bachelor's in creative writing jobs

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Jobs with a Bachelor's in Creative Writing

Creative writing is at its heart about storytelling. Whether you are writing a fiction novel, creating a marketing campaign or educating the next generation, a bachelor’s in creative writing can help you find success in a variety of career fields. As you consider how you want to use your writing skills to further your career goals, know that you can find the right fit for you, just as countless others have, through earning a degree in creative writing.

What Is Creative Writing?

Creative writing takes on many forms. However, the focus of most creative writing bachelor’s programs – including the program at UM – will fall into three categories: fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

A bachelor’s in creative writing can encompass just one or a mix of these categories. The purpose of creative writing as a bachelor’s is to increase your understanding of the fundamentals of good storytelling, to learn about the existing literature, both classic and modern, and to apply the techniques used in that literature to create compelling and interesting stories of your own.

A career in creative writing will require strong writing skills; editing, attention to detail, and the ability to recognize and create provocative language and ideas. With a BFA in creative writing, you will be equipped to make readers want to take action, not just give your topic a look and then forget about it. At the University of Montana, you will be in good company as you pursue your creative writing bachelor’s, with professors and alumni who have won numerous awards in the field of creative writing.

Creative Writing vs. English Literature

While studying for your bachelor’s in creative writing you will study a lot of English literature, but the two fields are distinct. A bachelor’s in creative writing has a stronger focus on the practical side of literature, teaching those who pursue the degree how to create original works as well as how to recognize quality in the written word.

Where English literature has a broad-strokes approach to understanding the written word and the impact it has had on society, the bachelor’s in creative writing provides deeper context on how those works came to be so impactful, and provides a link to the heartbeat of society through that context.

Where a degree in English literature may be helpful for pursuing a career in education, a bachelor’s in creative writing can be helpful in a broader scope. The gaming industry seeks out creative writers for story development on AAA video game titles. The film industry looks for creative writing graduates, as well. Publishing houses and marketing firms also look for those with a degree in creative writing.

Why Choose a Career in Creative Writing?

When you have been part of the development of a new brand in marketing, a new intellectual property in film or television or have done your part to educate the next generation of creative writers, you will know the fulfillment that comes with a bachelor’s in creative writing.

Just as the name implies, there is a great deal of creative freedom that comes with a creative writing BFA. You will be prepared to work in the arts, in marketing, education and more.

Careers in Creative Writing offer flexibility

There is so much that you can do with a bachelor’s in creative writing. The world is ready for more creative, groundbreaking leaders in education, media and the art of storytelling. In addition to offering a broad array of career paths to pursue, creative writing jobs also offer the flexibility to work remotely.

Jobs with a Creative Writing Bachelor’s offer diverse options

A bachelor’s degree in creative writing is listed as a requirement for many careers in film, television, digital media, video games, education, marketing, and even politics as a speech and campaign writer. The possibilities are open to you, no matter your interests.

What Can You Do with a Creative Writing Bachelor’s?

The most common careers for those with a bachelor’s in creative writing are in the fields of marketing and advertising, publishing, higher education, and visual and written media. High profile companies like Sony, Disney and Random House all frequently have positions available in their employ which list a bachelor’s in creative writing as a prerequisite

As you pursue a career with your BFA in creative writing, the technical and artistic skills you have learned as a student at UM will become invaluable, setting you a cut above those with just experience in the field.

The choice to achieve your own bachelor’s in creative writing ultimately comes down to how you want to use it. If the arts are your desire, visual, written and digital media are there for you. If you are more interested in the printed word, marketing and publishing houses are there, too.

A List of Careers for a Creative Writing Bachelor’s Degree

There are many career paths available for you if you get a creative writing bachelor’s, as you’ve already seen. They span academic careers as well as the arts industry.

• Literary Agent
• Screenwriter
• Video Game Story Writer
• Social Media Manager
• Marketing Copywriter
• Website Developer

A list of careers for a Creative Writing Master’s degree

If you desire to take your education further, you can be assured that your prospects for a career increase as well. A creative writing master’s degree opens up additional doors, with a greater expansion into the field of academia.

• Literary Historian
• Marketing Management
• Grant Writing
• Public Relations

A list of careers for a Creative Writing Doctoral degree

Pursuing a Ph.D. in creative writing provides an incredible amount of prestige. It is a great undertaking, and will set you apart from every other person with a creative writing degree as less than 2% of the US population have a Ph.D. The career fields which are specifically open to those with a doctorate in creative writing are almost exclusively academic.

