As you work through a curriculum focused on developing professional writing skills in your degree program, you may wish to look ahead to some career options after graduation. Here’s a look at some common professional writing jobs.
Copywriters are charged with producing marketing and advertising-related writing for companies trying to sell products or services. Collaborating as part of a team, copywriters must emulate the client’s intended tone and follow their style guidelines while explaining the benefits of their products or services in an attempt to convince the audience to make a purchase. Copywriters may produce a wide range of materials — from website copy and blogs to flyers and billboard writing.
A corporate communications professional works for a company that needs to produce internal and/or external communications. For instance, this type of professional writer may collaborate with the human resources department to produce employee handbooks and guidelines. They may also develop press releases and similar materials for distribution to media outlets.
Editors work to bring out the best in a writer’s work. They may establish the overall mission and vision of a publication, oversee a team of in-house and/or freelance writers and develop the style guidelines that writers must follow. Editors can also be responsible for going over writers’ work line by line and correcting it for grammar and clarity.
Grant writers play an important role in the nonprofit world, although they may also perform work for other types of entities. They are responsible for developing grant applications that are intended to secure funding for nonprofit organizations, programs and initiatives. A grant writer may choose to specialize in a particular type of nonprofit, such as those that serve refugees or those that promote women’s health.
If you enjoy sharing stories, journalism might be right for you. Journalists research, write, edit and proofread news stories, features and articles to be used on television, radio, magazines or newspapers, both in print and online. They are responsible for identifying and interviewing sources, checking the facts to ensure accuracy and producing objective writing that approaches each topic with a balanced viewpoint.
As a member of a marketing team, your goal would be to develop strategies to sell and promote products, services or ideas. As a writer you would help to communicate these strategies, not unlike an advertisement copywriter.
Public relations (PR) specialists are responsible for monitoring, promoting and curating the reputations of clients, who may be individuals (e.g., professional athletes) or organizations. PR involves understanding your clients and supporting them, as well as maintaining, managing and influencing public opinion of your clients’ reputations using media and communications. PR specialists often produce press releases, media briefs, ghostwritten articles on behalf of their clients and similar types of writing.
This career involves evaluating scientific data and converting the information into writing that your intended audience (either consumers or scientists/students) can easily understand. This career could be a good fit for strong writers who also have a passion for exploring the sciences.
As a technical writer, you would translate complex data into simple language for publications like technical journals and manuals. You would research, study statistical reports and conduct interviews with subject matter experts for defense contractors, software developers, scientific research organizations and governmental agencies. In this particular type of professional writing job, clarity, conciseness and brevity are of utmost importance.
