A couple of weeks ago we had an interview with a young candidate who wanted to “get into writing”. Though in the end we decided the candidate wasn’t suitable for us, one of my colleagues said an interesting thing. “It’s great to know there are so many nice writers based in Canterbury,” she said. This comment made me pause. “I agree the candidate was very nice,” I said, “but I really don’t think you can call someone with an English degree a writer.”
My comment drew a blank look, though I have to say my colleague’s reaction was no surprise. You see, all too often these days people apply for writing jobs with the misconception that the fact they have a degree – in whatever subject – means they are, by default, the ideal candidate for a writing-related role. Continue reading