• Literary Researcher
• Creative Director
• Governmental Writer

Where Do those with a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing Work?

A BFA in creative writing opens doors for employment in numerous fields. Frequently, those with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing work in universities as professors or adjunct staff, or as researchers. Much of the research work done by those with a bachelor’s in creative writing offers unique opportunities to read English texts from as far back as the 15 th century. Aside from these academic opportunities, earning you creative writing bachelor’s degreeopen doors to working in media marketing, digital arts and gaming. With some additional education, even teaching in high school and elementary school become options.

Among the possibilities of employment for those with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing are:

• Universities
• Marketing Agencies
• Social Media Marketing
• Film Industry
• AAA Gaming Industry
• High Schools
• Literary History Preservation

Start Your Creative Writing Career: Earn Your Bachelor’s in Creative Writing at the University of Montana

The creative writing bachelor’s at the University of Montana is a program with a rich history in publication, and with many prestigious alumni. Nearly all the professors for the program are published, with dozens of awards in literature across their diverse backgrounds.

The creative writing major at UM offers an array of classes in fiction, nonfiction and poetry, courses in reading and revision and a class in which students solicit, write and publish submssion to The Oval, UM's undergraduate literary magazine .  

As you consider the University of Montana as the place where you’ll get your own bachelor’s in creative writing, you can learn more about the individual professors and staff that make this program so incredible.

Learn more about the University of Montana’s Creative Writing Bachelor’s Program

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Creative writing

A degree in creative writing allows you to develop your writing, research and creative thinking skills. You'll also gain skills that are useful in a range of other careers such as publishing, marketing, PR and teaching

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Advertising copywriter
• Arts administrator
• Creative director
• Digital copywriter
• Editorial assistant
• Higher education lecturer
• Lexicographer
• Magazine journalist
• Newspaper journalist
• Publishing copy-editor/proofreader
• Talent agent

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Academic librarian
• Digital marketer
• Film director
• Marketing executive
• Primary school teacher
• Public librarian
• Public relations officer
• Social media manager
• Web content manager

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Building a portfolio of written work, especially any that you've had published, will help to evidence your writing skills and establish your reputation as a writer.

You can gain valuable experience by writing for your student newspaper or magazine, volunteering in schools, or getting involved with writers' groups. Also, try submitting work to journals or anthologies, entering competitions, performing at spoken word events or approaching local drama groups to see if they will use your scripts. This will boost your profile and help build your confidence.

To make yourself more employable, look for opportunities to gain some solid work experience. This could be in the form of paid administrative work for a company or volunteering, perhaps with a local charity helping them to promote the work they do.

You could also write speculatively to a number of businesses, including publishing houses and marketing firms, to ask if you could complete some short-term work experience or shadowing. This can have the advantage of getting you a foot in the door in a highly-competitive industry and could lead to a permanent position.

As well as creative talent and writing experience, you will also need perseverance and determination to succeed as a writer.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships .

Typical employers

As a creative writing graduate you may work to establish yourself as a writer on a self-employed basis, either writing your own works, or writing for others in a freelance capacity.

Alternatively, you could find opportunities with a variety of employers, including:

• publishing houses or editorial/technical writing service companies
• advertising, marketing and public relations agencies, particularly in a copywriting capacity
• primary, secondary, further and higher education institutions
• media organisations and social media companies
• general businesses - in an administrative or general management position
• Civil Service, library or charitable organisations.

Find information on employers in marketing, advertising and PR , media and internet , teacher training and education , and other job sectors .

Further study

As a creative writing graduate you can develop your creative writing skills further by undertaking further study at Masters or PhD level. You can also specialise in an area such as screenwriting, the graphic novel, writing for young people, writing poetry, or writing and producing comedy.

Alternatively, you may want to undertake further vocational training in areas such as teaching, journalism, librarianship or publishing. Vocational courses allow you to study in an area in which you would like to have a career.

You may also want to consider further study in areas such as PR, marketing or advertising.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in creative writing .

What do creative writing graduates do?

One in ten (10%) creative writing graduates who are in employment in the UK are working in artistic, literary and media occupations, while 11% are working as sales, marketing and related associate professionals, 6% are teaching professionals and 5% are media professionals.

