Alex. Freelance Copywriter - Advertising

Alex is a twenty-four-year-old freelance advertising copywriter from London. She has been in the industry for three years.

How did you get into your field? What inspired you?

‘I graduated my creative writing degree with a First, majoring in scriptwriting, so I knew a creative industry job was going to be the best fit. Advertising seemed like a good place to start and has a stable income for the industry. I completed a graduate scheme with VCCP in Account Management, then made the leap into a Copywriter role for a small design agency. Now I work on a variety of copy and creative strategy projects, mainly in the social purpose space. I’ve also got my first short film in development, with a full production team on board and support from CANADA productions.’

Do you think your studies at University directly helped you get into your field?

‘My BA in creative writing definitely helped as I had samples of work to begin a portfolio with. It’s also liberal arts, analytical, and an interesting degree to set you apart from the crowd.’

Do you recommend any particular studies, courses or degrees for your field?

‘If you are looking to be a creative in advertising, a course at Watford of School of Communication 2.0 will help you find a partner and put together a portfolio. You won’t really get a look in if you don’t have the latter. If you’re a designer then somewhere like Shillington is a great place to get started.’

What does an average day look like in your role?

‘Meetings with clients to discuss new opportunities, or approaching new clients with potential concepts. I enjoy pitching, getting people on board with an idea, then helping to devise a verbal identity. For me, the bigger the better when it comes to writing - OOH strap lines and TV ads are the most fun to write, but a lot of work will consist of website copy and customer emails too.’

What is the best part of your role?

‘No two days are the same, and every brand is looking to create something distinctive. Working that out with them is a lot of fun. But the ultimate best part is being paid to use my imagination and come up with new ideas. It’s no wonder it’s so competitive when that’s your job role!’

What is the worst part of your role?

‘Being freelance, sometimes you have to take less exciting jobs to cover yourself (e.g. property brochures with less creative clients who want to play it safe). Then it’s difficult as it may not be something you want to include in your portfolio.’

How important is work/life balance to you and how much spare time do you have?

‘Very important. Any creative job varies in this respect though, and if you want to give the best to your clients, some days this will take longer. When a deadline is approaching hours can be long, but that’s the nature of the beast. The majority of the time you can dictate your own hours.’

Do you have any hobbies?

‘Life drawing, writing short film scripts, and I play for a local ladies football club.’

Do you have any advice for people looking to start a career in the same field?

‘Speak to as many people you can who work in the field you’re interested in. Roles can get complicated and there’s a lot of misleading language around it. You want to make sure you’re not pigeon holed into one role when really you’re interested in another - for example going into account management when you actually want to be a creative!’

Have you ever experienced any uncertainties about your career and what did you do to overcome them?

‘Yes definitely. One of my copywriting placements didn’t work out and it crushed my confidence. It took a lot of outreach and proactivity to stick to it but I’m really glad I did. You just always need to be hungry to improve.’

Who is your biggest female inspiration and why?

‘Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She’s a total BOSS and was never afraid to piss anyone off for what was right. She actively took the road less travelled.’