How to Get a Job Writing Speeches
A well-written speech can move people to tears or to action, making speech writing a desirable, but mysterious, career. Due to the fact that jobs in speech writing are rarely advertised, it's an opportunity that you largely have to create yourself. Before you begin to determine which area of speech writing you'd like to specialize in or to seek job opportunities, you must make sure that you refine your primary writing and research skills.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Perfect your basic speech-writing skills. At the most fundamental level, being a speech writer requires that you have mastered spelling, grammar, tactics of persuasion and conducting research and that you can write in a variety of tones and styles. Keep those skills sharp.
-
2
Determine your desired field. Decide if you want to work for an individual or corporation. Decide if you want to be in-house or freelance. Decide if you want to work for in business, politics or the arts.
-
-
3
Write for free. You need to build your speech portfolio and the best way to do that is to get lots of work. Approach executives at companies and nonprofit organizations, lower level politicians, police commissioners and award recipients. The ideal way is to approach people in the field that you'd like to work in so that you can get a foot in the door.
-
4
Send out resumes with a sample speech of your best work to companies or individuals you'd like to work for. Be persistent: Follow up each resume with a phone call a week later. Even if they say that they're not in need of anyone, make sure they have your resume and sample speech on file for the future.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Keep writing speeches and building your portfolio even if you don't find a job immediately.