Find out what other creative writing graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate destinations data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

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What Can I Do With A Major In Creative Writing?

Creative writing, career opportunities.

• Greeting Card Writer
• Reviewer (books, products, etc.)
• Writing Coach/Consultant
• Advertising/Marketing (creative)
• Ghostwriter
• Travel Writer
• Article Writer
• Video Game Writer
• Personal Poet
• Technical Writer
• Website Content Writer
• Proofreader
• Speech Writer
• Public Relations
• Screenwriter
• Grant Writer

Degree Information

• Creative Writing, B.A.

Connect with NSU Career Services

Creative Writing

Have you always wanted to pursue a career as a writer? Do you love literature and feel that this is the direction you wish to take after university? Majoring in Creative Writing at York allows you to explore unending possibilities as you develop knowledge of different genres and approaches to writing by contemporary and past authors. You will have access to accomplished professors and exposure to a variety of opportunities to improve your writing abilities and gain a good understanding of the profession and opportunities in your field of interest before graduation.

Career Options in Creative Writing

Skills developed through a creative writing degree, professional associations and organizations.

Below is a sample list of some future choices to explore following studies in Creative Writing. This list is not exhaustive but it provides a solid idea of what fellow graduates have gone on to do and what potential careers a Creative Writing degree can offer. Some options are more directly associated with specific areas of Creative Writing than others.

• Children’s Writer
• Communications Consultant
• Cultural Consultant
• Entrepreneur
• Event Planner
• Fundraising Coordinator
• Human Resources Specialist
• International Aid Director
• International Development Worker
• Interpreter
• Legal Aid Representative
• Literary Editor
• Magazine Contributor
• Marketing Director
• Media Correspondent
• Non-Profit Organization Director
• Public Relations Representative
• Social Program Director
• Speech Coach
• Speech Writer
• Travel Magazine Editor
• UN Representative

Some of these career choices may require additional education or preparation in the form of graduate studies, experiential education or professional formative courses and exams. For a more in-depth description of some of the careers mentioned above visit Career Cruising (login information can be found on the home page of the Career Centre's online system ) or the National Occupational Classification website.

A background in Creative Writing ensures that you develop the skills and mindset to tackle many different professional challenges. Here are just a few of the skills a Creative Writing degree can help you develop:

Core Creative Writing Skills

• Familiarity with contemporary and classic literary works and analysis of different styles of writing.
• An ability to understand and mould language with great ease to fit your needs as a writer.
• A capability to experiment with different forms of writing to get your message across.
• Through exposure to various works and methods you will develop your own style, discover what sort of writing most compels you and gain confidence in your writing.

Communication, Data Gathering and Organizational Skills

• The ability to present your thoughts clearly and intelligently in written statements and written opinion pieces
• The ability to learn new information and apply this to professional demands
• The capacity to critically analyze problems, think creatively and make sound decisions while considering different sides of an argument
• The ability to explain complex ideas clearly to others and to apply complex theoretical concepts to everyday practice and professional dilemmas
• The skills to collect various types of information, assess them, analyze and incorporate potential linkages from different fields, put them into writing and efficiently convey your message and the goal of your work

Management and Teamwork

• The ability to interpret and analyze information presented by peers and efficiently and constructively support or challenge their proposals, theories, ideas and reports in order to achieve a project’s intended and successful end result
• The capacity to lead and interact with a variety of people with different approaches and personal and professional backgrounds
• The ability to debate, persuade, mediate and present your thoughts and opinions to others, as well as the capacity to recognize and incorporate other potential solutions or applications to given problems
• The capability to identify priorities and proper courses of action, to plan the execution of tasks and to determine and delegate responsibilities to group members to most effectively carry out projects

Knowing the industry and how to excel in it after receiving a degree are key elements of future success. University study sets up the building blocks you will need to develop and enhance your understanding and knowledge in your career. Being part of a professional organization or network and gaining further insight through training are excellent ways of increasing your knowledge of the field. The following is a selection of organizations related to the field of Creative Writing that you may want to visit as you research career options for Creative Writing graduates.

• Professional Writers’ Association of Canada
• Canadian Author’s Association
• The Writer’s Union of Canada
• Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs (CCWWP)
• York University Creative Writing Website

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