Are you considering getting into copywriting but worried that you’re “too old” to pivot into a new career? Is it too late? Am I past the point where I can make a change?
Over the years, CCA student Kelly has worn many hats: lawyer, fundraiser, freelance writer, academic program director… But the one constant has been her love of words. Kelly is living proof that when you can write great copy, you are not too old, too young, too undereducated, or too anything to learn how to become a copywriter. Listen in to Kelly’s interview to hear how her age has been an asset in building a thriving copywriting career.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[2:00] Nicki and Kate are joined by CCA student Kelly, who had been copywriting for a lot of years before she joined the CCA, without even knowing it!
[3:35] Kelly wanted to start her own business and after seeing an ad for the CCA, she knew it would give her the structure she needed to pursue a career in copywriting.
[5:00] Adult learners find it harder to learn without “doing”. That’s why Kelly loved all of the action sheets within the course as she could practice applying her knowledge.
[6:12] After putting herself out into the world through LinkedIn and Facebook, Kelly was overwhelmed by the response from people looking for writers and has been completely booked out with work.
[7:53] Kelly has worked on a range of projects, from video scripting, to brochure copy, and web copy. Most of her work has come through agencies, which Kelly loves because of all the collaboration that comes with it.
[10:48] Kelly is a CCA Next Level member and is toying with the idea of building an agency and niching down her work.
[14:26] It’s easy to get wrapped up in the hustle of doing the work, pitching, and landing clients. But Kelly always maintains a broader perspective, considering how each project impacts not just the organization, but also the world.
[15:31] Kelly’s age has not held her back from pivoting into another career. She’s found that she has fewer inhibitions and people respect your years of experience, no matter what field you were in before.
[20:58] Nicki often hears from people who are considering getting into copywriting but worried they are too old to make a change. But in copywriting, it can be a great asset.
[21:53] Kelly encourages people not to be nervous about approaching clients for the first time because you know more than they do. And when it comes to pitching and discovery calls, the more you do it, the easier (and faster and more enjoyable!) it gets.
[25:28] If you’re good at writing and often get tapped for it at work, Kelly definitely recommends giving copywriting a try—many people from diverse backgrounds have successfully made the switch.
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“I think it was actually easier to pivot into this kind of job because I had complete control over the decision to go out and start my company, all of the details of my company. I will say I am 53 years old, at a certain point I was sending out resumes and those days where you close your office door and say I’m polishing up my resume, I can’t take it anymore. I had some of those days along the way and didn’t get much reaction. And I think part of that is there’s definitely some agism out in the job market but when you go out on your own instead, especially as an older worker, people immediately respect you for all of your years of experience, no matter what field you were in before.” – Kelly
“There is so much writing work out there for people. I have not met a person that hasn’t said, ‘I need a writer and I haven’t known where to find one.’ There’s such demand, even with AI coming into the picture, there’s still just massive, massive demand for writers.” – Kelly
“I think very quickly, people who go through this program will realize that if they’re in a situation, especially if they are approaching organizations that don’t have a sophisticated marketing program, after just your course, they are the smartest people in the room on the subject of copywriting and marketing. And I think they’ll just be amazed at how much they did learn and it’s a big a confidence booster. You really only need to take one or two meetings before you’re realizing, ‘I know this stuff, I can do this!’ So I would encourage people not to be nervous about approaching clients for the first time because you know more than they do.” – Kelly
Mentioned on this Episode
Related Links
- The Three Steps to Career Change
- Changing Your Career to Copywriting While at Your Existing Job
- Best Backgrounds and Degrees for Getting Into Copywriting
- Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Copywriter?
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
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