Los Angeles is a city known for its opportunities, and also for its expensive living. It is a media capital, and many writers have flourished there in many fields, such as IT, creative media, business, and science. However, with its extravagant environment, Los Angeles is an easy place to be poor if you don’t make it big. It may be best to get hired there in a large company before packing your bags and heading out there on a whim. Finding writing jobs in Los Angeles can be a grueling process, but once you land a position, you are secure. That being said, writing jobs in Los Angeles consist of these position titles and more: creative development/story writer, blog writer, content writer, principal writer, social media writer, curriculum writer, and proposal writer. Just like any other city, there is a great variety of writing jobs. However, as one might expect, there are plenty of positions geared towards the entertainment industry.
The following is a detailed description of writing jobs in Los Angeles that are common:
IT Writers
Palo Alto is a household name in technology, and it is also in the state of California. But that does not mean that Los Angeles does not offer outstanding opportunities for technology specialists as well. In fact, the whole of California draws in many technology companies due to its strong presence of academia, its cultural impact on the rest of the nation, and its good weather. But in regard to Los Angeles, it is branded as a startup place. Countless technology startups begin there.
Tech companies that are popular in Los Angeles: SpaceX, Blizzard Entertainment, HauteLook, Riot Games, Google, Netflix, Technicolor, Beachbody, Hulu, Activision, Snap, and many more. All these companies require and seek out different types of writers to fill their offices. Content writers, blog writers, technical writers, social media writers, and other related positions are common within the walls of these companies. If you are searching for writing jobs in Los Angeles, these companies are a fine place to start.
In order to be a tech writer, you need to be firstly interested and somewhat competent in technology. Secondly, you should have the writing skills to back up your application. Commonly, these skills are developed through getting a degree in a writing-related discipline. Getting a degree in technology is another route, however you must put in the writing practice in order to obtain a position that deals with writing on a regular basis. In this respect, having a solid portfolio of writing samples of your own will help you land your ideal job. Usually, employers ask for a portfolio of your work, or at least writing samples. This demonstrates to employers that you know how to get the job done and that you can handle the tasks that you will be working on.
On the money side of things, IT writers make a substantial amount of cash. The common annual salary for IT writers ranges from $60,000 to $100,000, which is higher than most jobs dealing with writing. Most parents will tell their children not to become writers, but tech writing is a field that parents can get behind. Being a writer does not mean you live in the air. Writers are an integral part of tech companies the world over.
Creative Writers
Creative writers are in high demand in Los Angeles. The entertainment industry, as you might know, is gigantic there, and is flourishing. Unlike almost any other place, finding writing jobs in Los Angeles pertaining to creative work is not impossible. It is still is not easy to land a job doing creative writing, but in Los Angeles, it is easier than other places due to the nature of the popular industries there.
Creative writing can correlate to many different fields. Creative writing can even be involved in business and finance. To be creative while writing means to be flexible, inspired, engaging, and to write content that is not dry. Though most people associate creative writing with poetry, fiction, essays, and other writing directly from a master’s in fine arts degree, it also incorporates writing that is written to catch the attention of customers and that interacts with an audience in a personable way.
Creative writing jobs can involve article writers, poets, fiction writers, essayists, website copywriters, and more. Many businesses want writers to be adaptable and skilled in creating a voice, as dry writing rarely catches customers’ attention. Each company has a blog, or a place on the Internet that gives updates on products, services, and actions by a certain business. These blogs require excellent writers who can write in a flexible way. This type of writer needs to adapt to SEO requirements and the voice a company desires to portray.
On the other hand, you can make it as a novelist or short story writer in Los Angeles, but the chances are stacked against you—even if you live and write in this city that is prided on its entertainment industry. Most likely, you will want to have a part-time job or even a full-time job to supplement your personal creative writing sales. There have been many famous writers who have survived on their personal writing alone, but be ready to scrape by for years, or even your entire life, if you want to go that route. The life of the novelist, essayist, or short story writer is not an easy one, even if you have talent and passion.
On another note, if you look at job boards right now for creative writing jobs in Los Angeles, you will find vacancies for creative writing instructors, creative writing interns, writers, creative writing mentors, copywriters, creative writing workshop instructors, content writers, sports writers, curriculum writers, and much more. More than most places, Los Angeles has a strong base for creative writing jobs.
To become a creative writer is more of a personal journey than an academic one. However, it helps to have a degree in the fine arts, writing, editing, journalism, communications, or a similar degree. This, paired with an outstanding portfolio of writing samples, is what will land you a solid job in creative writing. Usually, the vacancies for such positions are not often open for long and are competitive in the hiring process. Be sure to present yourself through your resume, cover letter, and portfolio as an exceptional creative writer that has won awards and recognition.
Business Writers
As I mentioned before, writing jobs in Los Angeles come in the form of business writing, especially blogs. Blog writers are needed in each company, as they represent the company, and need to portray the voice of the company’s philosophy. There is also a need for website content writers, which is also a creative position because you need to find ways to engage customers with products and/or services that might seem dry on paper. Knowing how to bring the flare and passion to writing about mundane topics requires special practice.
To become a blog writer for a company, it is best to have a proven track record for blog writing for companies prior to applying. However, if you are applying for your first corporate blog writer position, it is fine to have plenty of personal blog writing experience on multiple platforms. You should also be a keen editor, as most companies do not want to hold your hand during the writing process.
Also, having a BA or MA degree in a writing-related discipline is important. Employers want to know you can pull through difficult tasks, and that you have the educational backing to write well and edit well. Going to college also teaches you to be a team player, which is another aspect of the work environment employers pay heavy attention to.
If you search on online job boards presently for writing jobs in Los Angeles that pertain to business, you will find positions like business writer and researcher, business content writer, proposal writer, marketing copywriter, business plan writer, social media writer, and more. The scope for business writing jobs in Los Angeles is quite wide.
Science Writers
Writers in science come in many forms. In fact, if you look through a Web search of science writing jobs in Los Angeles right now, you will see positions like medical writer, health writer, technical writer, manager of scientific communications, regulatory writer, grants writer, report writer, and much more. These positions are quite specialized, and are high-paying, as one might expect from the scientific field.
To become a science writer is not easy. As you might have guessed, you need to have a degree in either science or writing, but most likely, you will have a focus on science in your education. Since science is such a complex discipline, you will need to know a vast amount of knowledge about science in order to write about it properly.
As with any job, you should have more than just a degree. You should have a well-formulated resume and cover letter, with the addition of a great portfolio of your writing samples. Especially in science, employers are looking for people with expertise. They don’t want to hold your hand during your work, so to speak.
