What Can I Do With a Master's Degree in Writing?

People with a master's degree in writing may find employment in a variety of areas depending on their skills and experience. Some graduates may choose to work in writing-related fields including journalism, technical writing, publishing, public relations, and advertising. Others may choose careers where writing is only a portion of their job duties. Career-related internships or part-time jobs are often a prerequisite to finding professional-level employment after graduation.

Resources in the Career Center Library

  • 100 Jobs in Words by Scott A. Meyer
  • 2007 Writer's Market: Where & How to Sell What You Write published by Writer's Digest Books
  • Career Opportunities in the Publishing Industry: A Guide to Careers in Newspapers, Magazines, and Books by Fred Yager and Jan Yager
  • Career Opportunities for Writers, fourth edition by Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Janet Frick
  • Careers for Bookworms & Other Literary Types by Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler
  • Careers for Writers & Others Who Have a Way with Words by Robert W. Bly
  • Making Money in Technical Writing by Peter Kent
  • Occupational Outlook Handook
  • Opportunities in Fund-Raising Careers by Mark Rowh
  • Opportunities in Publishing Careers by Robert A. Carter and S. William Pattis
  • Real People Working in Communications by Jan Goldberg
  • Top Careers for Communications Graduates by Facts on File, Inc.
  • A Guide to Professional Development for Graduate Students in English by Cindy Moore and Hildy Miller

Links to Sites with Writing-Related Career Information

Vocational Biographies

Vocational Biographies (http://www.vocbiosonline.com/login.php) describes the career success stories of 1001 real people. Search by career title, keyword, topic, and career cluster. Username: portland su and pass code: 3w9n

  • Action Line Columnist
  • Abstractor/Editor
  • Archivist
  • Art Critic
  • Assistant City Editor
  • Book Editor
  • Communications Director
  • Copy Editor
  • Editorial Assistant
  • Fashion Columnist
  • Freelance Writer
  • Jury Consultant
  • Magazine Publisher
  • Newspaper Columnist
  • Newspaper Photographer
  • Press Secretary
  • Public Information Officer
  • Public Relations Account Executive
  • Technical Writer
  • Travel and Outdoor Writer
  • Travel Writer
  • University Media Relations Director
  • Web Site Designer

Related Professional Associations

Professional associations, whether they are national, regional, or local, are a great way to network with professionals in your field. These associations may post jobs, organize special interest groups, host conferences, and organize educational, social, or other networking events.

Additional Professional Associations

Internet Sites with Job Search Information for Writing Students

  • Dice.com — Dice: The Career Hub for Tech Insiders. Search for technical writing jobs.
  • Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association Job Bank
  • Craigslist Portland — Search jobs by category (writing) or keyword
  • USA Jobs — The official job site for the United States Government. Sample job titles: Technical Writer, Senior Technical Writer, Copywriter, Editorial Technician, Writer-Editor, Editorial Assistant, Internal Communications Officer, Program Information Specialist, Public Information Specialist

Places of Employment

The following list of employers and job titles was derived from the Career Center's jobs database where writing was identified as the job's function. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs. This list does not reflect current openings.

The following list was generated from a variety of sources (Google, Flipdog, Portland Craigslist, Vast, and The New York Times Job Market, among others). For Google, these search terms were used : technical writer [editor, copywriter, communications, etc.] jobs Portand Oregon.

Many employers provide career path information on their webpages. For example:

  • Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, Inc. — Communication Training Project Specialist, Editor, Production Coordinator, Production Editor, Research Analyst, Research Associate, Research Coordinator, Writer

Additional Resources for Identifying Potential Places of Employment

  • 2007 Book of Lists — From the Portland Business Journal. Available in the Career Center Library. Lists include: Top 25 Engineering Firms, Top 25 Environmental Consulting Firms, Top 50 Technology and software Companies, Fastest-Growing Technology and Software Companies, Top 25 Bioscience and Medical Technology Companies, Top 50 Marketing Firms. These are not current openings. The organizations listed represent potential venues for employment because these organizations may hire technical writers.
  • ReferenceUSA — "ReferenceUSA is "an Internet-based reference service from the Library Division of infoUSA." Search by company type (book publishing, software publishing, etc. by SIC or NAICS numbers) and location. Look up North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number. Look up Standard Industry Classification (SIC) number.

Links to Government Job Classifications

Graduate Writing Program - Portland State University