1/15 Blog Post 1: Professional Writing and Editing

Probably the best part about professional writing and editing, for me, is that the skills I acquire in learning the material are applicable across such a broad range of jobs. Being an effective writer is an important skill to possess in virtually any field, and effective writing is generally a good indicator that someone can also communicate well verbally.

Some of the different jobs detailed in the eCampus links include speech writer, the job that drew the most interest from me; medical writer, automotive technical writer, and communications manager, among many other occupations. There are also various editing jobs in the same general fields, as well as freelance work for both writing and editing.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) surveys on the median and average income for writers, especially technical writers, came as something of a surprise to me. My natural tendency is to lump writers into the "starving artist" category. That doesn't appear to be the case, at least for the more specialized types of writers.

I found the BLS site to be the most informative regarding the issues I'm most concerned about. The depth of the reasearch the bureau has done is really helpful in finding out about pay grade, both nationally and regionally, as well as the industries in which writers and editors are used. While I don't anticipate using my professional writing and editing education as my primary qualification on my resume, it's reassuring to know that there are a large number of jobs available for qualified people looking for work in the field.