Writers

Skills

People in this career need to:

Communicate

• Express ideas clearly when speaking or writing.
• Listen to others, understand, and ask questions.
• Read and understand work-related materials.

Reason and Problem Solve

• Think of new ideas or original and creative ways to solve problems.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Develop rules or follow guidelines when arranging items.
• Identify problems and review information. Develop, review, and apply solutions.

Manage Oneself, People, Time and Things

• Manage the time of self and others.
• Check how well one is learning or doing something.

Work with People

• Be aware of others' reactions and change behavior in relation to them.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Use several methods to learn or teach others how to do something.

Perceive and Visualize

• Imagine how something will look if it is moved around or its parts are rearranged.

Knowledge

People in this career need knowledge in the following areas:

• English Language: Knowledge of the meaning, spelling, and use of the English language.
• Communications and Media: Knowledge of producing, sharing, and delivering information or entertainment. This may be through written, spoken, or visual media.
• Sales and Marketing: Knowledge of advertising and selling products and services.
• Fine Arts: Knowledge of the methods and concepts needed to create or perform works of art. Areas of knowledge may include music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Interests

People in this career are people who tend to:

• Consider achievement important. They like to see the results of their work and to use their strongest abilities. They like to get a feeling of accomplishment from their work.
• Consider independence important. They like to make decisions and try out ideas on their own. They prefer jobs where they can plan their work with little supervision.
• Consider good working conditions important. They like jobs offering steady employment and good pay. They want employment that fits their individual work style. They may prefer doing a variety of tasks, working alone, or being busy all the time.
• Consider recognition important. They like to work in jobs which have opportunities for them to advance, be recognized for their work, and direct and instruct others. They usually prefer jobs in which they are looked up to by others.
• Have artistic interests. They like work activities that deal with artistic forms, designs, and patterns. They prefer work which allows for self expression.
• Have enterprising interests. They like work activities that involve starting up and carrying out projects, especially in business. They like to lead and persuade others, make decisions, and take risks for profit.
• Have investigative interests. They like work activities that have to do with ideas and thinking. They like to search for facts and figure out solutions to problems mentally.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education.