Lexicographer : Employers and vacancy sources

There are very few publishers of dictionaries in the UK, and the majority of these no longer employ their own in-house teams of lexicographers. The exceptions are:

• Oxford University Press (OUP)  (located in Oxford) - produces the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Oxford Dictionaries Online, Oxford Language Dictionaries Online and many other English language, bilingual and reference titles. OUP is the largest employer of all types of lexicographers in the UK. Academic positions in specialisms such as etymology tend to be limited to the OED.
• Cambridge University Press  (located in Cambridge) - specialises in English language teaching dictionaries and has a small team of lexicographers on staff. When they need to employ a new lexicographer they seek candidates with experience of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL).

Technology has made it possible for people to do the job effectively from home and the majority of lexicographers are now freelance.

Sources of vacancies

• Publishing company websites - mainly Oxford University Press (OUP)  and Cambridge University Press  
• National press, e.g. Guardian Jobs  
• The Bookseller  
• Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies  
• Jobs.ac.uk  - for research and academic vacancies.

Very few publishing companies employ their own in-house teams of lexicographers and the majority of lexicographers work on a freelance basis.

If you are looking for an entry-level position, it is a good idea to send speculative applications to individual publishing companies giving details of any previous publishing experience you have.

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