Careers that involve lots of research and writing? (non profit, paralegal, employers)

[Wordsmith12]

I work in the copywriting field, which pays well but isn't as writing- and research-heavy as I'd like.

Which areas in writing are heavily writing- and research-driven?

I've looked into it and it seems proposal writing may be a good fit. There's also medical writing, but I probably couldn't break into it without a medical background. (I studied marketing.)

Any others that you recommend checking out?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[fishbrains]

University professors. That is the prime job requirement at top tier universities.

[Quietude]

As someone who's had a multifaceted career based on a lot on research and writing, I have to ask in all good humor if there isn't a certain oxymoron in the OP...

[treemoni]

Explore your interests and create your own niche. People who write well are always going to be necessary. IMO (and I could be very wrong here) the need for good writers is going to increase in the coming years, especially with the younger generation so used to tYpInG LyKe THIS and using Wikipedia as a primary source. These kids are being ruined, but it's a wonderful opportunity for people who can spell and string a sentence together. The world is your oyster!

[Quietude]

Originally Posted by treemoni

People who write well are always going to be necessary. IMO (and I could be very wrong here) the need for good writers is going to increase in the coming years...

I'd like to think so. However, about 95% of "writing jobs" today are grinding out SEO-compliant "content." It's a bit like being a monk trained in very specific lettering and illumination techniques who may as well otherwise be illiterate.

Most such employers don't even care if you know anything about the field; it's not about research and writing craft, other than keyword cramming. There are many shops that just sell "content" to whomever signs up for it - legal, medical, RE, investment, home improvement, they don't care.

It's depressing.

[cjseliga]

Writing Biographies!

[evening sun]

Grant writers for non profits.

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by Quietude

I'd like to think so. However, about 95% of "writing jobs" today are grinding out SEO-compliant "content." It's a bit like being a monk trained in very specific lettering and illumination techniques who may as well otherwise be illiterate.

I agree. I blame advertising. I look forward to the day advertising stops driving business decisions, but unfortunately I don't see it coming anytime soon.


People who focus on SEO are doing themselves a disservice. It's never a good idea to change your model to fit something trendy. They can (and probably will) program robots to write SEO content...and now you're out of a job.

[Quietude]

Originally Posted by treemoni

I agree. I blame advertising. I look forward to the day advertising stops driving business decisions, but unfortunately I don't see it coming anytime soon.

Substitute the broader and more inclusive term "marketing" and you've got my agreement. Funny, I just read a long piece in the Financial Times about how the biz/ad/marketing world is discovering that "digital" and all these digitized forms of traditional advertising don't really benefit anyone but the ad platforms. Funny how that is. But then, my whole focus could be reduced to eliminating consumer marketing...

People who focus on SEO are doing themselves a disservice. It's never a good idea to change your model to fit something trendy. They can (and probably will) program robots to write SEO content...and now you're out of a job.

Oh, no question. SEO is somewhere between voodoo and cargo cult, and the number of otherwise sensible people who are obsessed with it is staggering. But that's not what this thread is about, so.

[tnff]

Have you considered technical writing -- manuals, documents, etc? Besides consumer products like software, pretty much every government contract requires deliverables, tons and tons of documents describing everything about how to operate and maintain whatever was purchased.

Or paralegal?