Copywriters in this industry need to be undeterred and work creatively to meet deadlines.
What does a copywriter do? typical employers | qualifications and training | key skills
Copywriters are responsible for the linguistic content of the ads. They work in a variety of mediums and formats, interpreting account summaries to compose advertorial content such as taglines, taglines, tweets, and scripts for television and/or radio commercials. Typical responsibilities include:
- interpretation of account summaries
- researching customers, your competitors and the target audience
- produce original, clear and believable ideas/messages/scripts and present them to clients and colleagues
- campaign effectiveness tracking
- liaise with clients and colleagues, and meet with project teams to consider advertising requirements
- update and modify campaigns based on feedback
- supervising junior staff
- write reports.
- advertising agencies
- media agencies
- full service agencies
- excellent self-motivation
- adaptability
- commercial knowledge
- ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines
- good teamwork skills
- administrative and organizational skills
- mastery of you
- revision
- attention to detail
- accuracy both in terms of grammar and information, as ads must not be misleading
- creativity and ability to produce innovative and original ideas.
- view our marketing, advertising and public relations openings for graduates
The advertising industry is notoriously fast-paced and copywriters in this industry need to be undeterred and work creatively to meet deadlines. There is considerable contact with media planners and buyers and the in-house production department to develop ad campaigns. At many ad agencies, copywriters are part of the creative team, working almost directly with the art directors responsible for the visual content of ads.
Promotion is typically into senior writing/creative positions, although career progression may require moving agencies. most vacancies are in london, although large agencies also operate in manchester, bristol, leeds and birmingham, and there are smaller agencies throughout the uk. Many copywriters also go freelance once they’ve gained some experience and built up a portfolio of work.
Vacancies are advertised by recruitment agencies and in publications such as creative review , campaign , the drum , marketing , media week and marketing week . Some agencies operate graduate recruitment schemes, for which early application is recommended as there is intense competition for jobs. Some agencies offer internships and work experience placements, which can be a great way to gain experience and enter the industry.
Typical Copywriter Employers
qualifications and training required
There are paths to copywriting for both college graduates and high school leavers.
Any undergraduate subject is acceptable for entry into the profession, although English, journalism, copywriting, public relations, literary studies, or media studies may be particularly helpful.
Experience gained through internships and work experience placements can be helpful as you begin to build a portfolio of work. Experience in a business-to-business (B2B) environment can be especially helpful.
To find out how to enter a career in this area through a high school graduate pathway, visit the business section of targetcareers, our website geared towards high school graduates.
key skills for copywriters
It is essential to have a good appreciation of what it takes to work in the advertising industry. UK advertisements are often subject to strict legal regulations, so professional copywriters must continually update themselves and maintain their familiarity with industry trends and standards.
A good portfolio of work should be prepared to demonstrate skills to employers, who are looking for evidence of the following skills:
