Part of our "Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career" Video series
( Read the transcript )
WHAT EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE?
School work counts. You may think that an article you wrote for your school newspaper is too lame to put into your résumé, but the truth of the matter is that anything is fair game when you are first padding your portfolio to present to potential employers. If you ever did any editing or formatting for school projects you can also consider this great work experience, because even though you didn't get paid for it that doesn’t mean you didn't do the work. The question is, when you did these things for your school work, did you do them well and were they well received by the readers? If you did a bang-up job and everyone praised you for your efforts, then you can consider this valuable experience. Conversely, if you received ho-hum reviews or were harshly criticized, this can be considered good preparation for entering the world of professional writing. Editors and readers can be quite harsh, after all, so get ready to develop a thick skin when it comes to the feedback you receive.
Do you engage people with your writing? It's okay if you don't have any real experience other than engaging people with your writing. You don't necessarily need to have a history of writing for a school newspaper or composing online content for websites as long as you have a real talent for writing. Although it is true that you are going to have to pay your dues and probably take a series of non-paying or low-paying jobs to build up your résumé and reputation as a writer, if you have a great talent then it shouldn't be long before higher paying jobs are heading your way. Don't let a lack of concrete experience stop you from pursuing your dream of becoming a professional writer.
Are you able to simplify complicated subjects? Having the ability to take a complicated process and break it down into easily comprehensible writing is a much sought-after talent in writers, so if this is one of your talents then be sure you show it off. For example, if you can take a question like "What is a heart attack?" and turn it into an informative and entertaining article that is easily understandable, you have already surpassed many professional writers. Since there is a fine line between being engaging and informative and being informal and exceedingly conversational, writers who can strike the correct balance while still entertaining readers have a real future in writing.
School work counts. You may think that an article you wrote for your school newspaper is too lame to put into your résumé, but the truth of the matter is that anything is fair game when you are first padding your portfolio to present to potential employers. If you ever did any editing or formatting for school projects you can also consider this great work experience, because even though you didn't get paid for it that doesn’t mean you didn't do the work. The question is, when you did these things for your school work, did you do them well and were they well received by the readers? If you did a bang-up job and everyone praised you for your efforts, then you can consider this valuable experience. Conversely, if you received ho-hum reviews or were harshly criticized, this can be considered good preparation for entering the world of professional writing. Editors and readers can be quite harsh, after all, so get ready to develop a thick skin when it comes to the feedback you receive.
Do you engage people with your writing? It's okay if you don't have any real experience other than engaging people with your writing. You don't necessarily need to have a history of writing for a school newspaper or composing online content for websites as long as you have a real talent for writing. Although it is true that you are going to have to pay your dues and probably take a series of non-paying or low-paying jobs to build up your résumé and reputation as a writer, if you have a great talent then it shouldn't be long before higher paying jobs are heading your way. Don't let a lack of concrete experience stop you from pursuing your dream of becoming a professional writer.
Are you able to simplify complicated subjects? Having the ability to take a complicated process and break it down into easily comprehensible writing is a much sought-after talent in writers, so if this is one of your talents then be sure you show it off. For example, if you can take a question like "What is a heart attack?" and turn it into an informative and entertaining article that is easily understandable, you have already surpassed many professional writers. Since there is a fine line between being engaging and informative and being informal and exceedingly conversational, writers who can strike the correct balance while still entertaining readers have a real future in writing.
