How To Get Through Interviews

interview

Interviews have to be one of the most nerve racking scenarios that most of us have to go through during our working lives. Chances are that you are going to have to go through a whole host of interviews throughout your life; some of which will be successful and result in employment and some of which will be unsuccessful. Most of the time, the success of an interview is down to the way that you handle it so we thought we’d share a few tips with you that will help you get through your interviews with ease.

Tips for Getting Your First Freelancing Gig

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Most of the novices are simply not aware of the ways of hunting out their first gig. At the same time a number of freelancing advices simply assume that you have fair idea about finding your gigs but the fact is most of them don’t. Hence out of desperation a number of freelancers often end up responding to a number of murkier job listings for unpopular companies and people which could take them for a ride. Hence a number of freelancers simply stop pursuing for work as they become the victim of scams which is often due to their improper [Read more…]

When it Feels Like the World is Against You – Stay Positive in your Job Search

Jobs

Remaining positive while looking for a job is very easily said, but not all that easy to do. When you spend hours each day looking for a new job or your first step onto the employment ladder, it can be very easy to get downhearted and feel as though that dream job may never come. For a lot of people, the process of searching for a job, typing in the same search so many times that the engines know that you’re looking for jobs in Sheffield or jobs in manufacturing; finding the contact details for the person associated with the [Read more…]

Would You Complete a Personality Test for a Freelance Writing Job?

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When a person is working for a brick and mortar job, it’s not uncommon for the employer to request that the candidate undergo some type of testing. People who are interested in working in law enforcement or as firefighters are required to complete physical and personality tests as part of the screening process. Applicants for administrative positions could expect to be asked to do a typing test at some point in their job search. Freelancers are in a different category, since they are not applying for a job. I’ve been asked to do a personality test as part of a [Read more…]

How to Cope with a Client’s Inappropriate Questions

Have you ever been asked an inappropriate or even illegal question in a job interview? It’s happened to me on occasion, and unfortunately both times the interview was for a job at a law firm. (You would think legal types would know better, but apparently they don’t.) One person interviewing me asked if I was married, and then caught himself and said that he probably couldn’t ask me that question. The other time was much more blatant and I was really shocked that it was a woman asking me if I planned to have children in the next year or [Read more…]

Four Things the Academy Awards Can Teach Us About Freelance Writing

SuccessWay

Were you glued to the television last night checking out the Oscars? Were you more interested in what people were wearing than who actually took home one of the golden statues, or was it all about seeing people rewarded for their work? I watched a little bit of the show last night, but didn’t stay tuned for the whole thing. It just doesn’t capture my interest the way it used to a number of years ago. The bit of the show I did watch got me thinking about what freelancers can learn from the Academy Awards. 1. You can get [Read more…]

Applying for a Freelance Writing Gig Without Looking Desperate

StillWater

If you are going through a dry spell or are experiencing some cash flow issues, you will want to pick up some work that (hopefully) will pay relatively quickly so that you can get your finances back on track. It may be tempting to share your current situation on message boards or other places where you are trying to pick up something that can tide you over for the time being. While I do understand and appreciate needing to get something going right away, I’m not sure that sharing a lot of detail about your personal situation is a good [Read more…]

How Do You See Your Freelance Writing Job Search?

Working

Looking for work is a necessary evil for freelance writers. For people who work for employers, part of the reason finding a job is something to celebrate (along with a regular pay check and hopefully a good benefit package) is that they don’t have to keep looking for work. For freelancers, it’s a different story. We have the freedom to work for ourselves (which definitely has its advantages), but we must perform a juggling act in our professional lives. Not only do we need to be able to keep up with our current assignments and produce high quality work, but [Read more…]

How to Use Your Freelance Work Personality to Your Advantage

Don’t let the title of this post fool you. I’m not suggesting that you become some type of chameleon and develop an entirely different persona at work. (If you have already done so and it’s working for you, carry on, though. Why mess with success?) I got the idea for the post from watching a medical show on television. I enjoy watching real life ones that show medical professionals as problem solvers. Since I’m always curious about what other people do for a living and why they were drawn to a particular type of work, I pay particular attention to [Read more…]

Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem and Your Freelance Writing Job Search

What ingredient is the most important to your freelance writing job search? Where do self-confidence and self-esteem fit into the mix, and are they the same thing? I don’t see self-confidence and self-esteem as being the same thing at all. Self-confidence has to do with the image that other people see, and self-esteem is something that comes from within. If you know that you will show up to do the work that you have been assigned and follow instructions properly, you are demonstrating self-confidence. Prospective clients will be drawn to people who demonstrate this trait. You will be successful in [Read more…]

On Freelance Writer Rejection: Sometimes It’s You

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If you are a freelance writer, rejection is part of the job. I don’t think anyone actually likes being rejected, and some days it’s easier to take than others. I don’t know if this technique works for anyone else, but when I get rejected I let myself feel the emotions that go with being told that you’re not quite what the client was looking for, or even worse that your work is what the client is looking for  (Ouch). Then I try to figure out whether it was  was something that was in my control or not. Being a bit [Read more…]

What Have You Done Lately?

BlueRibbon

If your goal is to stand out from other freelance writers who are applying for the same gig, you need to spend some time thinking about yourself and the skills and abilities that you bring to the table. You will have included this information on your resume, so that a prospective client can find out something about you and the kind of work you have done in the past. To provide the reader with more information about you, include achievements in your resume. What achievements, you may be asking yourself. Think back through the jobs you have had and try [Read more…]

Creating Your Own Freelance Writing Gigs

I believe that one reason writers aren’t in higher demand is our collective shortcoming in marketing our gifts and their value. We have a tendency to wait until people see a need for us when we should be telling them why we’re so damned valuable. When you’re rainmaking, that’s exactly what you’re doing.

