Do You Have the Confidence to Apply for the Bigger Jobs?

Lack of confidence can be a major roadblock for a freelance writer. We’ve already explained how a lack of confidence can keep potential writers from starting their freelance careers.

Did you know that lack of confidence can also keep freelance writers from applying for bigger, better paying gigs as well? It’s true. Some freelance writers don’t get corporate writing jobs simply because they don’t apply for them.

It can be really tempting to stay in your comfort zone and focus on what you’ve always done as a writer. This is perfectly fine if you’re happy where you are (and many writers are very happy). But, if deep down inside you’ve really always wanted to see if you could handle a bigger writing job or a corporate writing job, you’ll never know unless you give it a try.

In this post, I’ll give you some tips to help you overcome a lack of confidence that might be holding you back.

6 Tips to Overcome Lack of Confidence

Here are six tips to help you to have the confidence to apply for the freelance writing jobs you really want:

1. Avoid negative self-talk. By negative self-talk, I mean all of those times that you talk yourself out of applying for a gig through negativity. Stop yourself from thinking or saying things like “I probably couldn’t handle that big of a project,” or “they wouldn’t want me anyway.” If you engage in this type of thinking, you’re not being fair to yourself.
2. Be objective in your assessment of your abilities. Often, we are much harder on ourselves than anyone else would be. Getting a friend or peer to provide you with an unbiased picture of your writing abilities can bolster your self-confidence. A writing mentor or coach can sometimes help with this task. A skills inventory is another tool that could be helpful.
3. Remind yourself of past successes. You can build up your self-confidence by remembering all of those projects that you successfully completed. If you keep a record of client testimonials, reviewing them from time to time may help you to remember your past achievements. Or, you may simply want to keep your own record of things that you are proud of.
4. Don’t let a few rejections hold you back. Rejection is a natural part of applying for freelance projects, and this is particularly true of freelance writing gigs. If you’ve been rejected, don’t quit trying. A rejection doesn’t mean that you’re not good. It could mean that the potential client was overwhelmed with many qualified candidates.
5. Take a course. For many people, successfully completing training helps them to feel better about themselves. A completed course can also add to your credentials if it’s writing-related or in a field that you want to write about. An additional credential can also sometimes help you land better freelance writing assignments.
6. Prepare to apply for better projects. It may sound weird, but a little preparation can actually help bolster your confidence. This preparation could mean revising your blog or website to make it look a little more professional, updating your portfolio, or gathering better references and testimonials.

Following these tips will usually help you to become a more confident freelancer. That extra confidence could be just what it takes to help you decide to apply for those writing jobs that you really want.

Of course, if you are suffering from extreme anxiety that keeps you from performing your day-to-day tasks you may need to seek professional help.

Feedback Time

Has lack of self-confidence kept you from applying for a writing project that you really wanted?

What additional tips would you add to help freelance writers overcome a lack of self-confidence?