By Hannah Blahut
Just in case you missed the guest speaker on Thursday, Carla Corera, or if perhaps you missed my questionable attempt at humor, the title of this blog is a bit of a joke. Corera, a UD grad turned copy-writer extraordinaire visited our Journalism class this past Thursday and gave us a couple of good, clear tips to take note of, should we set out on a career in copywriting. Tip number one? Don’t write a question headline. A question headline means that you don’t understand what you’re writing about so much that even you, the copywriter, are questioning it. And that’s a no-no.
Corera didn’t set out to be a copy editor, and honestly, I’m not sure how many people do set out to be a copy editor. It’s a job that lacks the glory and excitement that’s tied to that of an active field journalist. That being said, Corera’s career in journalism seems to me to be interesting and ever changing. And it all started as a lucky accident. Carla was a senior at UD with no plans for life post grad, and ended up taking a summer internship at the Wilmington Journal in Delaware when a friend of hers backed out last minute. Since then, Corera has worked at the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post. Currently, she’s working at fivethirtyeight.com.
“If you like knowing about a lot of things, it’s a great job,” says Corera, when questioned about what type of person should seek out a career in copyediting. “With reporting you’re usually specializing in something… (But with copyediting) you’re reading stuff, finding out things you want to know, and getting paid to do it.” What seems most intriguing about Corera’s current job at fivethirtyeight.com is the creative liberty at which her and her colleagues have to come up with content and information for their site. Fivethirtyeight.com is fairly new, and Corera describes a young, excited work environment.
And when you think young and excited, I’m sure you’re also thinking… burritos. One of the more creative pieces Corera describes working on for fivethirtyeight.com is the hunt for the world’s best burrito, which was orchestrated by her coworker, Nate. The study resulted in an aesthetically pleasing map of the United Sates, complete with an in-depth burrito analysis. Corera explains that this is another fun part about copyediting. You get a chance to learn about things and read articles that are both serious and fun. It’s a range, one that occasionally comes with a side of chips and extra guac.
What I enjoyed most about Corea’s class visit was how she seemed to truly enjoy both the job that she currently has at fivethirtyeight.com, and the previous, more structured copywriting jobs that she has held in the past. As a senior with graduation and the real world looming dangerously close, it’s comforting to know that a lucky accident, like Corea taking an internship at the Wilmington Journalism, can result in a career of copyediting, knowledge, and burritos.