Do You Care About Your Clients’ Business?

How much do you care about your clients’ business? And what does caring have to do with getting hired for a freelance writing gig? Plenty. I believe that success is based partly on having a certain amount of raw talent but it’s mostly about showing up, doing the work and developing good relationships with the people you work with. Part of having a good relationship with your clients is caring about them and their business. You may be hired to provide a writing service, but what you are really doing is helping your client solve a problem. They may be [Read more…]

Job Hunting During the Holidays

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With the Holiday Season fast approaching, it can be tempting to abandon your freelance writing job search in favor of getting together with friends, shopping, baking and other enjoyable activities. I’m all for shopping, baking, hanging out with friends and family and enjoying all the wonderful things this time of year has to offer, but you should also devote some time to connecting with prospective clients. Be careful when you to go holiday-related events, though: chances are you are going to run into someone who will be less than encouraging about your career and your chances of getting your next [Read more…]

What’s More Scary: Fear of Failure or Success?

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Fear of failure is something that I think most writers live with. In order to work, we have to either be answering ads, pitching our services to prospective clients, sending our queries or writing and marketing our own products. Sometimes we get the gig, and other times we don’t. Most of the time, we realize that we won’t get hired for every opportunity that we go after. Sometimes we can roll with the punches and shake off getting turned down for a gig, while at other times it can be upsetting to find out what the client didn’t feel that [Read more…]

Do You Send Holiday Greetings to Clients?

ChristmasCard

It’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas. I saw Christmas decorations out in the stores right next to the Halloween items a couple of weeks ago. (Some things are just wrong.) Now, I prefer to get one holiday out of the way before I start thinking about the next one, but apparently retailers don’t think that way. From the number of Christmas flyers that have magically appeared in the mailbox recently and the amount of times I’ve been hearing, “Mom, can I have…..” recently, the holiday season seems to be gearing up now. At the risk of adding [Read more…]

Do You Ask for the Gig?

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You’ve been talking to a prospective client about his or her writing needs. So far, everything sounds good. You know you can do the work and give the client what they want, but they haven’t made you an offer. Now what? In this situation, you do have some options. You can back off and focus on the work you have in front of you right now and give the client some space and hope that when the time comes to hire someone that you will get nod. You have another option, though, and that is to assert yourself and get [Read more…]

Just Be Yourself When Looking for Freelance Writing Jobs

When I was thinking about how to approach this post, I started thinking about tips for how to package yourself so that a prospective client will want to hire you. I thought the better of it,and this is why I came to that conclusion: The client may not say so, but he or she is in full WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) mode when hiring a freelance writer. If the client wasn’t looking to have a problem solved or to get some benefit from your writing work, they wouldn’t be looking to hire a writer. Don’t try to analyze [Read more…]

What to Do Before You Answer that Freelance Writing Job Ad

When you see an ad for a freelance writing job that seems like it would be a great fit for you, do you behave like you are an agent in your own version of Mission Impossible? It’s great that you have found an opportunity that you are interested in, but you shouldn’t treat the ad like something that is going to self-destruct in five seconds (or whatever it was). I know your first instinct is to jump on this and apply within the first two minutes after you read the ad (if not sooner), but there are some things you [Read more…]

How to Target Your Freelance Writing Job Search for Newbies

BullsEye

Your first freelance writing job is the hardest one to get, in my opinion. Once you have one (or a few) gigs under your belt, you can use your past writing experience to propel yourself forward to the next opportunity. How do you approach the task of landing that first gig, then? Start with what you know, and I don’t necessarily mean the fact that you have been writing for yourself for years. Working on your own projects is not the same thing as taking on client work. Both of them involve writing, but your own work is more of [Read more…]

Are You Afraid of Your Freelance Writing Clients?

Halloween

It’s early October, which means that the build-up to Halloween has already started. I’ve been enjoying some scary movies lately and I’ve been thinking about the fact that everyone is scared of something, whether they admit it or not. My list includes heights, large bodies of water, clowns – the usual stuff. I can also admit that I used to be intimidated by clients, both existing and prospective ones. There were a lot of gigs I didn’t apply for simply because I didn’t have the nerve to. When I got hired by people to write for them, I was scared [Read more…]

How to be an Internet Job Miner

The Internet is a wonderful resource for people who are looking for work, including freelance writers. If you are interested in picking up your next gig, you have many options and places to look available to you. Many people who are looking for jobs check employment web sites looking for listings for “freelance writer.” This is an effective strategy, to be sure, but you can also get some great leads by looking at postings for editors. Read through the job description to see if it mentions something about the client looking for someone who can “supervise the work of freelance [Read more…]

Reapplying After Being Turned Down for a Gig

WorkingWoman

If you have applied for a freelance writing job and didn’t get hired, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should consider that door closed and never contact that prospective client again. There are times when you should consider taking another run at getting hired by a client you would like to work with. You Feel You Can Present Yourself Better There are times when we apply for freelance writing jobs and realize afterward that we could have done a better job at presenting ourselves as a good fit for that client. If you sent off your resume and realized later [Read more…]

How to Respond to a Blind Ad

RouletteWheel

Not all clients who are looking for freelance talent share their contact information when they post an ad looking for help. Not knowing exactly who you are responding to can feel a bit awkward. Some ads looking for freelance writing help are poorly written at the best of times, and when the client is not clearly identified, it is even more challenging to provide the information needed to show them that you are the right person for the gig. It may be tempting to assume that blind ads have been placed by shady individuals who are either looking to collect [Read more…]

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