How do I Become a Content Coordinator?

In order to become a content coordinator, candidates must have a specific combination of communication and technical skills. The role of content coordinator is experiencing an increased demand, which is forecast to continue for the next five to seven years. A content coordinator is someone who has overall responsibility for the written materials presented to customers, suppliers, and website visitors. The amount of content included in this position varies. In some firms, the content coordinator is responsible for all written materials. In other firms, he or she is only responsible for the content on the website.

There are two paths to meeting the post-secondary training requirement for people who want to become a content coordinator: a university program in English writing or communication, or training in website maintenance technology. Both paths require a minimum four years of post-secondary education. The purpose of the educational requirement is to ensure candidates are able to meet the output requirements of the position.

Training in English writing or communication provides research, interpretation, and analysis skills. The ability to correct English grammar, adopt different communication styles, and read material from different user perspectives is very important in this job. Content is the written documentation or text that a company uses to communicate. The tone, language, grammar, and essence of the message all communicate different things about the company. The content coordinator can use language skills to ensure the message is being correctly communicated.

Technical training in web technology, desktop publishing, and document management techniques is all very useful in this role. Computer software skills are used daily once you become a content coordinator. The technology used has changed dramatically in the past few years and is expected to experience continual revisions. The ability to learn, manipulate and manage complex computer software programs is a valuable skill in this job.

Experience in content coordination is typically obtained through freelance positions. Many websites hire freelance staff to create and edit online content for them. This is a stepping stone position, allowing candidates to learn about search engine optimization (SEO), phrasing, key words, and sentence structure. These roles typically require the use of Internet content management or proprietary content management software.

There are a range of document management software products available that control document version and editing. In addition, these tools can often be used to check for text consistency and copyright issues in the text. The ability to use these tools is an added bonus and a great first step to become a content coordinator.