Stop Looking for a Freelance Writing Job; Look for an Opportunity Instead!
by Jodee Redmond
The title of this post may strike you as a bit unusual, since I spend my early morning hours looking for leads for Freelance Writing Jobs. I think that constantly pitching new clients and answering job ads is a necessary evil when you do this kind of work.
The truth is that no one really enjoys looking for work. I would go so far as to say that looking for work really sucks. You find an ad that you are interested in answering and submit your resume and possibly some writing samples. Then you wait to see whether the person who reads your materials is interested in hiring you.
Every time you put yourself out there to respond to an ad, it requires an effort on your part. You are expending valuable energy on the exercise, and most of the time you won’t end up getting hired.
The results of your efforts may look something like this:
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“Yes”
Then you hear that magical “Yes,” and you get an assignment. You do the work as requested and get paid. If you don’t have another assignment lined up, you need to start the dreaded job search again.
While you may always need to be pitching potential clients and answering ads, instead of treating each assignment you are given as a one-time thing, why don’t you look at it as an opportunity to show your client what you can do?
Make sure you understand what the client wants and expects from you before you start. Strive to exceed, not simply meet, their expectations. When you turn in your work, ask if there is anything further they need from you. Thank them for their business, and invite them to contact you with any future assignments they may have. Rinse and repeat.
The idea here is to make the extra effort to build relationships with the people you are working with. If the client is pleased with your work, they are more likely to contact you again rather than placing an ad and working with someone new.
You may not be able to change the fact that you will always need to communicate with potential clients, but you can choose to look at every person you contact as an opportunity to build your business. That’s why simply looking for freelance writing jobs isn’t enough.
YES! Not that I have a job for ya, but we all have to find steady work of some kind. Maybe your client won’t have a 40-hour a week kind of job, but they’ll have regular work over the period of a month. That’s the best kind of gig you can possibly get because you won’t have to spend as much time looking for the net gig.
8 – 5 hour/week jobs is the same as 1 40 hour/week job, and if you don’t have to spend downtime looking for the next gig you can give them a bit of a break.
But not too much of a break – if ya do it right 5 or 6 5 hour/week jobs is the same as 1 40 hour/week job.
Boy, I hear you on this one! While some freelancers I know claim to really enjoy the hunt, I really appreciate by ongoing clients. I have been very fortunate to turn several one time clients into regulars. It’s a matter of doing your best work every time, getting that work done on time and having a great sense of humor when things go wrong!
This article fits my new writing career to a tee. Well almost, since I haven’t landed my first gig yet. Over the past two months I have replied to countless job postings and have even had three potential employers offer me a job. The problem is that when I send an email asking when can I start writing, I get a response that says they are still reviewing applications, even after I was told I had the job.
In fact, I’m dealing with that same situation right now. Last month I applied for a job as an online blog writer for a European poker site. They requested that I create and send two articles, which I did. I heard back from them a week later and was told that I had the job. They then requested that I write another short article that they would give to their client for review. I did that also and I’m still waiting for a reply. I emailed the person in charge of doing the hiring asking what’s the delay and was told the client is still reviewing all of the other articles that were sent in.
I bet I have spent ten hours or more trying to get this job and it seems like a lot of work to land a job that pays $10 per 100-300 word blog entry. I am really frustrated to say the least. I haven’t had to deal with this much rejection and excuses since I was in high school trying to land a date. Maybe the gig at McDonald’s as the fry cook ain’t so bad after all. Least I’d get to eat cheap.
So much of being a success in anything in life is the art of showing up consistently. Whether it’s exercise or applying for freelance work – you’ve just got to have your shining face in line for what you want.
Showing up does work! So does honing your skills in blogs, taking courses, attending conferences, reading the experts in whatever medium they are willing to share with us.
My mother explained “showing up” to me when I was suffering through the fifth grade. Darn it, she was right!
@ Donna: Don’t you hate it when you find out that Mom was right all along?
@ MikeM: This situation must be very frustrating for you. It doesn’t sound like these people are very organized at all. All I can suggest is that you keep applying for jobs that interest you. Once you hear that magic “Yes” and start working (and get paid), all the times you heard “No” won’t seem so important. Even if you heard them more often than Leisure Suit Larry when he was out trolling for chicks!
I will always give a rate break for steady work, and I mention in my pitches that I build long-term relationships. My first two clients — and only two for a while — were my two previous employers.
Most of the work I do lately is definitely looking for work. I’m spending about half my time looking at postings online and the other half trying to cultivate work among businesses and organizations in my community. That means I’m sending a lot of e-mails and doing a ton of networking. I’m still hanging on to the one client I have, but I’m hoping all the work I’m putting in will lead to a few more “yes” responses soon.
I would also suggest getting in touch with old colleagues and seeing what they are up to. I have one colleague/friend who is also a freelancer like me and we help each other out with jobs. She got me a consulting job (she also consults for the company), and I got her a writing job (I edit for that company…which means I assign and edit her work). Of course, it isn’t easy but there are people out there who, if you have shown them that you are dedicated, reliable and driven will “scratch your back.” Every job and every contact should be looked at as an opportunity.
I still work with experts that I have known for 10 years and 4 jobs ago!
I randomly quit my job one day and started freelancing the very next day. I got off to a fast start with about a hundred article requests coming in within a week (broken up across 3 clients).
The secret to my fast start is simple. Back in the day I had a hobby that I loved and I joined a forum to talk to other people about the hobby. Then I made a website about the hobby. Then I joined a forum that was created just for people who ran monetized websites related to this hobby. After that, I told people that I would write articles for their websites. The requests still come in droves and I get to write about something that interests me.
Summary:
1. Find something you love
2. Figure out how people monetize it online
3. Offer your services to the people who work behind the scenes.
Good advice! I couldn’t agree more. I try to do my best for each client. My goal is to get them to come back for more. And if you provide good service, it works. I recently had a new client hire me for a $65 job. They liked my work and quick delivery. That job turned into a $300 job. Plus, they have used me for a few little jobs since then. I am now their go to girl.
It does get old having to constantly market yourself. My goal is to keep adding to my list of satisfied customers in the hope that I will eventually have a pretty good inflow of repeat business.
Getting paid to write on the internet can be really hard work, but I like working from home. Therefore, it’s worth it.