Pickin’ & Choosin’ Finding the Freelance Writing Jobs that are Best for You
So yesterday’s rant wasn’t entirely a blast from the past, the was a moral to the story. Anyone….anyone….Bueller? I was setting us up for today’s discussion about finding the best freelance writing jobs for you. You probably think that’s easier said than done, and in a way you’re right, but I’m here to tell you that there are ways to work it so every gig is an enjoyable gig.
Step 1: Apply to Everything You’re Perfect For
Every if you have enough work to keep you busy now, apply to those jobs for which you feel you’re a perfect match. You may not land every gig, but you might land at least one or two. Especially if you make a good first impression and your writing samples are good ones. Keep looking and applying.
Step 2: Make a Monthly Assessment of Your Career
How much work do you have…too much? Too Little? If you have too much work, drop the tasks that pay the lowest or are least attractive. If you have too little, keep applying - especially to the gigs that are sooo you.
Step 3: Whoa. How Did You Get to This Good Place?
It might take three months, and it might take three years, but eventually you can and will find yourself at a place where every single one of your gigs is fun, pays a reasonable wage, and it doesn’t feel like work any more.
Now don’t get me wrong.
You may have to write a lot of boring content or take a lot of horrid research assignments about topics that don’t interest you, but if you keep looking for the good stuff and keep persevering through the bad stuff, you’ll find yourself at a very good place.
It took me years to find my good place. I began sort of freelancing in 1999. I woke at 5 and worked until it was time to go to work, I’d write in the evenings too. I had a bi-weekly humor column and worked some parenting websites. Through my newspaper column I landed some pretty decent gigs, and wrote for the infamous "Write for Cash" on the side. I took a lot of boring keyword jobs after that, but they paid the bills and kept me busy. Even though I had work, I still spent two hours trolling all the job boards each day so I could find better work. Now, almost ten years after beginning as a freelancer, I found my good place. I no longer take gigs because I have to, I can choose the gigs I want to.
And that, freelancing friends, is the moral of the story. Now, I’m not saying you have to work at horrible jobs until you reach your breaking point, only that I did. I just want you to know that you don’t always have to take unattractive gigs or work for horrible people. It gets better, I promise.
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Friday, April 25th, 2008 at 6:08 am under
I have to agree with Deb; you have to start somewhere. Over time, you will gain experience (and samples) you can add to your resume and it will be easier to get assignments that are more interesting and lucrative.
Your current client base can be a source of better gigs too: you may start off with some real grunt work but if you do those early assignments well, that client will keep you in mind when they have better work to assign.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:03 amI had another thought on this to share: When you are considering whether to take an assignment, don’t focus entirely on money. While you do need to get paid, if you get the chance to add something new to your skill set, it may be worth taking a few gigs that are on the low side…at first anyway. After you have a bit of experience, you can start looking for better paying work in that area.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:11 amI have a question for you long time freelancers. What exactly should our resumes look like? I mean, I know what a corporate resume looks like, is it the same? What about clips? Do you just save them and send an attached doc when someone asks for one? What’s the best protocol or where can I find this info?
Thanks!
April 25th, 2008 at 7:21 am@Kristy,
I have my clips posted on my business website. Applying for jobs is a whole lot easier when all you have to do is point potential clients to your online portfolio. I have an About Me page that mentions all my educational qualifications, experience, and other things they need to know about me to consider hiring me for the gig.
If you don’t have a website yet, I highly recommend getting one, if you already have some good clips to post on your Portfolio. Clients are always impressed with that sort of professionalism, and I’ve found I’ve been getting more responses since I set up the site. If you’re tech challenged and don’t know how to go about it, you can always outsource the job for a low fee.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:21 pmI definitely use a Web site with clips of jobs I’ve done. I also find myself applying for anything I am certain I could handle. I’ve had some interesting jobs turn up that way.
In fact, I just applied and landed a job with a newer company that is setting itself up to be a unique timeline to a Hollywood star’s life. I’m still learning the software, but once I have it down it will be $16 an hour at least and I’m having a blast learning about the different celebrities.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:10 pmYou do have to start somewhere to get the ball rolling. My writing career started as an outgrowth of my management consulting business. I took a job writing articles about business operations for a now defunct site that was targeted at small business owners. From there, other assignments followed, mostly business-related at first, but in time, I branched out.
As for a portfolio, I have created a PDF of my best work in each of the categories I write about. I include not only the article itself but when and where it was published. The PDF also includes “pat-on-the back” emails I have received over the years from different editors I have worked for.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:17 pm@Kristy,
April 25th, 2008 at 6:37 pmAs for what your resume should look like, it’s similar to a corporate resume but it stresses skills and accomplishments rather than former employers. Say what areas you are proficient in (i.e., news writing, blogging, business writing, reviews, etc.)and what subjects you have experience with (i.e., environment, food, economics, movies and books, etc.). If you have worked as an employee you might include a section at the bottom listing former employees, but don’t go into duties and responsibilities for each one — use your space to outline your accomplishments and skills.
Hope that helps!
oops, that should say former employers — I always forget to proof these things!
April 25th, 2008 at 6:38 pmThanks for everyone’s responses! I really like the idea of a website as a showcase for my portfolio! And thanks for the advice about the resume, Hazel. It was very helpful!
April 25th, 2008 at 6:59 pm