The freelance writing job market is experiencing a boom. The number of writers who work for themselves has increased by about 50% since the recession of 2008, and it’s not slowing down. Why?
It’s simple: people are looking for ways to make money. And more than ever, they’re willing to do it on their terms.
Job searching isn’t always fun. In fact, most people really don’t enjoy the process at all. It can be stressful, especially if you need to find work quickly for financial or even emotional reasons.
The work-at-home job scene is no different. If you’re looking for a regular freelance writing job with a traditional company, you’ll have to conduct a job search the same way you’d do it for a “regular” job.
Most of these leads will ask for a resume and possibly a cover letter or other written document that shares your experience and qualifications. You might even be dealing with a lot of online application systems, which make it hard to stand out and get noticed in the sea of freelancers.
That said, the key to landing a good remote writing job is to get noticed, get in front of the right people, and make a good impression.
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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 to find some way that your employer’s business was better off for having hired you.
When it comes to your freelance writing career, the information is a bit different. If your content has helped a client get a Top 10 ranking on Google, this is something you should be sharing. The fact that your copy has helped a client increase sales by X percent is also worth listing on your resume.
If you have ever won, been selected as a finalist for or judged a writing contest, include this fact in your resume. Any writing, spelling or grammar-related awards can also be listed.
It’s one thing to tell a prospective client that you’re good at what you do. Listing your achievements will show him or her and make you stand out from the pack when you are applying for freelance writing jobs.
Do you list your achievements on your freelance writing resume? Do you feel that this is an effective strategy for making a prospective client want to contact you?
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 that you haven’t updated it to include your latest experience and accomplishments, you may want to resubmit it.
You Have Gained More Knowledge or Experience
You may also want to reapply for a writing gig if you have developed more knowledge in the relevant subject area or type of writing the client needs. Before contacting the client again, take the time to rework your writer’s resume to draw attention to why you are a good fit for their needs now.
Tell the prospective client that since the last time you were in touch, you have completed/worked on/taken a course in X, Y, Z. Include relevant samples that support the information set out in your resume.
When You Really Want the Gig
If you have set a goal for yourself to work with a particular client and you have been turned down, you may want to reapply in a few months. It’s possible that the client’s needs may have changed and they need to hire more writers or the person who was hired for the gig didn’t work out.
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 that you haven’t updated it to include your latest experience and accomplishments, you may want to resubmit it.
You Have Gained More Knowledge or Experience
You may also want to reapply for a writing gig if you have developed more knowledge in the relevant subject area or type of writing the client needs. Before contacting the client again, take the time to rework your writer’s resume to draw attention to why you are a good fit for their needs now.
Tell the prospective client that since the last time you were in touch, you have completed/worked on/taken a course in X, Y, Z. Include relevant samples that support the information set out in your resume.
When You Really Want the Gig
If you have set a goal for yourself to work with a particular client and you have been turned down, you may want to reapply in a few months. It’s possible that the client’s needs may have changed and they need to hire more writers or the person who was hired for the gig didn’t work out.
There is a difference between checking in every few months and becoming a pest, though. If you were turned down because the client simply went with another writer, make sure that you have a reason for keeping in touch. When you send an e-mail, include a link to an article or news story you think the client may be interested in and then ask about available work. This step will help you develop a relationship with that person, which keeps you on that client’s radar the next time they need a writer.
Have you ever reapplied for a freelance writing gig after being turned down? Was the second time the charm in getting hired?
Our own Susan Gunelius wrote a very thoughtful post entitled, 10 Skills Freelance Writers Must Have if They Want to Succeed. I want to expand on her idea and address the subject of people who have work experience in other areas but who aren’t sure that it can be transferred to freelance writing work.
The following list of skills formed part of a recent ad for a freelance writer:
This list of skills apply to a number of other jobs that a person who is interested in freelance writing may have held in the past. When you are creating a writing resume and you are looking for ways to describe your previous employment, accenting these types of duties is a way to show the prospective client that you are a good fit for the freelance writing gig.
You can also accent these skills in your cover letter when applying for a freelance writing gig. Just because you are working remotely, it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to show that you work well with others, and the ability to solve problems may be even more important in this type of work arrangement. The client is relying on you to remember the instructions you have been given and to use good judgment when implementing them.
You also need to be able to demonstrate that you can use a computer properly and that you have good communication skills. Being organized and able to prioritize tasks is another skill that successful freelance writers have.
To translate your previous jobs into skills that will benefit you as a freelance writer, start by breaking down each one into tasks that you performed on the job. Then consider how each one relates to the kinds of things you will need to do as a freelance writer.
