For many people considering a career change, there’s always the niggling doubt that they’re not good enough to make the grade. But how do you know? Should you just blindly go ahead and worry about it later, or should you just forget your ambitions and stay in that dull, boring job?

The answer to this one is probably somewhere in the middle. When you’re thinking about your career, going blindly ahead without any thought or research is not the best idea. If you have a family to support and other financial obligations, that would be foolhardy. Any change of direction involves an element of risk. If you don’t take considered risks, you won’t achieve. There is nothing worse than looking back saying ‘if only’.

But, if you’re casting around for something to do and copywriting seems an easy option, then it might not be for you. That’s likely to have more do with a lack of commitment than writing skills. If you’ve read online that copywriters earn huge salaries for doing nothing more taxing than coming up with the odd clever strapline now and again, you’ll be in for a big shock.

But if you love to write and have a good command of the language, then it’s almost certain you can learn the skills needed to become a good copywriter. Making a career change and becoming a copywriter is about more than just your writing skills. There are other factors to take into account.

So, let’s assume you enjoy writing and it’s something you believe you’re good at. Let’s also assume you know it means hard work and you’ll have to take some risks along the way. Here are some tips that might help you on your way to deciding if copywriting is the career for you …

1. Do your homework
   Research, research and do some more research. Look online for advice. You’ll find a wealth of blogs on this site about life as a copywriter. Many are written by other copywriters and they tell it like it is … truthfully and factually.

   Ignore the sites and articles that promise you the earth and tell you in just two weeks you can be a top-earning copywriter. They’re the copywriting equivalent of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Be open-minded but be sceptical as well.

   Read copywriter’s blogs. If you know any copywriters, speak to them and ask what life’s really like. If you don’t know any, go out and find some. If you use social media, connect with established copywriters. Speak to them and ask for advice.

2. Love your work
   How much do you love to write? Remember, if you take the plunge and plan to become a copywriter, you’ll be writing day in – day out. Of course, you’ll have to do other things in-between, particularly if you are a freelancer, but will you enjoy writing full-time?
3. Do you want to be self-employed or an employee?
   It’s fair to say the majority of copywriters are freelancers. Some companies and agencies do employ their own in-house copywriters, but these opportunities can be few and far between. It might depend where you live.If you are hoping to find work as an employed copywriter, check out your local job adverts. Are there opportunities in your area? What skills and experience are they looking for? How much would you earn?

   If you’re planning to go freelance, do you know what’s involved in being self-employed? That’s something else to find out about. Are you motivated enough to work on your own, probably from home? If you’re used to working in a busy environment, how will you cope with being on your own?

4. How much do you need to earn?
   Unless you are fortunate enough to have other sources of income, you’ll have to consider your earning potential in the early days. If you have financial commitments, will you be able to meet them until you establish yourself as a copywriter?

   Perhaps you could consider building your copywriting business in your spare time and fitting it in around your existing job. If that isn’t an option, you’ll have to work out your finances and have an idea of how much money you will need to cover those early months.

5. Learn your craft
   Of course we’re going to say training is important. After all, you’re reading this on a blog run by a copywriting training company. But we can’t stress the importance of learning your craft, enough.Copywriting is not like other genres of writing. It’s unlikely you have ever written this way before. You’re not writing to entertain yourself or others. As a copywriter, your job will be to sell your clients’ products or services and that’s a big responsibility.

   Would you let someone cut your hair just because they have a pair of scissors? Would you let someone rewire your house just because they know to change a fuse? No? So ask yourself why a prospective client would put their future sales and business reputation on the line by letting an untrained copywriter loose with their copywriting?

Another benefit of copywriting training is a considerable increase in your self-confidence. The Copywriting Apprentice course is comprehensive and challenging. When you’ve completed it, you will be armed with a considerable amount of knowledge and practical experience. That demonstrates you have not only invested in your future but in your prospective clients’ too.