pretty great. I love living near UNC still and being able to walk places and do stuff on campus without the academic stress. That has been really nice. It’s been an adjustment: I’ve been learning how to cook, it’s my first apartment, first job, and everything is going well.
What do you like doing when you aren’t at work?
Well, I am an avid knitter. I have made a lot of stuffed animals. Recently I’ve made a lot of shawls and socks, so I like when it’s cold so I can wear said shawls and socks. I also like reading, as I mentioned. I’ve been getting into reading for fun now that I’m done with my English major, and reading things I didn’t get to read in college. I never took a class that required Jane Austen for some reason, so I haven’t read any Jane Austen, which I feel is an English major requirement! I’m also a film lover; I was on a film committee at UNC, so I still chat with all my film fam friends and we give each other recommendations. I’m also really into theater so I try to go to as many live shows as I can. And just obsessing over British culture in general.
What is the most ambitious thing you have ever knitted?
I did make an octopus one time, and that was a little rough. It’s a lot of legs. I think that would be it. Or possibly the first pair of socks I knitted. People always say that turning a heel is difficult and kinda scary, but it’s really not. It’s magical every time. I’ve done it so many times and every time I’m still like, “There’s the heel, it happened!”
What is the one book that is most important to you?
This is a difficult question, as you can imagine, because I feel like when you read books at certain points in your life different books hit differently. For example, in my senior year of high school we did Macbeth and Hamlet, and those really got me into Shakespeare. So if I have a cop-out answer, technically the one book would be the compilation volume of all of Shakespeare’s plays. I have a paperback version I brought with me when I studied abroad in England. I love Shakespeare.
What is your favorite Shakespeare play?
Well, favorite comedy would be Much Ado About Nothing. The witty banter between Beatrice and Benedick is wonderful. With the compilation volume, you get the comedies and the tragedies—you get everything!
If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and why?
I had to think long and hard about this one, but I have to go with Mrs. Weasley. It would be super fun because we could hang out and drink tea and knit and be generally British.
What is your favorite thing about working at Technica?
A lot of people have said this, but the people are really great here. Everyone is really friendly and helpful. I’ve been here about five months and I still have questions about things and people are always willing to help. Besides the people, I really like writing emails. Some people hate writing emails, but I genuinely love writing emails.
