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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[3:32] Whether you want a full-time position or you’re pitching for freelance work, avoid “one-click applications” at all costs! It’s worth doing a bit of research to find out who the hiring manager is as they are the best people to judge your application.

[5:35] Make sure you read through the *whole* job description. More and more companies (including FRW!) are burying little tasks in the application to help them weed out people who don’t read the full description.

[8:45] Don’t be dissuaded by the qualifications you might see listed on a job application. Employers have to ask for *some* level of experience otherwise they’d get applicants with … zero experience. The skills you show in your portfolio are going to have more of an impact—that’s another reason why your application needs to be in the hands of the hiring manager, not the internal recruiter.

[10:45] A lot of agencies ask for agency experience but don’t let that put you off. What they’re really looking for is that you can manage a lot of different projects and clients. And as a copywriter who’s built your own copywriting business, you already know how to do that!

[11:35] Be cautious when describing yourself as “detail-oriented” since employers may scrutinize your application more closely for errors. Instead, Kate and Nicki suggest demonstrating this quality by, ahem, reading the *full* job description!

Must-Hear Takeaways

“If you don’t take the job time to read the job description, you do not deserve the job. You don’t deserve an interview. It means you’re not going to take the time necessarily to do the work and to slow down and to give the work the time it deserves. So be thorough if it’s a job that you actually want.” – Nicki

“If you have a great portfolio, I don’t care if you went to college. If you can do the job well, then that’s what I care about. So when you see qualifications, things like ‘must have a bachelor’s degree in this’, same thing with experience, ‘must have two to three years experience’—people put that in there because they have to put something. If this is zero experience, then they’re going to get people with zero experience. And the truth is, CCA students, you don’t have zero experience.” – Nicki

“Along with qualifications, a big one is ‘must have agency experience’. A lot of agencies put that. And it’s kind of a catch-22 if you’re trying to break it into an agency. And literally every agency is like, well, you must already have agency experience. Don’t let that be a barrier either. I think the big thing agencies are looking for is that you can manage a lot of different projects, potentially multiple different clients. And as a copywriter who’s built your own copywriting business, you already know how to do that. You’re kind of like a one person agency already, right? You’re doing multiple different things, handling multiple different projects, multiple clients, multiple timelines. And so you can speak to that. So don’t let agency experience get in the way.” – Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• Ace Your Copywriting Interview (Part 2 of 3)
• Post-Interview Must Dos (Part 3 of 3)

Related Links

• Questions to Prepare For in a Copywriting Job Interview
• Copywriting Q&A: Super-Charged Job-Hunting Tactics
• How to Elevate Your Profile & Land Copywriting Clients on LinkedIn

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

The post Summer Rewind: Ep. 52 What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Check out the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

We start with a win from Rachel – a CCA student who is now pursuing a full-time career in copywriting!

[1:00] What is a copy test? Kate and Nicki explore what it is, why clients use them, the different ways copy tests are administered, and why you will inevitably encounter one at some point in your career.

[3:00] Our hosts chat about making sure that you are not working for free. You should only be tackling a small test project, like a sample product description. Occasionally, the client may time your test to see how you think in 30 minutes for example. Sometimes, a copy test may be paid.

[5:30] When you sit down for a copy test you can ask questions, just like you would with a paid project, so you can make sure you do the project well. It’s not a test just about your writing, but about you as a copywriter. Clients want to get a sense of how you work and how you think.

[9:00] The end result doesn’t tell the whole story. This gives a client a preview of what it is like to work with you.  You can include notes about your thoughts and process on the document to give them a bigger picture.

[11:30] Use this copy test as an opportunity to show a potential client how well you can write for them. 

[13:30] Remember you don’t have to take work from every single client out there. There are so many clients out there so if someone raises a red flag you can walk away. For example, if a client wants you to write a sales page as a copy test, that is not a test.

[16:00] If a potential client is asking for too much unpaid work as a copy test, it doesn’t have to be a yes or no. You can come back and gently coach them to be a better client and propose a more reasonable copy test or ask if they’re willing to compensate you for your work.

[20:00] You can respect yourself and respect your skills, and also respect your client and their needs.

