Getting work, Part 1: The clips

I confess. This blog has arisen out of some extraordinary rejoicing on my part. I've landed a copywriting job at the Brooklyn Public Library, after only five weeks in New York City, the first three of which were largely devoted to recovering from a five-day road trip across the United States, and adjusting to the new city. It's the first job I've ever applied for, in my life, and I landed it.

First and foremost: you have more experience than you think you do. Writers always do. In my case, it was copyediting I used to do for my mother, and a handful of projects I did as a teenager for a non-profit. Beyond actual material you may or may not have produced in your career: you can make things up. This is not against the rules, particularly not in copywriting, where creativity counts for everything. For magazine writing, it is usually necessary to have had your work published, and of course it is completely unethical to indicate you have published work for a magazine when you have not. For copywriting, however, as long as the words and ideas are your own, it simply does not matter if this work has ever been professionally produced. If you can write good, compelling copy for a brochure, you need not have graphics designed for it, you do not need to produce anything other than the words. If your portfolio is completely empty, start writing. Find companies you know something about - people your parents have worked for or who have worked for your parents. Got friends with small business ideas? Offer to produce some of their material for them.

When you have this material gathered together, choose some pieces that are significant to the job for which you are applying. For the Brooklyn Public Library, I chose a press release I did for a online educational community and the text of a brochure I did for a non-profit dedicated to helping children in abusive or impoverished homes in Oakland. The first mirrored the BPL's dedication to education, the second demonstrated that I understood non-profit companies. If you don't have materials that match the job you're going for, go ahead and produce something. Even trying your hand at a fictional brochure or website content can give you some insight into how best to write for a particular industry - insight which will serve you well in your cover letter and interview.