Writing Careers 2 - Proposal Writing

By E.W. 1-24-13

After seeking out the advice of Gusties who use writing every day in their careers, I have received some great ideas to share with current Gustavus students who would like to apply their hard earned writing skills to their own careers but are unsure about the opportunities out there. One of the first jobs that was suggested was the position of proposal writer.

2004 Gustavus alum Sarah Hanson currently works for a consulting firm drafting and project contracts and proposals to current and potential clients. Although Hanson currently works for a private company, there are jobs available in the non-private sector as well. As a non-profit proposal writer, you might focus more on obtaining grants as opposed to clients. If neither of these interest you, perhaps the entertainment side is more exciting. Proposal writers for television shows, radio, movies, and commercials must be able to communicate with a team of writers the main ideas for each production. 

While there may be differences in the responsibilities based on which field you choose, all proposal writers share some key traits: sharp eyes for errors, ability to set and achieve deadlines (which are always strict and sometimes stressful), great organizational skills, and attention to details. There is no extra special education that is necessary to become a proposal writer; however, having an understanding of the field you choose to enter is important.

Depending on where you work and your level of experience, proposal writing can bring in a yearly salary between $35,000 to $98,000. Most, though, make about $60,000 a year. Because proposal writing is such a large field, search just the keywords brings up hundreds of listings. However, by understanding your own interests, you might be better able to narrow down the search.   There are also numerous sites that give the basics on how proposal writing should be done; if you are still unsure about this as a career, check out some of these webpages to see if they spark any more interest.