Related Links

• What’s a Copy Test?

Mentioned on This Episode

• How Copywriters Can Negotiate with Confidence – with Susie Tomenchok

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 55: Building a Copywriting Side Hustle With a Full-Time Job – Claire’s Story

The post Ep. 56: What is a Copywriting Test and Should You Do One? appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:15] Nicki and Kate start the episode with stressing the importance of how sending a thank you note can set yourself above the competition. It is so rare to find prospective employees who send thank you notes. The rate of people who actually take the time to demonstrate that they are interested in something is very low.

[7:05] After you send your thank you note, there are a couple scenarios that could happen. This involves getting hired, another round of interviews, or getting told that the company is moving forward with another candidate. Nicki explains that if the company moves forward with someone else, this is a prime opportunity to ask for feedback. Receiving that feedback could make you marketable in the future, provide clarity, and even just … make you feel better.

[12:30] Don’t ever hesitate to ask for feedback because most people won’t offer feedback to you. Once you know what it was that kept you from that job, there’s opportunity for you to apply that feedback to the next position you look for.

Check out the previous two episodes for tips on what to do before and during a copywriting interview or discovery call. Nicki and Kate lend their expertise to help you bring your A game!

Related Links

• What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview (Part 1 of 3)
• Ace Your Copywriting Interview (Part 2 of 3)
• The Secret to Wowing Interviewers

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 53: Ace Your Copywriting Interview (Part 2 of 3)

The post Ep. 54: Post-Interview Must Dos (Part 3 of 3) appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:12] Nicki and Kate dive into what to do for your interviews and how to ace them. Kate notes that you should do your proper research and look into more than their homepage, as well as their social media presence. You want to know the company inside and out.

[4:23] Since you are going into an interview for a copywriting job, it’s important to look at the company’s ads and what those ads are saying. Nicki mentions that if it’s an internal agency, look at their marketing ads. If it’s an agency that has several clients, look at the agency’s clients and the ads and messages they’ve created for their clients. You should be really well versed on what that company is doing so you can come in and hit the ground running.

[6:35] If it’s a job that you know you really want, don’t hesitate to put together a spec piece. Don’t take something they’re doing now and try to improve on it. However, if they’re doing a campaign or something you feel you can build on, create a spec piece that can run in line with that campaign to show that you’re familiar with that brand and can build off an existing concept.

[8:55] Companies may ask specific questions during an interview. They also may dig into your portfolio and ask more pointed questions to that. Kate mentions the questions she’s heard and shares her experience.

[11:45] Our hosts talk about the question, “What is your writing style?” and how to answer it. Nicki then notes that copywriters who are good at what they do blend seamlessly into the company they’re working for; they don’t have their own writing style when it comes to working within an organization.

[13:50] Companies want to know that you can pick up the company voice. Depth and breadth should be in your portfolio to showcase that you can write in more than one type of voice.

[16:15] Nicki notes that the question, “who is your favorite copywriter?” is a bit tricky. However, you can redirect that and talk about your favorite piece of copy.

[19:00] Another question that may come up is, “how do you collaborate with designers?” That’s the opportunity for you to say that you like working closely with the people around you. The more you can show that you can work as a team player, shows that you would be able to come in and bring something to the team.

[22:30] Nicki notes how important it is to prepare your answers so that you can ace that interview. A ton of interviews still have those basic behavioral questions, so make you sure you have great answers!

[25:10] Don’t forget that in an interview, you are trying to market yourself. Think about how you can demonstrate how you, as a copywriter, will benefit this company. Nicki mentions how tempting it can be to talk about you, however the points you should hit are: this is what I’m looking for, why, and how this would benefit you if you hire me.

[31:06] When picking examples to tell in an interview, talk about stories that will show you in your best light. Nicki and Kate share their real life experiences and how this can translate in interviews.

[33:45] Our hosts mention that it’s important to come up with questions for the end of the interview. Cultural questions are very important, because that shows that you’re actually interested in the company and can see yourself working there.

Check out part three for tips on what to do after the interview. Nicki and Kate lend their expertise to help you bring your A game!

