Do you need a formal qualification to succeed as a writer or editor?
My students often ask me if they need a degree to build a career out of working with words.
My view? A degree might train you to think through problems. It can also give you the confidence to hold your own in a meeting with clients. But going to college isn’t the only way to develop the skills you need to be a great writer or editor.
Now, I’ll admit I have four degrees – three in English literature and one in Law – so it’s possibly all well and good for me to say that.
So I decided to ask the peeps of Twitter what they think: is it necessary to have formal qualifications to succeed as a copywriter? What about as a proofreader?
The first thing I asked about is copywriting. Scroll down if proofreading is more your thing.
Do you need a degree to succeed as a copywriter?
Do you need a university qualification to be a copywriter is a question I’m often asked by students of my course Freelance Copywriting: How to Succeed as an Elite Copywriter (available to you when you enrol in the Doris and Bertie Writing School).
My answer? A strong “No”: you don’t need a degree to be great copywriter. Still, I decided to see what others think by putting the following call out on Twitter:
Are you a copywriter? Do you have a degree or formal qualification? Would you recommend higher education to a budding copywriter?
Here’s what the copywriters of Twitter came back with…
Our surveys consistently find that education has little impact on your fortunes as a copywriter. If anything, you may be better off NOT going to uni (in purely financial terms).
— ProCopywriters (@procopywriters) January 8, 2021
Not at all. A good CD/Head of Copy to mentor you and time-served in a strong, multi-disciplined and well-structured agency with a breadth of clients will take writers much further than a degree. You'd need to be capable of degree-level thinking, though.
— DAtkin (@DeeAisha) January 8, 2021
I'd say not necessarily, but I've noticed a lot of job descriptions do ask for it. This from someone with a creative writing and drama degree.
— Greg Henley (@gregwritescopy) January 8, 2021
The latest @procopywriters survey has some data on copywriting and education level too: https://t.co/8HckYCBnfX
— Greg Henley (@gregwritescopy) January 8, 2021
No
— Siberian Sharky (@Sofya_Fr) January 8, 2021
Yes. To do our job well across multiple sectors, we need to know stuff and lots of it. That's why we're all lethal at pub quizzes.
— Helsy (@auntie_helsy) January 7, 2021
If it provides greater insight into the job, yes. A friend of mine is an engineer, writes for semiconductors/tech. I just finished my MBA, mostly do biz/investment stuff now.
— Writer Dave (@H_Crun) January 7, 2021
Hmmm... interesting question. I would say it is possible, but there is so much more to it than many might assume. I guess it depends on the clients people are aiming for. Many clients wouldn’t know any better, yet others would have v high expectation.
— Amanda Hepburn 💙 (@dancinggecko) January 5, 2021
Do you need a degree to succeed as a Proofreader?
I get the same question about qualifications from students on my course Proofread Like a Pro (also yours when you enrol in the Doris and Bertie Writing School).
As with copywriting, my feeling is that you don’t need a degree to be a good proofreader. But, again, I turned to Twitter to see what others think. I put the following questions to my followers:
Are you a proofreader? Do you have a degree or formal qualification? Would you recommend higher education to a budding proofreader?
Here’s what the proofreaders of Twitter came back with…
I am (well, proofreader/editor), somewhat by mistake. BA, but no specific qualifications. I don’t think higher education is *necessary* to do the job, but it will hone your language skills.
— namonaug (@guanoman) January 7, 2021
I think what really matters is good-quality training in proofreading, regardless of whether it leads to something that's recognised as a formal qualification. A degree might help to convince some clients of your credibility, but I don't see it as essential.
— Graham Hughes (@GHughesEd) January 4, 2021
I agree with @GHughesEd. Good-quality editorial training is essential; a degree is not. Also essential? A love of reading, good general knowledge, excellent knowledge of grammar and punctuation, the ability to look things up, the ability to keep learning.
— Jane Hammett (@jane_hammett) January 4, 2021
Degree or no degree: so what’s the verdict?
Overall, professional copywriters and proofreaders don’t think a degree is needed to do their jobs - although a university qualification may give you credibility with your clients.
What can help are curiosity, a love of words, a commitment to lifelong learning, and guidance from experienced professionals in your field.
If you’d like to invest in your writing or editing skills, check out what’s on offer at the Doris and Bertie Writing School.
