Finance copywriter during the week, triathlete by weekend

How I became a finance copywriter

I'd be lying if I said it was always a dream of mine to become a finance copywriter, but even from a young age I always enjoyed writing and knew it was something I wanted to do "when I grew up". While, at the age of 38, I'm still waiting for that to happen, I'm proud of what I have achieved in my career and even if I'm not a bestselling novelist (yet - there's still plenty of time!) I feel very lucky to earn a living doing what I love.

So how did I become a finance copywriter? A decade ago I had very little interest in finance, and as my overdraft and student loans will attest, a very limited knowledge of the subject. That all changed when I got a job at Which? (formerly known as the Consumer Association) as a 'verifier'.

This was Which? language for a proofreader and fact checker, making sure articles for the magazine were accurate and truly reflected the analysis of results. But what I really wanted to be doing was writing the reports myself. After a year or so, a research assistant role came up on the Money Team, which I applied for and got.

Steep finance learning curve

It was a steep learning curve, becoming accustomed to the language of finance, but it meant that I was writing for a living! The first article I remember working on was all about credit scoring - how you are rated when you apply for credit and the various things that can affect your credit rating.

After several (often stressful) months of working on the Money Team, I was called into a meeting by my manager. What had I done wrong? Had I been slow in learning the complicated language of finance? Had I made a horrific error that had brought the entire Which? organisation into disrepute?

In fact, it turned out that it was completely the opposite. It had been decided that with the increasing popularity of the finance articles in the main magazine, Which? was going to launch a new publication, Which? Money. A very small (elite!) team was going to be working on it and I was one of them.

Hitting the ground running

As the launch of the new finance-specific magazine was a pilot, it was very much a case of hitting the ground running. Case studies and news stories had to be found and a publication had to be produced at very short notice. But it was the first time that I had been involved in a project where I was able to take real ownership of certain aspects and take the initiative to get the job done.

I'm proud to say that almost 10 years later the magazine is still going strong and, as far as I know, it is the organisation's most successful new launch to date.

Unfortunately, while I had taken on new responsibilities and was working well beyond my initial job description, the powers-that-be did not feel that I was worthy of a more senior role or wage packet.

So I started looking for another job.

"We live in Financial Times"

After contacting a few recruitment agencies, I was told about a reporter position at the business publishing side of the Financial Times. The Financial Times?!

I remember thinking that at least I could tell my children I once had a job interview at perhaps the most respected finance publisher in the world (I didn't yet have children). But what do you know? Somehow I impressed the interviewing editor and was offered a job on a new magazine aimed at mortgage advisers.

Once again it was a steep learning curve. But I got to meet some very impressive people in both the journalism and finance professions and found myself reporting on what could be viewed as some pivotal moments in recent history, such as attending the extraordinary general meeting of Northern Rock just before its collapse and some highly insightful sessions of the Treasury Select Committee.