Frequently Asked Questions

This is on a case-by-case basis, as some roles do require employees to be in the office. If you’re only able to be considered for remote positions, we recommend including that information in your cover letter. 

Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we are not able to update applicants individually on the status of their application.

Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, you will only be contacted if there is interest in your application. When a role closes, you will receive an email notification.

When you submit your application, you will receive email confirmation. Due to the large volume of submissions we receive, you will only be contacted if there is interest in your application.

You can address your cover letter to “Human Resources” or “Hiring Team.” There is no need to address it to a specific individual.

Currently, our employees must be physically based in the U.S. In many cases, we are unable to consider those who would require company sponsorship.

You are welcome to apply, but note that you must be present in the United States for the duration of employment if you are offered the position.

To be considered for publication by Penguin Random House, we recommend that you work with an established literary agent. You may wish to refer to The Literary Market Place (the LMP), a reference guide that contains a listing of literary agencies or The Writer’s Market which can be found in most libraries or bookstores.  

Refer to our guide “How Can I Get Published?” for additional information. 

As soon as a position closes, we update our career site and remove the listing.

Yes, you may apply for as many roles as you’re qualified for and are interested in.

We typically hire on an as-needed basis, and need our candidates to be able to start working immediately. Therefore, we recommend that candidates begin applying to open positions about 4–6 weeks before they would be available to start working a full-time schedule.

If you have not done so, please check out our extensive guide, How to Get Into Publishing.

If you are reapplying, review your cover letter and resume and make sure you follow the tips recommended on our Applicant Resources page. Once you revise those documents, resubmit your application.

While only some roles require a cover letter, we recommend that you include one with every application to clarify or expand on anything you include in your resume.

View our interview tips here. 

You can browse our benefits here.

You can apply for our internship program here.

If you’re ready to work full time now or within a year, you may be eligible for the program. You can either be a rising senior, a college graduate, or workforce ready. However, no college degree is required.

You are welcome to apply, but note that you must be present in the United States for the duration of employment if you are offered the internship and must be eligible to work in the U.S.

Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we are not able to update applicants individually on the status of their application. 

You will receive an automatic email about your application status at the close of that semester’s recruitment window and will only be contacted by a member of the team if there is interest in your application.

All interns must be 18 years old or older to work at Penguin Random House.

Our Fall/Spring internship is 21 hours a week and Summer is 28 hours a week.  

Internship hours fall within our regular office hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm Eastern Time. However, this may be flexible if you have other commitments or are based in another time zone. Upon hire, your schedule can be solidified with the Hiring Manager.

We offer fully remote internships, but you must reside in the United States throughout the duration of the program.

No, all interviews for our internship program will be conducted via video or phone call.

We post on our job site when we begin and finish recruiting for each intern season. For more information, visit our Internships page.

Yes, you can earn college credit as an intern, so long as you are also able to be paid for the hours worked.

There are a few things you can do to make yourself stand out to recruiters for our internship program. First, verify that you meet the minimum requirements listed in the job description.  

Assuming you meet those requirements, in your cover letter, be sure to highlight any experiences that would lend themselves to the program you’re applying for. You can also research our imprints and identify which ones speak to you. If there are books you love that a particular imprint has published, we would love to know what they are.  

The hiring team values someone who feels fulfilled by their work and is curious and excited about learning more about publishing. If you can exemplify that passion in your cover letter, that may help you stand out.

Bad actors pretending to represent Penguin Random House are posting fake job openings on recruitment websites in order to solicit personal information and/or money from prospective employees.

These bad actors may use a fake PRH email address (sometimes with our name misspelled) and may even use PRH’s logo on fake employment letters to further this scam. Please be advised that Penguin Random House will never ask for any payment as a part of a job application or as a condition of employment.

Please be aware that Penguin Random House does not work with, endorse or have any relationship with the following entities:

• Mary Clarkson. This person is known for reaching out to individuals on services like Upwork and Telegram, using email addresses like “penguinrandomhousellc@gmail.com” which is not a legitimate PRH email address.