You are among the toppers in your journalism class. And you are raring to go. To change the world with your writing or get the requisite experience. To get the know-how to write that bestseller that has been churning in your head or to just earn your bread. So you would need a job first. Where would you go?
Indian educational institutions seem to disgorge over a million undergraduates and post graduates every year. Until a few years ago, even if only a handful of them were to opt for a degree in journalism or writing and hoped to make a living, there wouldn’t be enough jobs to around. And what about those who didn’t study journalism and writing but still wanted to try their hand at writing? No scope at all.
But you are in luck since it isn’t that way today. The IT era has brought the entire tech world to India’s doorstep. But it has also suddenly spawned a whole new career progression line. Almost every stream in humanities/sciences can land you a writing job. All it requires is a bit of expertise in the art of ‘writing’. It is no longer a low paying and not especially respected way of earning a living. A writer – any writer today (even an inexperienced freelancer with or without an ‘Eng-Lit’ qualification) – can hope to make a living quite comfortably from writing alone. And if he were to pad it up a bit with some managerial or software skills, the sky is the limit.
Electronic journalism is also the newfound path to that special job. Television, cable and radio have only multiplied existing options tenfold. Mass communication graduates with writing skills are in clover. Internet news portals/gateways in India like Yahoo, Google, MSN, Rediff, AOL, are also very viable options.
Not many are also aware that there is a huge demand for writers in the Government of India. The Indian Information Service (civil services exam) recruits 80-100 people every year. The Prasar Bharathi – All India Radio and Doordarshan regularly take in short term and long term writers. The Ministry of Commerce and Foreign Trade also requires people with writing skills and language expertise for their multimedia national and international forums.
And yet another option is in the corporate world and on the internet. You could specialize in legal, travel or sport writing. Or opt for medical, investigative or academic. Or try your luck as a bid writer, a proposal writer or even the old time favorite – a copywriter! The choice is as vast as it is varied. But the only fly in the ointment is that by and large these jobs are contractual, project based assignments.
Recruiting agencies, placement agencies and the HR departments of many companies now have almost as many offers for content writers or editorial as any other specialization. And all those worth their salt advertise online.
A quick daily run through of some specific sites is a must for any aspiring writer. These include:
- Naukri.com
- Monster.com
- Esource Global HR
- Bixee.com
- Click India.com
- India Recruit.net
Other internet sites like guru.com or Craig’s list which are popular among freelancers also throw up good opportunities along with other regular placement agencies.
The call for applications now largely comes from three main sources:
Media
Most publishing houses recruit and employ interns with acknowledged writing skills and qualifications even if they are never called upon to really use them since they only publish other authors. While firms like Penguin have a team of at least 5-8 editors on board with another 5-8 commissioning editors, newspapers like the Indian Express regularly take in about 50 to 100 on a yearly starting package of about Rs10000-15000 a month, which appears to be the going rate across the board for most media companies as decided by the journalists wage board. The Manorama intake is about 10-25 writers per year.
Some media companies that recruit regularly are:
- ITP Publications(Dubai based Media Company)
- Infomedia India
- Manorama Group
- Indian Express
- Times Group
- Cybermedia Media
- Living Media India Ltd
Corporates
New entrants into the field are corporate houses. While many of the old guard had in-house teams that looked after their publicity and marketing, the new ones prefer to outsource their editorial needs to outside agencies. And since the IT revolution, e-business has begun making inroads even among brick and mortar companies. Every company – MNC or otherwise today has a presence on the web. And yes content writers are required.
It is also now not uncommon for companies (KPOs) dealing with Pharmaceutical and Legal clients to look for medical writers and legal writers who are not doctors or lawyers. The pay is Rs1-2lakh per annum.
Travel writers (in agencies) get off the block with Rs 1-1.50lakh and other writers with some experience easily command a yearly Rs 3lakh. Even old and reputed agencies like Thomas Cook are thinking of joining this particular bandwagon to keep abreast with the changing market trends.
Service based firms like most KPOs (Evalueserve/WNS) may not routinely recruit writers unless they have clients that necessitate such writing. But it is not unusual to do so and then the payment is better than in traditional media houses. Almost all product based companies and IT companies may hire writers from time to time. Salaries range from Rs 8000-15000 a month or Rs 1-2lakh per annum at the start.
Some that recruit regularly are:
- IBM
- TCS
- Infosys
- Wipro
- Woodapple Interactive Pvt Ltd
- Aptara
- Make My Trip.com
- Philips India
- Samsung Electronics
- Internet portals like CNN/Arts Journal/ZdNet/Google News/Go/Manorama Online
PR Agencies
Publicity Agents and advertising agencies have existed from time immemorial. But since the arrival of television channels and corporate makeovers they have undergone a startling metamorphosis. Their new avatars now project them as one stop shops for anything and everything the industry needs. So from professional advice on branding to etiquette and speech to brochures they deliver it all. All publicity material is handled by them and this involves a lot of content writing.
Some of the top PR Agencies include:
- Genesis PR
- Sampark Public Relations
- Good Relations India
- Vaishnavi Communications
- Perfect Relations
What most recruiting agencies and companies (that were contacted) uniformly emphasized was that apart from basic writing it is the language (English communication) skills that they look for. If the foundation (language) was firm then the rest could be developed.
Points to remember:
- The Government of India is a regular recruiter
- All commercial online sites need regular content writers
- All IT companies as well as manufacturing (product) companies need technical writers
- All service providers need writers on an ‘as and when’ basis
- All Internet news portals and gateways need hands-on desk writers
- The best way to collar the right job is to keep surfing/applying
With so much information available on the net as well as in the media it is highly unlikely that a young writer will ever find himself without a job. And there is such a variety of choice that it is quite exciting to be a writer in today’s India. So go for it!
Ten quick steps to find that Job!
- Enroll yourself/Register with a few reputed employment agencies
- Plague them at regular intervals – it pays to stay focused
- Go for every possible interview/test that is set up – the experience is invaluable
- Surf the net for openings continuously – it is well worth it
- Apply frequently – nothing ventured, nothing gained
- Remind-Email-Remind till you receive a reply – you will
- Call up companies of your choice
- Politely make your pitch
- Push for an appointment – And drop by
- Present your credentials and don’t quibble about the package
- Before you know it – the job is yours!
Sreelata Menon
Sreelata Menon is a freelance writer who enjoys writing on all kinds of topics, the more controversial, the better! Her ‘letters to the editor’ appear with unfailing regularity in newspapers while her articles are featured in various printed and online publications. A Masters in History from Mumbai University, she has worked as an Asst. Editor with the Onlooker and World trade Magazines .She has taught History to undergraduates and has had a stint as an Accounts Executive in an Ad agency, before switching over to full time freelance writing. Sreelata is now busy reinventing herself as a web content writer.
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Superb articles. Very very useful and helpful.
Wonderful and fresh information which is not known otherwise in other posts and articles.
Thank you.
very nice post
Indian Authors
Great Article, That is true now a day many companies are hiring indian writers for their perfect article , novels etc., Great