Why you need to keep proving yourself as a freelance writer

October 11, 2023July 24, 2024 ~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment

Working as an independent writer has its perks—setting your own schedule, control over workload and the type of assignments you do, etc.

There are downsides too, such as inconsistent cash flow and long stretches of time without work.

There’s another downside that few writers acknowledge or talk about—losing clients. Many times, it’s through no fault of your own. The client simply decides to pull back on their use of freelancers.

But when you depend on multiple and semi-regular assignments from that client, the result can be devastating for your freelance business. You’re back to square one looking for new clients and assignments to fill the void. That means having to prove your worth to potential clients all over again. I confess that this is my least favorite aspect of freelancing. I’m much better at writing than I am at networking.

Author Colleen Story at the Writing and Wellness blog believes there’s one good thing about having to prove yourself: It’s being able to re-assess your business. The loss of a client isn’t necessarily a hardship but an opportunity to grow her business in a new and different direction. Other experienced writers like Story have come to accept the proving process because it exposes them to potential new business, and they find that potential exciting

As difficult as it is to update the resume and website and compile new clips, that downtime is also an opportunity to work on personal writing projects you’ve put on the backburner, learn new skills, focus on a different industry, or develop a different style of writing.

If you find yourself in the position where you have to prove yourself as a writer, here are a few tips for navigating this difficult phase of freelancing with greater confidence.

Study the freelancing business. This is especially important if you are new to freelancing and aren’t sure where to begin. Read up on the freelancing business. Understand what it takes to get started and become successful. Freelancing is a form of self-employment, and self-employment isn’t for everyone. Follow freelancers on social media and browse their websites. Freelancer Kat Boogaard offers great insights and information toolkits for budding freelancers on her website. Consider joining a freelancers group like Freelancers Union or American Society of Business Publication Editors, which hosts monthly online networking sessions for freelancers. Moxie is another site that offers plenty of resources available to learn about freelancing before jumping in.
Work your network. Seek assistance and advice from people you know, whether they’re previous clients, former colleagues, friends, fellow freelancers. They can provide moral support too if you get discouraged.
Figure out a specialty. Is there a type of writing that you want to focus on, say blog writing or magazine feature writing? If you want to write for blogs and websites, learn about blog writing then draft several posts that you can use as samples. Ditto with magazine writing. Learn all you can about how to write magazine articles, then draft a few to show potential clients. It may be easier to market yourself if you specialize than if you are a generalist who can do a lot of things.
Maintain a positive mindset. Stay positive no matter how difficult the process gets. Be realistic with your expectations. Don’t expect results overnight. Keep your eyes and ears open because writing opportunities abound; you just have to be aware of them.
Learn about artificial intelligence. In some circles, AI is a dirty word, but it’s here to stay whether you like it or not. It will continue to play a bigger role in our creative lives, so be prepared to understand it more fully. Take time to learn what AI can do—and what it can’t do. You don’t have to use AI for your writing (only if you think it will help you and if it’s okay with the client). Just be aware of how it works.

Armed with new knowledge and experiences, you can prove your worth as a freelance writer to any new client you meet.

Closing the Career Skills Gap

May 17, 2018 ~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

This is a strange time for the job market. On the one hand, there appears to be a lot of jobs available, judging by the number of job posting sites I subscribe to. On the other hand, there still seems to be many qualified individuals who are underemployed or not working at all. The problem seems to be a gap in the skills required by employers. What job seekers have is not what employers need. Employers are specific about what they want and are willing to wait for the right candidate to come along, even if it takes up to a year.

This is not an aberration. The skills gap is a very real thing, according to a new survey by staffing agency Adecco. In its 2018 Workforce Report, 56 percent of business leaders believe the skills gap is real, even though 96 percent of workers felt qualified or overqualified for the last job they applied for. What is more interesting is that business leaders said many candidates were lacking soft skills – communication, creativity, collaboration, ability to learn, and critical thinking, among others. These soft skills are just as important, if not more so, than hard skills, like writing and technology. Hard skills can be taught, while soft skills usually cannot. It might be beneficial to emphasize these softer skills on your resumes and cover letters. (Adecco recommends that hiring managers recruit for the soft skills and train for the hard skills.)

Add to this the fact that job titles and job requirements have changed significantly over the past few years. When I left the corporate world five years ago, communications manager meant one thing. Now the job description is more expanded with more and different responsibilities than before. It’s no wonder returning workers like myself feel cut off from the workplace. Employers expect a lot from their workers and job requirements reflect that.

So that leaves a lot of otherwise qualified individuals out in the cold. How does the person on the outside close the skills gap? Where can they go to get skills training that can open up doors for them in the job market? Here are a few sources to kick start your own skills upgrade program.

