Copywriter 

(Female, Age 24) from Lompoc, CA

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 24 who works as a Copywriter in Lompoc, CA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.

At a Glance

Current Job

Basic data on your current job

Job Title Copywriter
Salary $22,000
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week
Company Size (not answered)
Location Lompoc, CA
Years Experience 3 years

Career Ratings

Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)

Years in Career 0
Education (not answered)
Income Rating 0 / 10
Interest Rating 0 / 10
Work-Life Rating 0 / 10
Fulfilment Rating 0 / 10

Current job Q&A

Describe the type of organization you work for.
I am a freelancer for an agency with several major clients including STIHL and Universal Technical Institute. I was previously in-house as a copywriter and now telecommute.

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I write web and direct response copy for the agency’s clients and meet deadlines.

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
I feel I am well compensated.

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I converse through email to the head copywriter and creative director who send me jobs. I enjoy this as I communicate better through writing (of course).

Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?

Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?

Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work from home on a desktop computer (as laptops aren’t as good to type on for long periods, I feel). I like working from home because I can take care of my daughter as well, and work any hours which are convenient as long as I meet my deadlines. I do miss working in an office!

Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 8
Hours: 4
Co-Workers: 7
Supervisors: 5
Job Title: 6
Level of Responsibility: 3
The Actual Work: 1

A day in the life of…

Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:

5am to 6am
6am to 7am
7am to 8am
8am to 9am
9am to 10am I check my email for projects that have come in for the day. Usually I will get a batch of work from the main copywriter. If it is a more complicated project or I need direction I will hear from the creative director.
10am to 11am I browse copywriting blogs and websites for inspiration and ideas. I like to keep abreast with trends in advertising today and consider it an important part of my job. I have quite a few sites on my RSS feed so I usually have quite a bit to read.
11am to 12pm If time allows I will write sporadically throughout the day.
12pm to 1pm
1pm to 2pm
2pm to 3pm
3pm to 4pm
4pm to 5pm
5pm to 6pm
6pm to 7pm
7pm to 8pm
8pm to 9pm
9pm to 10pm
10pm to 11pm I am usually writing around this time as my daughter is asleep and I can do large sections at a time. Given the direction and information, I usually find the writing goes by quickly. Sometimes I have to do research depending on the topic at hand, which is easily done online.
11pm to 12am

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
Referral from my old company

What was the application process?
Originally submitted a resume and writing samples.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes…I had two interviews. One was with my creative director and one with two of the partners of the agency. I also got a mock assignment to do so they could judge my work.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
The main one I remember is that I was asked what I like about writing. That one threw me for a loop!

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
I feel that I learned a lot about editing myself, which is a huge part of my work. I think as far as writing goes, talent is innate.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend trying to get a position or internship in an agency, build a portfolio, and then post ads and appeal to other agencies as a freelancer.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
You have to be quick with turnaround. You may have a very tight deadline and must be flexible and be able to work all hours to get the job done. Also the ability to write for an audience rather than yourself.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes…I have a degree in English with a writing and editing focus and I feel this has helped tremendously.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Don’t feel discouraged if your assignments are not what you would normally write about. Also don’t get too attached to your work! Just have fun with it and type your heart out!

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
No. I would like to find a position in publishing, hopefully as an editor. I prefer editing other people’s work to creating my own.

What are your current career goals?
I will be relocating to England next year. I hope to find a position there in the publishing field, or at a tabloid.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?

Prior work history

Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:

Title Length Salary Description
Prior Job 1 Reporter 1 year 10000 I was the Sunday reporter for the Missourian. I wrote obits, police reports, and front-page human interest stories.
Prior Job 2 Section editor 3 years 6000 I was the Arts and Entertainment editor for my campus newspaper. I worked with reporters for stories and wrote articles myself. I was fully responsible for my section of the paper.

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:3.8

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
3.8 Southeast Missouri State University English
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)

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