There exists a common misconception in society regarding the utility of humanity degrees—particularly those in English. They are often seen as archaic and inflexible. As students of the English language, however, professional writers know this could not be further from the truth. English majors are curators and creators well-versed in all things content, design, and project management.
Nevertheless, some sort of disconnect continues to persist between what professional writers believe their degree to be—versatile and flexible—and what employers perceive it to be. As experts in written and visual communication, professional writing students already have an advantage, but there are certain steps that even the most seasoned expert should adopt in order to excel in the competitive job search arena.
There is a generally accepted rule that all professional writers believe to be true: never label yourself as a “professional writer.” Even if this is exactly what you are, this is too broad a term to include on your résumé. With the countless industries that professional writers can end up in, it is important that you cater to the specific industry to which you are applying.
Employers are looking for some sort of expertise beyond document design, typography and rhetorical analysis. That is why it is vital that you focus on the fields you would like to find a career in. So, if you are searching to start a new job with a marketing agency, your title should be something along the lines of “marketing specialist” rather than the relatively nondescript “professional writer.”
As experts in curating content, professional writers understand the importance of branding and maintaining the appropriate image. This should be no different at the personal level either. Create your identity; find one that is recognizable, original, and consistent. CocaCola is identifiable thanks to its cursive-lettered logo and high-contrast colors. Create a design and use the same elements across everything that may be sent to a future employer. This includes business cards, résumés, letterhead, and other printed materials.
Just as you should use your personality in creating an individual brand, you should also use it to create and maintain a personal website and portfolio. There is no better way to showcase what you are capable of than by showing what you have done in the past. If you are an expert in Adobe Creative Cloud programs, prove it with design and document layout work you have done in the past. If you want to dive into the world of technical writing, use documents that you have created either while in school or during internships.
Applications to some jobs may require that prior work be submitted, so keeping your best samples in one place will make this a much easier, more streamlined process. Include your website URL on your business card, résumé and letterhead so that employers can find their way to your work on their own. Additionally, employers may log on to view your work even if they are not requiring you to submit examples of prior work, which can give you an advantage over other applicants.
The most important aspect of marketing yourself as a professional writer, however, is to value industry experience over everything else. Considering the way humanities degrees are viewed, especially in the highly technical fields professional writers often enter, it is important to acquire tangible, résumé-worthy experience before you enter the job market. This can be acheived via numerous methods including internships, paid work, freelancing or even volunteering your expertise to organizations, companies and individuals.
More specifically, it is important that you obtain experience that is relevant to your desired industry. A student interested in pursuing a career in marketing may gain some valuable skills by spending the summer at a biotech firm writing technical documents, but they might benefit more from working at an advertising agency or in the marketing department of a large corporation. Simply put, the experience gained for this student is not bad experience, per se, but it may not be relevant.
Regardless of how they perceive an English degree, employers have been slow to adopt the idea professional writers are, in all actuality, very versatile and flexible. By properly marketing yourself and taking steps like the ones above, however, you can be on your way to that dream job in no time.