Related Links

• What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview
• Copywriting Q&A: Tough Interview Questions Copywriters Get

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 52: What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview (Part 1 of 3)

The post Ep. 53: Ace Your Copywriting Interview (Part 2 of 3) appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[4:00] Kate and Nicki start off this episode with some advice about applying to any sort of position. Do your research and know your audience, avoid a “one click application!” You want the application to make it past the first person looking at it and make sure it gets into the hands of the hiring manager.

[5:05] Be on the lookout for little tasks and instructions buried in the application. More and more organizations (including FRW) are doing this to make sure the applicants are reading through the whole job description.

[8:45] Don’t let qualifications listed on an application hold you up or keep you from applying. Employers have to put something there, but your skills in the specific field can equate to what they are looking for. This is another reason that doing your research is key, because the hiring manager, who is likely an expert in the field, will recognize the level of your skill set, so you want to make sure your application makes it through to them.

[10:45] It’s commonplace to list that you are detailed oriented when applying for a job. But Kate and Nicki both encourage the listeners to show it instead of list it, and it will carry a lot more weight.

Check out part two for tips on what to do during (and after!) the interview. Nicki and Kate lend their expertise to help you bring your A game!

Related Links

• Questions to Prepare For in a Copywriting Job Interview
• Copywriting Q&A: Super-Charged Job-Hunting Tactics

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 51: Working at an Agency & Collaborating with Other Copywriters – Jen’s and Julie’s Story

The post Ep. 52: What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview (Part 1 of 3) appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

When you get called in for an interview, you need to make sure your online and print portfolios are up to date and your resume and references are current. But you also need to be prepared to answer all kinds of copywriting interview questions. These are questions that are specific to copywriting—in addition to the “standard” interview questions.

No job interview is easy, but some copywriting interview questions offer additional challenges. Here’s the good news: With a little preparation before your copywriting interview, you will ace each one of them like a pro.

Before we get any further, we should note that obviously interviews are bound to vary from company to company and interviewer to interviewer. But there are some questions and topics you should be prepared to discuss. These are questions you’ll want to think about beforehand and have a ready answer.

Also, the answers to these questions are important insights into your understanding of copywriting, your working style, and your skills. Even if you don’t get asked these exact questions, you should find a way to work the answers into your conversation.

Here are a few of the toughest questions interviewers will ask related to your portfolio, work behavior, and work situations, and how you can craft your answers.

Portfolio-Specific Copywriting Interview Questions

What’s your writing like? How would you describe it?

This one is especially tough because it’s a trick question. As a copywriter, it’s never your voice that matters; it’s your client’s voice that does.

If you get asked a question like this, you need to explain that you write in the company’s brand voice. The brand may already have a set voice. Great! You’ll do the research to master that voice. If the company doesn’t yet have a brand voice, you’ll help them establish one that makes sense for the brand and will resonate with the target audience(s).

Before your interview, spend some time looking at the brand’s materials (website, social media, anything you can find!). You will be able to explain what you’ve noticed about the brand’s voice and any opportunities you see for the future.

Which piece in your portfolio is your favorite and why?

If this question comes up (and it very often does), it’s tempting to simply pick your favorite. After all, that’s what they asked for, right?

But just showing them your favorite piece, especially if it’s a piece in a style or medium that’s irrelevant to their company, doesn’t benefit you in any way. Instead of just pulling out your favorite piece, say something along the lines of, “I’d like to show you my favorite overall piece as well as my favorite piece that’s most relevant to this position.”

Be prepared, too, to explain what makes each piece a favorite—and don’t give a throwaway answer. “It was fun to write it!” doesn’t benefit you either. Tell them about something you learned while writing it, a challenge you overcame to put that copy together, or why it was so effective for the client. (Use analytics, too, if you can. For instance, if you wrote revised a current email and increased its open rate by 25%, you’ll want to mention that success.)

Now, obviously, your favorite piece is entirely up to you, but make sure that the reasons behind why it’s your favorite convey something. “It’s my favorite because it’s so clever” isn’t nearly as impactful as “It’s my favorite because it’s written in a voice that was a slight departure from the client’s past pieces and it was wildly effective.”

