Writers and Authors
Overview
SaveJob 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, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $133K |
| Median: | $67K |
| Low: | $35K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- 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.
- Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
- 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.
- Review advertising trends, consumer surveys, and other data regarding marketing of goods and services to determine the best way to promote products.
- 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.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
English Language
100%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Sales and Marketing
86%
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.
Communications and Media
84%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Customer and Personal Service
81%
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
71%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics
58%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administrative
57%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Administration and Management
54%
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.
Sociology and Anthropology
53%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Psychology
52%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Top 10 Skills
Writing
95%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension
83%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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
78%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
73%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Time Management
73%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Learning
68%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Coordination
68%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion
68%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Social Perceptiveness
68%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Top 10 Abilities
Written Expression
93%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
83%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Comprehension
80%
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.
Fluency of Ideas
78%
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).
Originality
78%
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.
Speech Clarity
73%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
73%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Near Vision
68%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Deductive Reasoning
63%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Top 10 Work Activities
Getting Information
90%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
84%
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.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
81%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Selling or Influencing Others
81%
Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Thinking Creatively
77%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
74%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
72%
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
72%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
72%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
72%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
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.
Education
Interests
Artistic
99%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Enterprising
69%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Investigative
47%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Conventional
46%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Social
41%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Realistic
15%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
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.