There’s an old saying: ‘If you want to learn about something, write a book about it.’

Things haven’t changed that much – recruiting a great writer is often not about finding a subject matter expert, rather it’s about bringing on board a writer who can use their journalistic skills to research and create amazing content with an authoritative voice.

True, at times specialists are needed (especially if you don’t have a lot of time to bring a writer up to speed), but a really great journalist-type writer can learn pretty much anything, and apply their skills to a variety of sectors.

So when recruiting writers, it’s sometimes as much about their approach to writing as it is what they have written before. However they define themselves – copywriter, content writer, and so on – having some journalism in their past is often a great sign.