(Don’t have a portfolio? Here’s why you must have an online copywriting portfolio!)

What was your most challenging project?

What the interviewer is looking to get out of this question is:

• What you consider a “challenging project?”
• How you deal with challenges?

When you describe the project feel free to convey that it was troublesome, but just make sure to convey that you had it all under control. You’re not afraid of challenging projects! They want to make sure that if a challenging project comes up you won’t break down under the pressure. This is your chance to show them that you won’t.

Do you have a favorite copywriter? Who is it?

Quick: Name a copywriter. (Besides you or me.) It’s probably likely that you can’t. I’d have a hard time, too! And that’s the way it should be—the copywriter shouldn’t be the rock star; the copy should be.

To answer this question, you can simply say, “I don’t have a favorite copywriter, but I have a favorite piece of copy right now.” Then share what your favorite ad/marketing piece is and why.

It may be an older piece of copy or it could be something you saw on a billboard last week. The key is to explain why you think it’s so effective. Is it speaking to the target audience? Does it work well for the medium? Did it have a clear call to action? It may have a few factors that make it so effective.

Have you looked at our website? What piece of ours do you like best? What work have you done that’s most similar to our work?

The answer to the first part of this question needs to be a resounding “yes.” Don’t even dream of going to an interview until you’ve totally immersed yourself in their website, their social channels, and their general public presence.

As for the second part, you need to come to the interview prepared to discuss the work in the company’s portfolio just as much as yours. (If it’s an ad agency, you can usually find this in an “Our Work” section.) Evaluate everything carefully and decide which pieces you think would have been most effective and would resonate most with the intended target audience.

Being able to thoughtfully and insightfully discuss their work as well as yours offers a keen view into how you think about copy as well as how you write it. It’s good for them to know—so it’s good for you to share.

With a firm grasp on the kind of work that they’re doing, the clients they work with, and the audiences they target, you’ll be able to choose a piece from your portfolio that relates as closely to these as possible.

Behavioral-Related Copywriting Interview Questions

Now that they’ve seen your portfolio and know you can write, they want to know what kind of a worker and team player you are.

What are you looking for in a creative director?

Unless your answer is something like “Someone who doesn’t care when I screw around at work,” you can’t really go wrong with this question. Be honest: Are you looking for a mentor? A champion? A tough-to-please but supportive guide? Now’s your chance to find out what kind of creative director this company has.

How do you like to receive feedback on your work?

Again, this is your own preference. Do you like to get feedback as soon as possible? Do you prefer to get it in writing? Or does the thrill of getting it in public motivate you to do your best?

How do you prefer to collaborate with designers?

For this question, there’s one good answer, which is: a lot. You like to collaborate with designers a lot.

You like to work together in front of one screen, you like to concept together, and you know that design and copy need to work closely together for a piece to be great. And you prefer to work closely with designers versus going rogue on your own ideas. Basically: You are a team player.

Situational Questions

Interviewers love to get specific with how you’d act in a certain scenario. Come prepared with examples that answer questions like these.

When was one time you failed and how did you handle it?

Failure isn’t a bad thing. Interviewers want to hear about a time that something didn’t go according to plan, and they want to see how you got things back on track, what you learned from it, and how you applied those lessons to ensure that the same mistake didn’t happen again.

You’re in a meeting and everyone has come to a consensus, but you disagree. What do you do?

Generally, most employers don’t want an employee who is simply going to say “yes” to everything (if they do want a “yes” person, run). They want someone who is going to share ideas even when they’re different from the group. Of course, ultimately, if they decide they are going in a different direction, they want a team player who will get onboard.

What would you do if you were nearly done with a project and the goals of it changed?

Change happens. Potential employers want to know you’re willing to roll with the punches (if you’re freelance, obviously if priorities change from the original brief or scope of work, you’ll charge accordingly). While it’s frustrating to do work that then has to completely change, employers want to know you’re willing to do what it takes to get to get the project to the best possible place.

Remember: It’s totally fine to come with notes to an interview and to pause when a question is asked and say something like, “I actually wrote something down that I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget, so let me check my note on it…”

It shows that you prepared for the interview and are taking it seriously. No one is going to knock you for preparation!

