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>Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications
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>Writers and Authors
Writers and Authors
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $35K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $49K
Median Salary: $67K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $94K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $133K
Demand
Core Tasks
Discuss with the client the product, advertising themes and methods, and any changes that should be made in advertising copy.
Present drafts and ideas to clients.
Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.
Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.
Conduct research and interviews to determine which of a product's selling features should be promoted.
Invent names for products and write the slogans that appear on packaging, brochures and other promotional material.
Review advertising trends, consumer surveys, and other data regarding marketing of goods and services to determine the best way to promote products.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
English Language
95%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Communications and Media
88%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Sales and Marketing
81%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Customer and Personal Service
70%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Computers and Electronics
61%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management
56%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Clerical
52%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Telecommunications
52%
Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Sociology and Anthropology
45%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Production and Processing
43%
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Top 10 Skills
Reading Comprehension
85%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing
85%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
73%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
70%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving
65%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
65%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination
63%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion
63%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Social Perceptiveness
63%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Top 10 Abilities
Written Comprehension
85%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
85%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension
83%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Near Vision
75%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Originality
73%
The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Fluency of Ideas
70%
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Problem Sensitivity
70%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Deductive Reasoning
68%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Information Ordering
68%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Top 10 Work Activities
Thinking Creatively
96%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Getting Information
95%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
89%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
88%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
85%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
82%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
82%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Selling or Influencing Others
82%
Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Interacting With Computers
80%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
77%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Detailed Work Activities
Confer with clients to determine needs.
Present work to clients for approval.
Write advertising or promotional material.
Develop promotional strategies or plans.
Conduct market research.
Monitor current trends.
Collaborate with others to prepare or perform artistic productions.
Conduct research to inform art, designs, or other work.
Collaborate with others in marketing activities.
Edit written materials.
Obtain copyrights or other legal permissions.
Write material for artistic or entertainment purposes.
Coordinate artistic activities.
Discuss production content and progress with others.
Majors
Major
Interests
Enterprising
96%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic
91%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Conventional
43%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative
43%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social
34%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic
24%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Attention to Detail
96%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability
95%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Innovation
93%
Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Integrity
88%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation
86%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Adaptability/Flexibility
84%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Initiative
84%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Achievement/Effort
81%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Stress Tolerance
80%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Persistence
78%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Work Values
Achievement
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Support
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions
60%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
