Do You Need to Go to Advertising School to Become a Copywriter?

Silhouette of a woman wearing a graduation cap staring into a setting sun; portfolio school isn't the only way to become a copywriter.

Breaking into copywriting can seem hard: You need experience to get a job, and you need a job to get experience. Well, it turns out this isn’t quite the case, and one of the ways that people have found to get around this seeming catch-22 is going to advertising school or copywriting portfolio school. But, like any school, ad school is often expensive and time-consuming. So, while ad school may seem like a smart track to take, there’s an even smarter one.

What Is Advertising School?

First, let’s define what a “portfolio school” is. A portfolio school, or an advertising school, is a school that offers courses or programs designed to help you build and improve your portfolio. They’ll pair copywriters with designers and teach you how to concept, kill your bad ideas, and create ads. Sounds good, huh?

Well, there are three big downfalls to portfolio school.

Cons of Portfolio School

Ad Schools Cost Tens of Thousands of Dollars

Ad schools cost anywhere from $35,000 to $90,000. This cost is significant, especially since you’ve just gotten out of college and you’re eager to get a great job (and start paying off that student loan). Portfolio school is just going to take another chunk out of your savings—or require another loan. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big believer in investing in yourself, but you need to know your options to make sure you’re not paying more than you need to for the same experience.

Advertising Schools Take Years to Complete

The second downfall to portfolio schools is time. After all, the one year—or, more often, two years—you spend in portfolio school could be spent building your portfolio with paying clients. When you enroll in portfolio school, it’s like enrolling in college again: You learn on their schedule and by their rules.

There’s No Guarantee of Work

And the third downfall to portfolio school is that there are no guarantees. Of course, there are no guarantees with college either…but isn’t that part of why so many people are upset to find themselves jobless graduates? What I mean is that you may put all of your money into this course of study but never earn it back.

You Don’t Need a Degree or Certificate to Write Copy

It makes sense that you want to earn a copywriting certificate or have a program that shows you have education in copywriting. But the truth is you don’t need a degree or certificate to write copy.

The proof is in your portfolio. And, while a portfolio school can help build it, you can build your own portfolio.

Pros of Portfolio School

Now, don’t get me wrong. There are some very important positive elements about portfolio schools, too.

First, you need to get training in order to become a copywriter. The right portfolio schools will teach you the fundamentals of copywriting and teach you how to incorporate it into your work.

Second, you need to practice to get better. Portfolio schools will kick off project after project, just like in an agency or in-house agency, and you’ll get your practice in spades.

Third, you’ll get connections. You’ll meet other copywriters and designers. And, as long as the courses are taught by truly talented professionals (not professionals who are looking to supplement their incomes), you’ll meet seasoned veterans, too.

Great, right? Sure—except that you can get all three of those on your own, without the time, cost and risk of enrolling in portfolio school.

Get answers to you questions about copywriting

The Portfolio School Alternative

You can get everything portfolio schools offer … without spending $30,000+. Here’s how.

Find the Right Copywriting Course

You need to get copywriting training. This is non-negotiable, but you no longer have to enroll in advertising school to get it. You can find courses online that will teach you what you need to know (including, of course, our very own Comprehensive Copywriting Academy).

Just make sure that the course will teach you copywriting fundamentals and tactics, as well as how to work with a designer, present your work, navigate the project process, build your portfolio, and get work. You should also look for courses that will teach you not just how to write for digital copy projects but print, too.

And, you’ll want a course that teaches you the ins and outs of landing on staff work as well as freelance work. While you may have the freelance-or-bust mindset now, the perfect on-staff opportunity may crop up. You’ll want to be prepared to jump on it! Or, alternatively, you may love working on staff. But having the skills to freelance is essential for your own career safety.

Get Practice Copywriting

The only way to get practice is by digging right in. You want practice writing ads? Start writing ads! Take the training from whatever course you choose and then create some ads.

Create ads for brands that you would like to work for—keep them in the brand voice and make sure you get the right message across. These are called “spec ads“—they’re ads that you’ve made up to show potential employers what you can do. (Just make sure to label any spec ads as such.)

You can also pitch small businesses your services. Typically, small businesses don’t necessarily look for a portfolio. This way, you can not only get pieces for your portfolio, but you can get paid to create them!

Build Connections

Guess what? All the connections you need aren’t housed within a portfolio school. They’re in your city, in-house agencies, ad agencies, marketing agencies, or working at home on their own.

And you can find them pretty easily. Get involved in industry groups in your city. Attend industry events. And, if you want to get to know designers (so you can create some spec ads with them), find them on LinkedIn, look at their online portfolios, and connect with them. (If they don’t have their online portfolios listed on their profiles, they’re not at a professional level yet and you don’t want to work with them anyway.)

So, the final verdict. If you have the time and money, sure, going to portfolio school is a very solid option for getting your training and building your book. (As long as you choose a good school! If you go this route, do your homework.) But do you need to go to portfolio school? No.

If you’re ready to dig in, start learning right now and start building your book with ads (both spec and real). Your top objectives are to become the best trained professional copywriter that you can and to build a great portfolio. And you don’t need a brick-and-mortar school to do it.

Watch: Are Portfolio Schools Worth It?

On episode 135 of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Nicki and Kate dig into the pros and cons of portfolio school. And while Filthy Rich Writer’s signature program is the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy, there are pros to portfolio school! You need to weigh whether it makes sense for you and your goals. Listen in and determine the best next step for your copywriting journey.

Tips, Tools and Training for New and Aspiring Copywriters

Do You Need to Go to Copywriting Portfolio School?

What Is Advertising School?

Cons of Portfolio School

Ad Schools Cost Tens of Thousands of Dollars