Depending on what’s going on in your life, and what you need in the moment, copywriting offers a ton of flexibility. And Comprehensive Copywriting Academy Student, Steffan, is a prime example of how to take full advantage of all the different possibilities!
After years of working as a pastry chef, Steffan had to rethink his career when the pandemic hit the industry hard. He joined the CCA in 2021–fast forward two years and he has landed a full-time on staff position writing copy for an insurance company in the Netherlands! Listen in to hear some of the benefits of working in-house and his wise words of advice for anyone just starting out.
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A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[2:58] Steffan has a background in journalism, which is how he started off writing. He then worked for many years as a pastry chef but when the pandemic hit the industry very hard, he began writing again.
[4:57] Steffan enjoys the research aspect of copywriting and naturally gravitates towards writing email copy and short form copy.
[7:22] Sometimes as copywriters, we can forget the impact we have on businesses. During the pandemic, Steffan began writing email campaigns and social posts for a restaurant, which ultimately helped them stay open by promoting their new services.
[9:20] Steffan has landed his first full-time in-house copywriting job at an insurance company. Go Steffan! He finds being in-house with the whole creative team much more rewarding, even though projects have to go through many layers of people before they’re published.
[11:32] Although the in-house role was financially less attractive than freelancing, Steffan is learning a lot from this role to push his career forward.
[13:26] The company where Steffan currently works is a startup, and he handles a mix of copy and content projects. There is also the potential for his role to develop into a marketing manager!
[15:24] Steffan works in a creative team of people, including the creative director. The company is scaling fast so it’s likely this team will soon be expanding.
[17:02] It’s unlikely Steffan will return to being a pastry chef but he would love to combine his two passions by writing about food one day.
[18:27] Steffan’s advice for anyone who is just getting started as a copywriter is to keep going and be consistent. The small wins do add up over time!
[21:17] Steffan’s success is a testament to following the steps outlined in the CCA, even if there are times when you feel a little uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback in the group!
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:
“As copywriters sometimes we can get so focused on trying to get work, trying to get that next client, working with our clients and doing the writing, that we forget what an impact our writing can have on these businesses. Certainly during times when there is a massive upheaval, like during a pandemic, but even just on a daily basis, the work that we do really helps businesses continue to run and grow.” – Nicki
“I had great months, but also I had months where it was less good and at a certain point I was like ‘Am I actually learning as much as I want at this point? Maybe it makes sense for me to go in-house’, like I just said, to be with the creative team, with the creative director, and other copywriters. So I was like, okay, maybe financially in this sense, it may be less attractive, but I think at this point I’m learning so much that it can actually only push myself forward for the time coming.” – Steffan
“These small wins, they actually add up. And then after months of consistent work, then you’re like, ‘Hey, actually I’m kind of getting the hang of this.’ Even though when I started off, my first drafts, they were absolute, well, I can’t say the word I guess, but they were not good!” – Steffan
“I was a bit hesitant about putting it online in the CCA group. You’re like, ‘Am I good enough? Am I not good enough?’ But in the end, you have to do it to get better because there are so many smart people in that group that can give you tons of valuable feedback on there.” – Steffan
Mentioned on this Episode
- What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview (Part 1 of 3)
- Ace Your Copywriting Interview (Part 2 of 3)
- Post-Interview Must Dos (Part 3 of 3)
- View Steffan’s portfolio
Related Links
- Why Freelance Copywriters Should Still Apply to Full-Time Jobs
- On-Staff vs. Freelance Copywriting: Which is Better?
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Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
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Ep. 151: Is Manifesting a Copywriting Career Bogus?
Last Updated on April 23, 2025
