fbpx

If you want to hire a writer, get a writer to write the ad

June 29, 2018

The company is advertising for a writing job, but it lets HR goons write the job description.

And so the company seeks a writer who is a “self-starter with ability to work independently and juggle multiple projects and deadlines.” Because nothing motivates a writer like the promise of lonely desperation.

The company further specifies that it needs someone who is “responsive and focused on executing in a fast-paced environment.”

If a writer thought she could get away with working on what she wants and at her own pace, she wouldn’t be applying to work for you.

The company requires “solid judgment.”

Charles Manson thought he had solid judgment.

And finally, the company requires with the “ability to effectively analyze, write and deliver information.”

Well, it is a writing job.

With such bloodless, generic and meaningless language, companies discourage all but the most desperate and mediocre writers. Everyone else stomps back up into their garret to starve for another year, with dignity.

If you’re going to advertise for a writer, let a writer write the ad.

______

This article originally appeared on writingboots.typepad.com.

Author

  • David Murray

    David Murray heads the global Professional Speechwriters Association and the Executive Communication Council, and comments daily on communication issues on his blog Writing Boots. He is an award-winning journalist and is editor and publisher of Vital Speeches of the Day. He is the author of Raised By Mad Men, a memoir about his advertising parents, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller Tell My Sons: A Father’s Last Letters.

    View all posts
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

You may also like…

Webinar: Finally Write That Novel

Gotham Ghostwriters is proud to regularly host webinars that benefit both our clients and network of ghostwriters. In June, we hosted “Finally Write That Novel,”

Stay Connected

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Words to the Wise, for industry trends and publishing advice.