Speaking of preparation, you’ll also want to come with your own list of questions. You may ask about the company culture, what your interviewer likes about working at the company, and other questions that help give you a sense of what it would be like to work at the company (just wait to ask about salary until after your initial interview!).

You want to make sure the company is a good fit for you just as much as the company wants to make sure you’re a good fit for them.

Watch for More Copywriting Interview Tips

If you have an interview coming up, watch this video for even more tips on how to ensure you put your best foot forward. You’ll also want to check out part one and three in this series to know what to do before you head to your interview and what to do after your interview is over.

Your Turn!

Are there any especially tough copywriting interview questions you’ve had to answer? What were they? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Ace These Copywriting Interview Questions to Land the Job appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

It’s hard enough to get started in copywriting without making one of these huge mistakes. And when I say huge, I mean huge: Any one of these is enough to delay your success, if not bring your career to a grinding halt.

And what’s worse, the vast majority of copywriters will make at least one of these mistakes, if not more.

So read on to find out what these mistakes are, and then read just a bit further to find out how to fix them.

5. Never Brand Yourself as a Copywriter & …

What I mean is, never brand yourself as a “copywriter/copy editor” or “copywriter/content writer” or “copywriter/designer“—hiring managers and recruiters will instantly know that you’re an amateur.

Too often, new copywriters think they need to add more services. More services means more clients, right? Not necessarily. What it more often means is you spread yourself too thin. And if you don’t have the proper training (design and copyediting are two entirely separate careers!), you risk delivering sub-par, unprofessional work.

There is more than enough work for you as as copywriter—without burning out trying to take on four different careers at once.

4. Never Charge in Any Way Other Than by the Project or by the Hour

If you’re charging by the word, you’re actually penalizing yourself for being a good copywriter! And offering to negotiate rates during the project or even <shudder> offering to work for free at first means you’re shooting yourself in the foot, big time. In fact, even charging by the hour sometimes means you’re getting paid less than you’re worth.

Here’s how to go about charging the right way—and ensure you’re making what you’re worth >>

3. Never Treat an Interview Like an Interview

I know, you’re thinking, “Why would I do that??” But I guarantee that at some point you will—and it will be a big mistake.

You need to treat an interview just like you would a copywriting pitch. You need to have researched the business and have a few ideas for how you could already, as a copywriter, benefit that business.

Here’s how to come prepared >>

2. Never Use a Standard Resume

If you’re relatively new to copywriting, your resume is chock full of non-copywriting work. Who’s going to hire you to write copy if all of your experience is in doing something else?

Here’s what to use instead >>

1. NEVER Get Started Without a Creative Brief

Too many copywriters—including seasoned pros—skip the brief. And guess what? It hurts both you and the client in the end. You deliver sub-par work the client isn’t thrilled with and you end up spending extra time you didn’t budget for making things right.

Here’s why the creative brief is a must for every project >>

Your Turn! What else should a copywriter never do? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post The 5 Things New Copywriters Should NEVER Do appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

You applied for the copywriting job and got the call to come in for an interview. Congrats! Now what? You need to prepare for the interview. This means having a ready answer for commonly asked questions and doing some prep work.

Your standard interview prep should involve familiarizing yourself with their company philosophy, reorganizing your print portfolio to features samples most similar to what they do, and preparing questions about how copywriters and designers work together in the company.

Much like any important test you ever took, you’ll want to thoroughly prepare and have the answers at the tip of your tongue.

Here are some things to do before—and during—your interview to get the job!

Create a Sample Piece of Copy Specifically for Your Interview

There’s a step you can take that will ensure you stand out from the competition and wow your interviewer. It’s something extra you can do that shows you’re both willing to go above and beyond and that you could come on board and hit the ground running.

The majority of agency websites will have a section that highlights their own portfolio of work—the pieces and campaigns they’ve put together for their clients. (In-house agencies are even easier since finding samples of their work often involves just finding advertising and marketing materials for the company.) Your key to ace a copywriting interview starts here.

What’s the best way to help your interviewer understand that you’ll be great at doing work for them? By doing a little of that work before they pay you to do it. If you want to wow your interviewer, create a couple of sample pieces that would fit in with the campaigns you see on their site.

