Whether you want to work as a copywriter on staff or as a freelancer, it’s always worth taking a look at job listings. (But remember: job postings are just a small fraction of the available opportunities!) The trouble is, many people get discouraged when they see the dreaded line: “Must have at least two years of experience”.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when looking at job descriptions is taking everything as written in stone. But that is absolutely *not* the case! In fact, they’re really more of a wish list for the company. (And frankly, some are like that kid who writes to Santa Claus asking for the ability to fly!) In this episode, Nicki and Kate unpick some real LinkedIn copywriting job postings to show us why we shouldn’t say “no” to ourselves before someone else does.
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A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:50] When people look at a job listing, they often make the mistake of taking everything in the description as written in stone. But job descriptions are essentially a wish list for companies.
[5:17] Nicki and Kate discuss how studies show that women in particular tend to cut themselves off from opportunities as they often only apply to jobs if they meet ALL of the qualifications.
[6:37] The years of experience sought by employers may not directly match your own years of experience. For example, six months in the CCA could be equivalent to two or three years of experience elsewhere. Essentially, employers expect you to have training, and CCA students fulfill that requirement!
[8:52] Our hosts read between the lines of the responsibilities listed for a real copywriter job posting taken from LinkedIn and show why everyone in the CCA should be saying, “Yes, I can do all of those!”
[14:46] Kate emphasizes that—even at associate creative director level—none of the responsibilities listed should feel unachievable by any means.
[16:20] It’s rare to find a copywriting job description that asks for other skills like design, SEO, or social media management. If you do see a posting like that, it’s a sign that the company has very unrealistic expectations about what they can get in one person.
[19:28] As a CCA student, don’t be deterred if they ask you for 3-5 years of experience. Mike’s story is a prime example of why you shouldn’t let that stop you from applying!
[20:43] We hear some examples of the qualifications and skills that people ask for in actual copywriting job descriptions. Even if they ask for a Bachelor’s degree, don’t be put off if you have a portfolio that shows your work.
[23:32] Some postings asked for experience using Jasper and/or ChatGPT. Remember AI is not something to be afraid of—they want it for efficiency purposes, not just writing (bad) copy.
[24:33] Some of the “nice to haves” listed included specific industry experience, experience working in SaaS (software as a service), experience partnering with a designer, and UX (user experience) writing. Again, remember these are wish list items but you can always prove your skills through spec work if it’s a role you’re really interested in.
[26:24] If a company asks for startup experience, don’t let assumptions limit you. Get on the phone with them and ask questions to get a sense for the role because all startups are different.
[27:50] It can feel like a catch-22 when a post asks for agency experience. How do I get into an agency when agencies want agency experience?! But agencies are happy to hire—it all comes down to demonstrating that you know what you’re doing and can thrive in that environment.
[28:46] Never, ever, ever use the “one-click” or “easy apply” button! You want to avoid being lumped in with a bunch of other people. The same system that you use to pitch clients for freelance work is exactly what you can use to pitch companies to work there.
[30:45] Ideally, you want to pitch directly to the hiring manager—that is the person who has the knowledge and experience to make the best decision about your application.
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:
“The years specifically that people are looking for may not correlate exactly with the years of your experience. Our students know that they do a very concentrated amount of work, a lot of study and a lot of practice and they really build up their skills very, very quickly. Whereas outside of a program like that, it might take someone several years to get that same level of experience and expertise. So, you know, your six months in the program might equate to two or three years of outside experience. So don’t, I mean, this is specifically for CCA students, don’t see, oh, they’re looking for three to five years experience and think, well, I don’t qualify because I’ve only been working through this for six months or for a year. You absolutely do.” – Nicki
“Don’t say no to yourself before someone else does. Why would we ever say no to ourselves? It just doesn’t make sense. But we do it because we’re humans, and we feel like, oh, I just am not qualified. I don’t meet 110% of the qualifications.” – Kate
“Do not use the ‘one-click’ apply! But also do not then just go and apply through their website. You want to avoid being stopped, being lumped in with a bunch of other people. And Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students, you know exactly how to do this. The same system that you use to pitch clients for freelance work is exactly what you can do to pitch companies to work there. And again, whether you want to freelance for them or whether you want to work for them on staff, use the exact same system. Your cover letter should effectively be a pitch because again, it’s all about being helpful and all about showing that you are strategic and that you will hit the ground running as soon as you start working with them.” – Nicki
“What you should be taking away from this is that all of these opportunities are open to you. There’s no point at looking at a job and coming up with reasons not to apply for it or feeling like you need to be all of the things to all of the people, you don’t. You are enough. You are fantastic. Apply for these roles, people need the skills that you have, go out there and help these companies!” – Nicki and Kate
Mentioned on this Episode
Related Links
- Why Companies Requiring Experience for Copywriting Jobs is a Good Thing
- How to Land Copywriting Work with an Ad Agency
- Too Afraid to Pitch? Business Owners WANT Your Copywriting Pitches
- Why Freelance Copywriters Should Still Apply to Full-Time Jobs
- Supercharged Job-Hunting Tactics
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Last Updated on June 10, 2024
