Why is it a good thing that you love a low-key detail oriented job

There is one kind of job where your meticulous attention to details could play a crucial role… And there is a worldwide leading company which gathers people like you to fundamentally support scientific work.

A low-key detail oriented job is highly valued and respected here because it means that scientific articles with their findings are rich, clear, and discoverable. 

When we say that your work done at idialogue’s partner VTeX could contribute to Nobel prize awards - we are not joking. Not bad for a low-key position we are used to looking down upon, hugh?

VTeX provides solutions for science publishing - ensuring that scientific articles’ layout and tagging are proper, which is fundamental for the credibility of scientific work. They also enhance the clarity of the research, making it more comprehensible and accessible to a wider audience. 

So, do you want to know what a typesetter at VTeX does and how you can find yourself in such a position?

What does it mean to be a typesetter

The key task of the typesetter at VTeX is to produce a document which is easily readable and easy to engage with for the reader (PDF) and for a machine (XML).

In order to do so, LaTeX copyeditor/typesetter is applying appropriate formatting to text - structuring documents with proper sections, tables, math and other text elements.

Interestingly enough, this kind of job requires efficiently managing complex mathematical formulas and equations to ensure that the final document adheres to the specific style and formatting guidelines required by academic publishers and institutions.

Prerequisites a typesetter needs

For this kind of job, ideally a candidate has a university degree in math, physics, chemistry or any other exact science field. We are proud to say that at VTeX 1 out of 2 employees have a Master’s degree, and 1 out of 10 - PhD.

And as for a majority of other science professions - good communication in English, computer literacy, established traits of responsibility, attention to detail, logical and analytical thinking are the traits and skills that VTeX is always looking for.

A person with strong focus and concentration skills, as well as a tendency for structure, and a methodical approach to work would be an ideal fit for this position. Afterall, this role demands meticulous attention to detail and a high level of precision.

Impact and creativity opportunities are part of the job

Working with VTeX means working with world-renowned publishers and handling journals that publish groundbreaking science. Often enough these journals feature submissions from Nobel Prize-winning authors and there have been instances where VTeX employees needed to prioritize editing such articles.

There is no standard formula in this work too, so with every paper, even if the end goal is the same, the decisions and approach are never the same.

In a less high-pressure environment, employees often have autonomy in how they manage their tasks, make decisions about content organization, approach to problem solving, learning and applying new skills to one's work. 

Also, there is always a need to optimize the typesetting process for efficiency and accuracy as identifying and implementing improvements can lead to significant gains in productivity. This aspect of the job opens up opportunities to move into process management and operational roles if one sees himself there.

Further, given the technical nature of the used LaTeX technology, there are opportunities to develop or customize tools and software to aid in typesetting. This path can lead to roles in software development, IT, or system administration.

What typesetters love and hate about their job

VTeX employees share that the best part is that they have a natural eye for detail and like to do things in a consistent and orderly manner. Working with LaTeX is very similar to what they like so that they can employ their personal traits here. 

VTeX employees also like the fact that at work they have the freedom to choose how they want to work to achieve a defined result. The work is also very stable, which is one of many employees’ priorities. 

On the other hand, you can't always choose which article you will work with. Over the course of a year, you discover what style of articles suits you best but you don't choose the articles - they are assigned to you. Also, let's be honest - for some people work can sometimes become monotonous.

So now you have it all what it means to be a typesetter/copyeditor. Interested enough to learn more about VTeX and typesetter career opportunities?