Ideally, you’d work with a designer to create these samples just the way you would with other spec ads, but in this scenario—and only in this scenario—you could get away with just a copy doc that explains what the imagery would be.

I say that it’s acceptable to present just a copy doc because I’m assuming that you won’t have enough time to work with a designer. If this isn’t the case, though, definitely do everything you can to find a designer to mock up your concept. It will be much more impressive.

Why will these samples wow them? Well, first, they show that you’re willing to put in extra effort and that always looks good. But they’re also definitive proof that you know how to write copy, that you know how to write copy for a brand voice and campaign that are already established, and that you’d be able to hit the ground running as soon as they hire you.

And I can tell you for a fact that this works. Years ago when I was just starting out and applying for a contract role writing product descriptions for TJX (the parent company of TJ Maxx, Homegoods, and Marshalls), I didn’t have any samples that were applicable for that work.

So, what did I do? I put together product descriptions based on photos of clothing I saw on their site. The people I interviewed with specifically called this out and I can guarantee that these samples were a big part of why I got that contract work (which eventually became a full-time job as the sole copywriter for Marshalls).

Is it worth your time to put in a little bit of extra effort and create these samples? You’d better believe it.

Do Your Homework

The people you’re interviewing with want to know your insights based on what you’ve seen of their company. Research the company by digging into their website, look them up in industry publications, and follow them on social media. Google them to see what comes up. Have a prepared answer for the question you’ll most certainly be asked, “What do you know about our company?”

Make Associations

The prospective employer (or client if you’ll interviewing for a freelance job) already at least glanced at your online portfolio, but your prospective employer wants to know how you relate the work that you’ve already done with the work that they do. Show the interviewer work that relates to what they do. Make associations between the work you’ve done and their work. This not only shows you understand their company but that you’ll be able to be a good fit if you’re hired.

Have a Plan

The best interviewees will come in with three key points about themselves, their work, and their desired career direction to convey to their interviewer. They’ll have a plan about how they’ll convey the company’s or client’s unique selling proposition (or USP). Volunteer information about yourself and the benefits of hiring you. And when they ask questions, answer thoroughly and succinctly. You’ll be able to do this if you do your prep work beforehand!

During the interview, this prep work will pay off—and it certainly did for CCA student Shelby! Click here to find out more about how Shelby’s preparation landed her the job of her dreams.

Show Your Personality

Just as your work is being evaluated, you are being evaluated. Your interviewer wants to see if you’ll be a good fit with the team. Don’t hesitate to smile, joke, and talk about things you’re passionate about. After all, no one wants to work with someone who’s quiet and boring, right? Showcase your personality and friendliness and let them know you’d be a pleasure to work with!

Relax

An interview isn’t one-sided; it’s just as much for you to figure out if you want to work there as it is for them to figure out if they want to hire you. Remember that an interview is, after all, a conversation. Stay calm and answer questions as thoroughly as you can. Doing your prep work ahead of time will ensure you stay relaxed. 

Ask Questions

Who’s got the energy to think before or during a conversation? An interview should be an open dialogue. Ask questions throughout the meeting. Ask them anything you want to know about their company—anything you didn’t learn while researching them before your interview. 

One Final Tip

I have just one more tip—and it’s a tip to help you get the job of your dreams.

Often interviewers won’t call references until they’re about to make a job offer. But your references might help to sway the decision in your favor. So, don’t wait to provide your references, and don’t just hand over names and phone numbers. At the beginning of the interview, give your prospective employer an envelope with written references from one or two people who highly praise you. If possible, try to have these people write them out to be applicable to the job you’re interviewing for.

No interviewer is going to be able to resist opening the envelope after you leave, and the glowing praise will leave them with a good feeling about you after your interview is over. This “testimonial envelope” makes sure your interview and their experience with you ends on a high note.

Watch for More Copywriting Interview Tips

If you have an interview coming up, watch this video for even more tips on how to ensure you put your best foot forward. You’ll also want to check out part one and three in this series to know what to do before you head to your interview and what to do after your interview is over.

Your Turn!