This type of work involves a lot more than composition, and if you keep that fact in mind, you will be able to present yourself to a prospective client more effectively.
We share lots of tips for freelance writers here at Freelance Writing Jobs but we don’t often delve into the client’s point of view. Since several members of the FWJ community have asked about how clients qualify writers, I felt this worthy of exploration.
“But Deb,” you might be saying to yourself, “You’re a mere blogger. How are you qualified to talk about hiring freelance writers? You’re not a client. You work for clients.”
Those are very good questions. Blind trust is never a good thing, and we should always ask to see what isn’t obvious. The truth is, I’ve hired dozens of freelance writers over the past 20 years. Not only for this network, but also for clients, when I was an editor for several sites, and for both the publishing and graphic design firms I worked for in the 80’s and 90’s. I can tell you some of the methods I use to research freelance writers, and if there are any freelance writing clients in the peanut gallery, I’m sure they can chime in as well.
If your potential freelancer has an online presence you can give him a Google. This will bring up his greatest hits and show you where he was published and even what groups and organizations he belongs to. However, you can’t rely on solely a web search for accurate information. For example, many of the freelancer’s clients might be offline or private clients. The freelancer might also have valid but non-bylined experience.
Go beyond Google to learn about the freelance writer you wish to hire. Also consider not every writer chooses to have an online portfolio. Some writers only take clients via word of mouth or because the client reaches out to them. Just because a freelancer doesn’t have a price menu or big flashing advertisement on her blog, doesn’t mean you should write her off as a candidate. Her subtlety might indicate she’s more selective about who she chooses to work with.
Ask for a current copy of the freelance writer’s resume. This will list all of his past and present client and give you more valid research points than Google. You will have a list of companies to investigate and perhaps even people to call. The timeline will indicate how long this candidate has been writing, and, also, other experience relevant to your project.
Here’s the thing about references: the freelancer is not going to give you a list of unsatisfied customers so you’re going to have to use your best judgment. Every reference you check will probably turn out rosy. Glowing testimonials are fine and dandy, but don’t be afraid to ask the freelancer if she’s had any clients or projects that didn’t quite work out. The issue might not have been the freelance writer’s fault. Due diligence is always a good thing and it doesn’t hurt to check before learning the hard way this person isn’t who she says she is.
Again, not all freelancers choose to build online portfolios. Offline they might have files filled with magazine and newspaper clippings, white papers, research reports, grants or business plans. Ask qualified candidates to send scanned copies of some of these projects so you can see if his or her writing style agrees with your vision.
Not every freelancer is a long time freelance writer. Perhaps your potential freelancer was a staff writer who is trying to break into freelancing. You may also be contacted by people who are experts in their niches, and are good writers, but have no online experience. Their samples and resumes might be enough to tell you if this writer is for you.
Don’t take anything at face value. Not every freelance writer chooses to keep an online portfolio or sales page. If you’re curious why, ask. If you have any questions about experience, ask. The important thing is to not make assumptions based on a web search. Granted, a web search can be very revealing. However, many times you have to dig deeper than the obvious to learn about a writer’s true experience.
Do you hire writers? What methods do you use to find the best person for the job.
Looking for freelance writing jobs is an interesting thing. As I’ve said before, when you work as a freelancer, you are your own boss. When you apply for work, you aren’t applying for a job, exactly.
The person who hires you to work isn’t your employer; they are a client. You might work with a client on the different projects that you do, but you are your own boss. Some potential clients want to find out about a freelancer’s background and education before they hire them and may ask to see a resume.
Although I will provide a potential client with a resume on request, I am not altogether comfortable with it. If I was going to hire a contractor do to some work on my home, I would be asking how long the person has been in business as well as some questions about their level of experience with the type of work I need done. Would I ask for a resume before making up my mind? No, and I wouldn’t expect the person to offer to show me one.
Why are freelance writers preparing a resume, then? Are we still in the employer-employee mentality? Or are we having trouble explaining to potential clients why they should hire us?
I know freelance writers are very creative people, and there has to be a different way that we can present our credentials to potential clients. I also know that there have been many discussions in the blogosphere about how freelancer writers can command better rates for their work. I have a suspicion that one thing that holds freelance writers back from getting paid better for their work is the employer-employee mentality that some of us have. Once freelance writers start to see themselves as business owners and not job seekers, they will be more comfortable quoting the rates they deserve instead of taking what they can get.
Perhaps the answer is to prepare a one-page statement of accomplishments instead of a resume or write something that looks more like a brochure that you can share with a potential client. As a business owner, how would you tell a potential client about what you can do for them without using a resume?
