In the Navy:
Communication Director; Creative Director; Mass Communications Specialist; Multimedia Director/Producer; Pictorial Editor; Weapons Technical Information Officer; Writer
When a nineteenth century British author wrote “the pen is mightier than the sword,” he was referring to the tremendous power of words used skillfully by writers and authors. Writers use their language skills to produce content for an audience. They compose books, movie screenplays, magazine articles, and web content. Writers need creativity to come up with ideas, critical thinking skills to convey their concepts clearly, and persuasively, when needed, and adaptability to understand their audience’s perspectives. The work of different types of writers varies significantly: creative writers like novelists, songwriters, poets, and playwrights are generally self-employed, and may labor for months or years before getting published, while technical writers and copywriters often work 9-to-5 jobs with a clear career path. Copywriters work on ad campaigns, and technical writers prepare instruction manuals and how-to guides. Using specialized skills, often learned on the job, they simplify complex ideas for the public, or write highly-technical material for a specific professional audience. Writers and authors often work in offices, but may work from any location with Internet access. Most writers have a bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, or English, and lots of writing practice. Aspiring writers who want to enter the field often gain experience from internships, blogging about their personal interests, writing for school publications, small businesses or non-profits, or local news organizations.
What they do:
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
On the job, you would:
Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.
Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
Present drafts and ideas to clients.
Business
sales and marketing
customer service
Communications
multimedia
Engineering and Technology
computers and electronics
Basic Skills
writing things for co-workers or customers
reading work related information
Social
changing what is done based on other people's actions
talking people into changing their minds or their behavior
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Verbal
communicate by writing
read and understand what is written
Ideas and Logic
come up with lots of ideas
create new and original ideas
People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.