How To Land That First Copywriting Job

The complete foot-in-the-door guide.

So! You got your college degree. You love to write and you’re pretty sure you’re good at it. There’s a profession for you, my friend: copywriting. This guide will take you from unhired to hired.

Who am I? A copywriter. My credentials: I’ve never been fired, my hair is starting to turn gray, and I can’t write unless I’ve eaten plenty of snacks. WEE-OOOO WEE-OOOO CLEAR THE ROAD WE GOT AN EXPERT COMIN’ THROUGH.

I will cover five chronological steps in this guide:

1. Write all the time
2. Read about writing
3. Apply for jobs
4. Go on interviews
5. Get hired and stay hired

You might have some questions, so feel free to interrupt me at any time to—

Yes. Hi. What exactly is copywriting?
Great question. You are dialed in. It’s basically writing advertisements. The goal is to use your words so perfectly that it gets your audience to take the action you want them to take. “Buy these shoes!” “Watch this demo!” “Visit Delaware! We’re incredibly lonely!” And so on.

You will constantly battle insane client feedback, severe procrastination, and even more severe self-doubt. It’s life-giving and soul-crushing all in the same day. You’re a complete moron for wanting to do this, and I love you for it.

Copywriting is most definitely NOT copyright law. Prepare yourself for infinite conversations that start with “So, what do you do?” and end with you trying to explain that you’re not a lawyer.

How to be a copywriter

Step 1: Write all the time

To get a copywriting job, you have to have a résumé and writing samples. When my office gets copywriting job applications, many of them are from recent graduates who attach papers their professors graded.

Wait. Is that bad? College papers are the only things I’ve written!
Totally understandable. The stuff you wrote in school is a good way to show a company you know how to string sentences together. The problem is, you’ll have a hard time distinguishing yourself from other applicants.

To stand out, don’t attach the eight pages you wrote on Henry IV, Part I. Attach the stuff you actually wanted to write.

Like what?
Whatever you’re passionate about. This is the stuff that shows your true writing style and lets you and a company know if you’re a match.

So, I have a challenge for you. You want to write? Prove it. Write something new every day. Publish it on Medium or Wordpress or Tumblr or anything that rewards your effort with a URL you can share with employers.

After I graduated college and before I got hired, I loved writing about sports and entertainment with a sarcastic tilt. I had a crappy blogspot site called Common Vents—kind of like Common Sense, but way more whiny. Clever, right? RIGHT?

Anyway, I got my first copywriting job eight years ago because my boss couldn’t stop laughing at my analysis of famous One Tree Hill quotes.

If you want to write for a living, you need to prove it by writing because you want to, not because your GPA depends on it. Write every day and be authentically you. The right company will want your voice.

Step 2: Read about writing

Stepping outside your own brain is a guaranteed way to become a better person and a better writer. One of the easiest ways to do this is by reading books.

A quick Google search will tell you exactly what books you should read to learn about copywriting. Here are a few that I’ve read that you should, too.

• The War of Art and Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
• Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
• Influence by Robert Cialdini
• Marketing: A Love Story by Bernadette Jiwa
• Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark

How To Read Books (And How To Stop)

Step 3: Apply for jobs

Stop writing cover letters.

Yes, even if the job posting asks for one. Instead, attach your résumé and your three most applicable writing samples.

Keep your email short and sweet. Like this:

Subject line: Application for [position]

Hi. Your company looks fantastic and I’d love to be your new [position]. My résumé is attached and you’ll find a few of my writing samples below.

Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Thanks for taking a look!
[Your name]
[Your phone number]

Hang on. Why am I not writing cover letters?
I am LOVING your questions. It’s like we share a brain.

You’re not writing cover letters for a few reasons.

1. Cover letters are basically college English papers. A cover letter is a voice that’s buttoned up and trying too hard. I’m not interested in that. I want to see your true writing style. Is it humorous? Emotional? Technical? A little bit of everything? Show me the writing samples instead.
2. Cover letters are not worth the time investment. In the time it took you to write that single cover letter, proofread it, and agonize over sending it, you could have applied for seven copywriting jobs and emailed three additional companies you love just to see if they’re hiring. Instead, you spent all that time and effort on something that probably won’t be completely read. BLARG.
3. Cover letters suck and make all parties sad. Scientifically backed.

Okay. Compelling argument. Anything else?

• Update your social media bios. Bad: “I’m a wannabe writer.” Good: “I’m a writer.”
• Do some spring cleaning on your social media accounts. Your form in that keg stand is admittedly sick, but it might keep you from getting a callback.
• Once you’ve gained copywriting experience and talented designers have made your dumb words look genius, you can stop sending links to URLs and create your own copywriting portfolio instead. Here’s mine. Again, use the power of Google to see amazing copywriting portfolio examples.

Step 4: Go on interviews

Much like your writing samples, I advise you to be yourself in interviews. Pay attention to the vibe you get during each one. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to decide if it’s the right place for you.

You will go on a LOT of doomed interviews. Interviews that are so bad, they’ll make you want to stop trying to write. Ignore the failure and rejection and keep being yourself. The right place is out there.

You will have some amazing interviews. Interviews where you meet everybody, get the office tour, and are told you’re one of a few finalists out of hundreds of candidates. Then they’ll say they loved you but they’re going in a different direction. Chin up. You’re amazing. Keep going.

Any tips to make my interviewing skills stronger?
Why, yes!

• Research the company
• Smile, make good eye contact, give strong handshakes
• For crying out loud, ASK QUESTIONS WHEN THEY ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. Your curiosity is a massive plus for employers. How do they deal with insane client feedback? What’s the collaboration process like? What’s the best work they’ve done at this place? On a scale from zero to Costco, how stocked is the kitchen?

Step 5: Get hired and stay hired

Buckle up. The tips are comin’ in hot.

• Hit your deadlines. Whenever possible, try to give designers your copy well before they expect it.
• If a colleague is swamped, help them out. Do not make a big deal about it and definitely do not complain.
• You can’t have too many headline options.
• Never throw a colleague’s work under the bus in front of clients (Yes, I’ve seen this happen more than once).
• Collaborate as often as possible with fellow writers and creatives. You make each other better.
• Try not to say no to work-related social events, especially early on. My Medium avatar was taken during the annual River North Challenge. My former colleagues and I dress like nincompoops and have an absolute blast running all over Chicago.
• Be strong and confident during presentations to your colleagues and clients. You are the copy expert in the room. Own it.
• Read your work out loud to gain a different perspective. Mandatory when you’re scriptwriting.
• Run away screaming from a dysfunctional office. Hold onto a healthy office culture for dear life.
• When you receive crushing feedback that makes you question whether you’re supposed to be in this industry, give that feeling the finger and get back on the horse.

Get that foot in the door!

If this guide helped you land that first copywriting job, please let me know. I want to congratulate you and celebrate with you—and even buy you a drink if you’re in the Chicago area.

There is nothing like turning a blank page and a blinking cursor into unique, memorable copy. You won’t experience that feeling every day, but when you do, it will fill your soul.

You can do this.

Go.

The Writing Cooperative is a community of people helping each other write better. Become a member to join our Slack team, get fresh eyes on your writing, and participate in the 52-Week Writing Challenge!