Getting started as a copywriter

You might be a fresh graduate looking for a new job, or you have been thinking of switching your old one. Whatever your circumstances, entering into a new industry is a challenge, especially during current political and economic condition. In this case, advertising can be a good option for your next leap. If you are creative, great thinker, highly ambitious and passionate about advertising, a seat of a copywriter is the right place for you.
At first we need to know what 'copy' is. Copy is the most essential element of an advertisement published in any given media.  It is a word or group of words in an advertisement either in written or spoken form that are strategically articulated to push people to let them take some action. But if I cut the long story short, it is the text of an advertisement.
Copywriting is the process of ideating and writing promotional materials for brands. Copywriters are responsible for the idea of advertisement, script of television and radio commercials, text on brochures, billboards, websites, emails, and more.
Unique job description of a copywriter is to let people notice something that they do not want to notice. Copywriting is a great way to make much money. Technically, there is no office for a copywriter. They can work from home, from office, even from a toilet.
It does not matter from where you have studied, but it matters how you handpicked the key insights from your study materials to use them in real-life situation. Relevant degrees of copywriting include Marketing, Journalism, and Literature. But your main asset is your passion for advertising. You have to be very optimistic and focused about learning. In general, copywriters are the think-tank of an advertising agency. So having an ample general knowledge is a must for copywriters, because only knowledge can trigger your thoughts. From my point of view, you have to be good at something. Be it writing, music, sports, technology, science or arts, it will help you at some point of your career.
Moreover, the things you need to have are decent typing speed, power of imagination, and capability to express the right thing at right time. If you can write a winning letter to the Eskimos describing the importance of a refrigerator, you have all the qualifications you need to get started. Everything else can be learned afterwards.
Apart from all these, if you want to be a copywriter you have to invest your precious time and burn your calories in studying the craft. I would suggest you to watch advertisements, go through the case studies of world famous brands, read books of some of the brilliant writers like Neil French, David Ogilvy, and Claude Hopkins etc.
Honestly, copywriting is a very painstaking job. An ordinary day of a copywriter is very hectic. Every day starts with clients' briefs, loads of works in hand and intense pressure in mind. Conducting extensive research, finding the creative route of an advertising campaign and meeting deadlines are the crucial objectives. Every time you are going to do something, the first thing comes to your mind, 'what is the creative way?'
Despite this, copywriting is the most challenging and extremely rewarding work. Copywriters are the highly paid writers in this world. And an advertising agency life is a surprise to everyone.  
To get into an advertising agency, the first thing you need to have is the passion and a clean and clear, self-explanatory resume. Your approach to the recruiter has to be in a creative manner so that he can distinguish you among the ordinaries. It is not necessary that everyone has the same start. Mine was different. I will not tell that. But if you have enough mettle, and passion to absorb the shock of a challenging career, you are welcome!

The writer, currently pursuing MBA from University of Dhaka, is working as a copywriter at Unitrend Limited, affiliated with McCann WorldGroup, email: shoyeb666@gmail.com