Took a strange test today

badducky · Nov 2, 2005

Just for kicks I applied for a copywriting gig at a local retail powerhouse. Wow, what a strange little test. First, they hand me an EXTREMELY blurry photocopy of a photocopy of a catalog page with errors all over it, and tell me to circle the errors I see.

Then, they tell me to write copy for a treadmill and a weird different kind of treadmill.

I feel kind of strange. I'm not sure anyone could have successfully copyedited the blurry, blurry nightmare of a test. Body language indicates I NAILED the writing portion of the exam. Of course, I couldn't help but wonder how many great minds spent all their creative lights on convincing conspicuous consumers that the latest thingamaboob is a perfect Christmas Gift.

Anyway, what's the industry standards for this kind of gig? Entry-level copy editing at a large retail giant reminds me of Bartleby the Scrivener for some reason...

peer54 · Nov 4, 2005

The test sounds pretty standard for a retail copywriting gig. I've taken more than a few myself over the years. They always involve writing about a product or two and then editing a catalogue page.

Good luck on getting the job.

badducky · Nov 4, 2005

I'm not sure if I want the job or not. I just figured why not try for it since I've got the talent and a free afternoon?

What kind of job is this? Does anybody have any insight into what my day would look like?

What kind of salary is reasonable for a novelist to expect among copywriters?

peer54 · Nov 5, 2005

While every location is different, there are a few similarities in the retail copywriting gigs I've had.

Your typical day involves lots of proofreading and editing. Usually, you write copy in spurts, when there are new products being added. Since it sounds like it's client-side, you might get some direct mail, POS, and B2B pieces.

If it's entry level, you could make as little as 30k. If they wanted a few years experience, expect to start at about 45–50k.

Retail can get pretty boring and repetitive. It's a nice steady form of income though.

Took a strange test today

badducky

No Time For Chitchat, Kemosabe.

peer54

i rite gud

badducky

No Time For Chitchat, Kemosabe.

peer54

i rite gud