Content Writer

1What you'd actually do

• Writing and rewriting pieces to a brief: a brief typically specifies the topic, roughly how long the piece should be, who it is for, the keywords it should include and what the reader should do at the end (sign up, buy, book a demo).
• Researching topics you did not previously know about — reading competitor articles, skimming industry sources, and interviewing colleagues such as salespeople, engineers or consultants to get accurate detail.
• Keyword and search research using SEO tools (SEO means search engine optimisation — writing so that pages rank well in Google results), then structuring articles with headings and internal links so search engines and readers can follow them.
• Uploading and formatting content in a CMS (content management system — the admin software behind a website, such as WordPress), adding images, alt text, meta descriptions and links.
• Taking edits: sending drafts to an editor, marketing manager, client or legal/compliance reviewer and revising, sometimes several rounds. In regulated sectors this stage can be longer than the writing.
• Checking how published content performed — page views, time on page, rankings, sign-ups — usually in Google Analytics or a dashboard someone else built, and using that to decide what to write next.
• Attending planning meetings where the content calendar for the coming weeks or quarter is agreed, and picking up ad-hoc requests (a landing page for a campaign, a product update note, a LinkedIn post for a director).

2How graduates get in

• Direct application to a junior content writer, content executive or marketing executive role — by far the most common route. Employers usually want to see a portfolio of published or sample pieces rather than a specific degree.
• Marketing or communications graduate schemes, mostly at larger consumer brands, retailers, banks and some agencies. These rotate you through several marketing functions, of which content is one — so you get broader experience but less writing time early on.
• Agency junior roles at content, digital marketing or PR agencies. Common and often the fastest way to build volume and range, because you write for several clients at once; the trade-off is tighter deadlines and less depth on any one subject.
• Student journalism, blogging, university society comms, or running your own newsletter or Substack — these count as portfolio evidence and are a genuinely normal way in, not a token extra.
• Freelancing or paid internships first, then converting to a permanent role. Fairly common, but be wary of unpaid 'exposure' work — paid placements exist.
• Sideways moves from a related job: customer support, sales, teaching or a technical role, where you already understand a product or subject deeply. Less common straight out of university but very common a few years in, especially for technical and B2B writing.

3What employers ask for

• A degree in most cases, though the subject matters less than you would expect. English, journalism, history, communications, marketing and languages are common, but science, law and business graduates are actively wanted for specialist content. Some employers do not require a degree at all.
• A portfolio of writing — usually three to six pieces you can show. This is the single thing most likely to get you shortlisted. Student paper articles, a personal blog, society newsletters, coursework rewritten for a general audience and speculative sample pieces all count.
• A written test or timed exercise at interview is near-universal: you might be given a brief and asked to produce an article, a set of headlines or a product page, either at home or on the day.
• Grades matter less than in professional-services routes. Many employers do not screen on degree classification; some larger graduate schemes still ask for a 2:1 and specific UCAS points. Check each advert.
• Basic familiarity with SEO concepts and a CMS. You are not expected to be an expert on day one, but knowing what a keyword, a meta description and a backlink are will put you ahead.
• Professional qualifications are optional and usually come later — CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) or IDM/DMI digital marketing certificates are the ones most often mentioned. They are rarely a condition of entry.

4Skills that matter

5Where it leads

1. Junior content writer or content executive: writing to briefs someone else has written, heavy editing from above, learning the CMS and the brand's style guide.

2. Content writer or senior content writer: owning topics end to end, writing your own briefs, being trusted with the higher-stakes pieces such as major landing pages, reports or campaign copy. Timelines vary widely — this can be two years or five depending on employer size and how much you publish.

3. A fork in the road: some move to content manager or content strategist (planning what gets made, managing freelancers and junior writers, owning the calendar and the performance targets); others go deeper into craft as an editor, copywriter or specialist writer in a niche such as fintech, healthcare or developer-facing technical content, which usually pays better than general content.

4. Head of content, content marketing manager or brand/communications lead, with budget and a team. Alternatively, sideways into adjacent roles that content writers often move into — SEO specialist, product marketing, UX writing (the short text inside apps and websites), internal communications or PR.

5. Freelancing or running a small content studio is a genuinely common endpoint rather than a fallback, particularly for writers who have built a niche and a client network. Earnings vary enormously and the work includes chasing invoices and pitching, not just writing.

6Where this varies

The job differs a lot by setting. In-house at a large company you may write for one brand, with long approval chains and, in regulated sectors like finance, insurance, health or law, a compliance review that can reshape your copy entirely. At an agency you juggle several clients, switch tone constantly and work to tighter turnarounds, which builds range fast but can feel like a production line. At a publisher or media brand the work sits closer to journalism, with editors, house style and often audience or advertising targets. Charity and public sector roles usually pay less but involve more storytelling and campaign work. Job titles are also inconsistent: 'content writer', 'copywriter', 'content executive', 'content marketer' and 'editorial assistant' overlap heavily, and copywriting proper (short, persuasive ad and sales copy) is a distinct craft from long-form content writing even though the same person often does both. Geographically, the largest concentration of roles is in London, with strong markets in Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh and Birmingham; remote and hybrid working is more common in this field than in many graduate roles.