Great jobs for writers really do exist. Technology, media, entertainment, public relations, marketing, publishing, and advertising industries all need people who can create quality content.
Writing jobs can be extremely rewarding as they typically allow you to use your imagination and create content independently on your own schedule. If you are passionate about writing and creating content, one of the career options below may suit your interests.
Some writing jobs are full-time with regular hours while other positions are considered freelance and offer more flexibility with regards to your schedule. The writing career options below require varying levels of education and experience. Here are 5 common career paths for writers seeking a job in the industry.
Technical Writer
A key skill for any technical writer is the ability to take complex technical information and turn it into plain language that the average person can understand. If you’re tech-savvy and have a knack for explaining complex technical subject matter in an easy to understand format, then this may be the career for you. Technical writers create and copy edit technical manuals, how-to guides, FAQs and other technical documentation.
To some, it might not sound like a ‘fun’ job, but if you enjoy the fields of science, technology, engineering and manufacturing, then you’ll find fulfillment in this role.
Because of the complexity of this writing job, you’re going to see a higher demand for it and better pay.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for technical writers is expected to grow 10% through 2024.
The technical writer position will more than likely be a full-time job that requires a college degree. If you have a technical background combined with any real-world experience, like an internship, then your odds of securing this career path are pretty good.
Editor/Copy Editor
Good writers usually make good editors. Most editors that I know started off as writers; I did. I started off as a pro-bono writer, then moved into freelance writing before becoming an editor.
Writers are skilled at researching topics, developing pitches and writing clear concise copy. Now as an editor, instead of coming up with those ideas and creating the copy, you have the luxury of delegating writing tasks to a team of writers and then reviewing and refining the submitted content.
Editors work in a variety of industries, companies and roles. You’ll see the terms editor and copy editor being used interchangeably, but they are basically the same; you’re responsible for editing submitted content for grammar, punctuation, tone of voice and accuracy of the subject matter. Having an understanding of SEO (search engine optimization) is a must if you’re editing content that will be published online.
While getting a B.A. in communications, media, or journalism isn’t necessary, it can be helpful for breaking into the editing world.
Magazine Writer
This is an interesting position that usually considered freelance, as magazines have several writers submitting content. From my personal experience, getting into a magazine forces you to really dial in your creative writing. Generally, you have to pitch your ideas to the managing editor of the publication which consists of your topic, title example and a short description of what the article is going to be about. In order to get your pitch accepted, you need to get really creative, so that your content stands out over all the other pitches the editor receives. Even if you don’t get your pitch accepted every time, it’s a good experience that will grow your writing skills.
You could work a traditional monthly printed magazine and be a full-time staff writer for that publication. You also have the option of freelance writing for more than 1 magazine at a time, and contributing several articles a week.
With many magazines having a digital presence now, you have an endless number of options depending on what industry you want to focus on. It could be fashion, food, travel, adventure or something more technical.
The magazine writer career path is fairly competitive and often requires a few years in a lower-paying role at the beginning of your career. This is how I started in my career, but in a matter of 1 to 2 years, I was where I wanted to be.
Social Media Manager
Ten years ago, the idea of using social media to market a business would have sounded silly and unprofessional. Companies are now scrambling to hire creative professionals to manage their social media platforms. In addition to popular channels like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn and Twitter, many organizations also incorporate Quora and other BuzzFeed style platforms.
Writers are a strong fit for social media positions. Much of managing social media platforms requires writing in the form of infographic copy, tweets, Facebook captions, LinkedIn posts and so forth. In addition to creating copy for all those platforms, each platform requires a specific style of copywriting. The copy you write for Facebook might not necessarily work for the Instagram post. This requires you, the social media manager, to think outside the box and put your creative hat on.
Writing helps you strengthen your creative muscle which you’ll put to regular use in this role.
Maintaining active social media profiles on all of the main platforms will not only keep you current on the platforms, but it will make you a far more attractive candidate for the positions you apply for. Why? Because employers will check your social media profiles as a way to vet candidates prior to an interview. Freelance social media work for smaller companies will also give you a leg up with the competition. It allows you to build a portfolio of what you can do for the companies that you might apply for as you move up in your career.
Blog Writer
The world of blogging is oversaturated right now, meaning the chance of becoming successful enough to pay all of your bills with revenue from your own blog is relatively low. Not impossible, but low at the start.
Blogging just happens to be my niche. I started my own personal blog about 2 years ago and it’s just now starting to generate some revenue from affiliate partnerships and two advertisers. My day job consists of running a blog site for a local digital marketing agency. So if you do this, yes you can make a living as a blogger.
Many companies, in addition to their website content, have official company blogs that they need people to create content for. These official company blogs are used to drive traffic to the company website and support business goals.
Now that you know that plenty of jobs for writers are out there, it’s time to think about how you can best prepare to take advantage of those opportunities. No matter how the content creation world evolves, strong writers who can communicate in a creative, concise and clear manner will always be critical to a company’s success. Keep your writing dreams alive and continually sharpen your skills as you develop a career as a writer.
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