Writing jobs are rare enough as it is, but even those jobs that are out there are becoming less and less about the skill of crafting compelling dialog, storylines, characters and scenes, and, increasingly, more about specialist knowledge. The term “writer” is losing its meaning.
For example, I recently interviewed with an employer where the job title listed was “Web writer.” Once the details emerged in the interview, it became apparent what they were really looking for was a Web page designer, more than a writer. The interviewer focused more on whether I was familiar with database-Web page integration, rather than whether I had solid interviewing skills and could craft a compelling report on later school starting times.
Or take some of the scriptwriting jobs in Hollywood. Can it honestly be said that the average writer could jump into the writing pool at CSI or House and write a competent episode without a degree in forensics or medicine? Shows are way more about tech-talk than they are character, these days. And really, what does the average writer know about DNA testing services, other than what they can find out on the Web or remember from the O.J. trial? Not much, in most cases.
I miss the days when being a writer meant understanding the human heart, more than understanding the operational procedures of open-heart surgery.
