Dylan Weir can’t seem to get enough time in the classroom. He’s a college writing professor by day, and learning copywriting by night as a book180 student. In the midst of pivoting careers, he’s also a husband and father.

“Priorities shift when you have a kid,” Dylan said. “The goal of starting a career in advertising is to be able to provide for my family.”

Dylan’s wife is an Associate Creative Director, so he knew copywriting could be a viable career track. But, what started as simply taking classes to learn how to build a portfolio has turned into more—a copywriter career path.

“I started teaching creative writing and poetry because I’ve always loved writing,” Dylan said. “Teaching is fun, but leaves little room for my own creativity. I became a student at book180 just wanting a job, but now, I want to master the copywriting craft.”

Dylan is no stranger to writing graceful lines. He’s been published in journals, museums, and has been working on getting his first book of poems published. But poetry is different from professional advertising, and Dylan has had to adjust.

“With poetry, you sit around and wait to be inspired. With advertising, it’s about understanding the world around you and finding a problem to solve,” Dylan said. “That’s been the biggest adjustment, but honestly, that’s my favorite part of the work.”

“It feels like advertising provides this community that inspires you and stimulates you,” Dylan said. “It makes you want to be more creative.” 

Dylan will have plenty of opportunities to flex his creative muscles in the advertising world, starting with his first job as a junior copywriter at Havas Chicago. He’s got a knack for writing powerful lines. It’s almost like he could teach the stuff.

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