* Online courses. A quick Google search reveals a whole host of online course sites, such as Udemy, Lynda.com and Coursera, to name a few. Those in the public relations and communications fields might also check out Mediabistro, which offers more specialized courses for their industry. These courses are taught by industry experts who have real-world experience in their particular field. That said, the quality of information and teaching may not be up to par with what you need, but online courses are a great way to get up to speed on industry practices and terminology. Also, costs may vary, so check these sites often for special offers and discounts.

* Community colleges. For those on a budget or are looking for a quick, down and dirty training program, check out your local community college. Many of them offer certification programs from culinary skills to paralegal or medical assistant. This might be especially helpful if you are looking to change careers but don’t have a budget or time for a full four-year program.

* Business networks. Check out local associations for your industry which may offer workshops or one-day conferences about the latest practices. For example, here in Chicago, the Independent Writers of Chicago held an evening workshop about breaking into freelancing. Check out organizations in your own locations to find workshops in your area.

* Staffing agencies. Many of these agencies offer online resources, workshops and open houses covering topics such as resume writing, interviewing and writing cover letters. The job market is constantly changing so it’s helpful to learn the latest trends in resume writing so you can present yourself in the best possible light.

* Internships. Another option to explore, especially for those new to the workforce, is internships. Some are paid; others are not. Some are advertised on job sites; others you may have to dig deep. In any case, for a short period of time, perhaps as much as one year, you can gain valuable work experience and update your skills through an internship that you might not get anywhere else.

* Volunteer work. If you know you are lacking certain skills, such as sales or proposal writer, look around your community for organizations that might need someone to help with writing proposals or selling tickets for upcoming events. You’ll be acquiring new skills and helping your community at the same time.

These are just a few starting points for skills development, and there’s no guarantee that it will open the doors you hope will open for you. If anything, it will keep your brain and job skills fresh and ready to go when the right job does come along.

How Do You Know If You Are a Good Fit for a Job?

May 10, 2018 ~ The Regal Writer ~ 2 Comments

It’s a tough job market these days. So many candidates for fewer jobs makes it tougher for anyone to stand out. Even if you possess top notch skills, there is no guarantee that hiring managers will be knocking at your door to hire you.

We’ve all been there before, mired in a job search that isn’t yielding many results. You send out hundreds of resumes for jobs you think you are interested in and are qualified for, but you never hear back from employers. The problem may not be you, and it may not be the employer. Instead, it may be that the hiring manager does not see you as a good fit for the job.

So how can you be sure that you do fit the job description? Staffing firm Careers in Nonprofits revealed a cheat sheet of questions job candidates can ask themselves when applying for jobs. I’ve outlined each of the four questions below.

Does the job description match what you are currently doing? If the job description calls for someone with basic accounting skills and you currently do not have those skills in your current position, then that may one reason that hiring managers have dismissed your application. The more closely your current work matches the job you are applying for, the more likely a hiring manager will follow up with you.
Is the job title similar to other job titles you’ve held in the past? If you held similar job titles in the past, that might make you more appealing for prospective employers. For example, if you have a history of working in administrative assistant jobs, it may be much easier to apply for a similar role. But what if you want to move up from an administrative position, perhaps into a managerial role? In that case, emphasizing your skills set would be critical, especially if you supervised other workers or managed a department or program. Those skills can be transferred to a bigger role elsewhere.
Are you applying because you want THAT job or because you want A job? There’s a big difference between the two. It can be tempting to apply for any old job that comes along just because you’ve been out of work for a while and are desperate to find something, anything to pay the bills. But hiring managers aren’t interested in hiring someone who wants to collect a paycheck. They want someone who is committed to doing that particular job, do it well and do it for the long term. If you can’t commit to that, then you are likely not a good fit.
Do you meet most of the qualifications? While you don’t have to meet every single requirement for a job, meeting most of them will help gain the hiring manager’s attention. CNP Senior Manager Kimmi Cantrell says being overqualified can be as problematic as being underqualified. Hiring managers tend to dismiss overqualified candidates believing that they are only interested in a short-term employment until something better comes along. However, if you really like a job, love the work you are currently doing and you meet most of the qualifications, then go ahead and apply.

While these questions are a great starting point for any job search, they don’t take into account career changers. What if someone worked as a teacher previously and now wants to move into nonprofit management? What if you’ve worked as an accountant for many years and are now switching gears to become a graphic designer? I imagine there are different sets of questions to ask yourself as you apply for those jobs.

As you investigate job opportunities in your own field, run through these questions and see where you stand. I think it’ll be easier to dismiss many jobs that are clearly not right for you. True, you will probably send out fewer resumes, but they will be more qualified applications. You will need to spend more time crafting your cover letter and customizing your resume so that you can properly showcase how your skills and experience match what is required in the job. But the extra effort can pay off.

Remember, it’s not how many jobs you apply for, it’s the quality of the applications you’re submitting. And that can result in more job interviews and ultimately, job offers.

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