Freelancing can be wonderful: All that freedom! But with that freedom comes a lot of risk ... if you don't have a proven system in place to find and land clients. If there’s no work, there are no paychecks. So, how do you avoid your income drying up? How do you ensure you always have money coming in to pay the bills and, let's be honest, have a little fun? A lot of people … [Read more...]
Can You Break Your Copywriting Contract Early?
A contracting gig is a great opportunity for a copywriter to earn some steady income, make new connections, and build your portfolio—all without being stuck on staff. But what happens if you want to break your copywriting contract? Are you trapped? The Difference Between Freelancing & Contracting For those of you who are little hazy on the difference between … [Read more...]
The Biggest Copywriting Print Portfolio Mistake
Your print portfolio is how you demonstrate your skills to a potential employer and walk them through the best of the work you've done thus far. But many copywriters are making a mistake that, at best, reflects poorly on them and, at worst, could cost them the opportunity. Now, you already know that your portfolio (both print and online) has to be in absolute, tip-top … [Read more...]
How to Optimize Your Copywriting LinkedIn Page
Sure, you know that LinkedIn is important...kind of. You put up a profile, but you haven't touched it in forever. Instead of just sitting there, your profile could be helping you get work—if you make some changes. Which changes are most important for a copywriter LinkedIn profile? First, let's take a quick step back to talk about why a good LinkedIn profile is so important. … [Read more...]
What’s a Copy Test?
As if life weren't full of tests and trials enough, you'll find that some jobs even require you to complete a copy test before you get the work—or even before a second interview. A copywriting test is a sample writing exercise. It's a way for a potential employer to see your skills writing for their particular brand. But what does that mean? And is it a good thing or a bad … [Read more...]
Should You Get a Copywriting Internship?
Once you're out of school, an internship may feel outdated. But when you see that the ad or in-house agency you really want to get into has only one opening and it's a copywriting internship, you may find yourself reconsidering. Strictly speaking, an internship is an opportunity for beginners in an industry to get practical, on-the-job experience. It's true that internships … [Read more...]
Building Your Career for Maximum Flexibility
Many people get into copywriting because they want the options to work where they want and when they want. And, of course, that's perfectly possible. But to do that successfully (read: without going bankrupt) they have to build their careers accordingly. Now, to state the obvious. You'll never have complete say in when you work since you'll always be creating work for … [Read more...]
How to Answer the Agency Experience Question
Many new copywriters have dreams of working in an ad agency. But it seems like many ad agencies are only interested in hiring you if you already have agency experience. A bit of a catch-22? Sure—but nothing you can't overcome. Here we offer some tips on how to address the question of whether or not you have experience as copywriter at an ad agency. Why Makes Agency Work … [Read more...]
Don’t Make This Mistake In Your Copywriting Spec Ads
You want your copywriting spec ad to be the best that it a can be. (Obviously!) But there's one huge mistake that a ton of new copywriters make that can absolutely tank their chances of getting work. Want to avoid it? I thought you might. I was watching some movie the other day in which a PR pro was advising a politician to reject the premise of a question. I'm going to do … [Read more...]
Where to Find Great Copywriting Jobs
Three-quarters of the battle to becoming a successful copywriting is getting the right training. But the other quarter is finding the right opportunities to get experience (and, of course, to get paid!). Where do you find those gigs and jobs? That's the magic question, isn't it? Well, luckily, I have the magic answer ... but it's not entirely what you think. There are … [Read more...]