What interview techniques have (or haven’t) worked for you? Do you have other tips to ace a copywriting interview? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How To Prepare for a Copywriting Interview appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

It’s completely natural and normal to be intimidated by reviews. After all, you agonize over a project only to present it and get feedback on it…live…and in public. And, of course, you can’t know what kind of feedback you get. (If you did, you’d have already incorporated it, right?)

But there’s one way to prepare yourself for whatever they throw at you. Ready for the secret? Simply, it’s to be prepared to explain every choice you made.

You need to be able to explain why you chose “and” instead of “but,” why you put a detail in the subhead instead of the head, why your body copy starts with a question… All of that. Everything.

But that’s not all that difficult! After all, every element of your copy is deliberate. You put thought and strategy into every word, word combination, and punctuation choice.

This strategy and these deliberate choices are part of what make you a good copywriter; there’s nothing haphazard or random or unplanned in your copy.

You have a reason for every choice you made. So, be prepared to explain each one.

When someone in the review asks you why you did something, be able to tell them. Or, more likely, when someone gives feedback that an element doesn’t seem quite right, explain why you did it the way you did.

Now, your explanation might not be enough to win the discussion, but it creates a dialogue. Explaining why you made the choices you did demonstrates both your skills and professionalism. It shows that you put a great deal of thought into your work. And it also allows you to talk with people in the room as equals and collaborators.

A creative review isn’t a firing squad; it’s a committee of people getting together to help create a piece. Being prepared to explain the work you’ve done in any detail necessary just establishes you as an important and respected part of that collaboration.

Being prepared to discuss your work gives you the certainty to answer any questions or concerns and that automatically gives you much more confidence as you go into each meeting. The key to feeling better about going into reviews? Be prepared.

Your turn! How do you prepare for creative reviews? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Secret to Being Prepared for Creative Reviews appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Your print portfolio is how you demonstrate your skills to a potential employer and walk them through the best of the work you’ve done thus far. But many copywriters are making a mistake that, at best, reflects poorly on them and, at worst, could cost them the opportunity.

Now, you already know that your portfolio (both print and online) has to be in absolute, tip-top shape. You need to be featuring the very best of your work and nothing at all sub-par. So, let’s establish this as your baseline.

But the big mistake that many copywriters make when they put together their print portfolio is just to take the piece they have on their online portfolio, throw them into archival sleeves and call it a day.

This Print Portfolio No-No Could Cost You the Job

When you go into an interview, you need to seem (and be!) utterly and completely prepared. So when a client asks to see the work that’s most similar to the work they do, and you have to open your portfolio and search for those pieces, you look dismally unprepared.

Flipping through page after page of work in search of the pieces that you know you’ll have to show a client makes you look like you haven’t put any thought or effort into the interview! You will, absolutely definitely, have to show a potential client your pieces that are most like what they currently do—and if they don’t ask to see them, you should suggest it!

You want it to seem like you’re both a perfect and easy fit for this role and one of the best ways to do that is to show that you’ve already done work just like the work they do and the work they’d need you to do. Makes sense, right?

But when you come in and that work isn’t front and center in your portfolio, it makes you look disorganized and, honestly, pretty thoughtless. It looks like you didn’t bother to rearrange your portfolio and, so, you don’t really care about this job that much.

So many copywriters make this mistake and it’s a huge turn-off for potential employers and creative directors, especially. They know that you should know better.

Put Pieces Related to the Job at the Front of Your Print Portfolio

So what can you do? Know better! Reorganize your portfolio to put the pieces you know you want to show them in the front of your portfolio. No flipping, no searching, just opening up your portfolio and showing them what you’ve got.

Then, after those pieces, put your other pieces that are in the same medium (emails, web pages, direct mail, etc.) that the company often works in. Work from most relevant to the company to least as you work your way back. They may end up wanting to see all of your work, but you’ll still want to start with the most relevant work in the front.

Reordering your print portfolio is so often skipped by copywriters, but such a crucial step. You’ll look professional and polished, and you’ll help to increase your odds of landing that dream job.

Your turn! What’s your pre-interview ritual? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Biggest Copywriting Print Portfolio Mistake appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.