Fear of unknown

Being afraid of things that we do not know is quite natural. It is human to be afraid of things that we do not have any knowledge about. Each one us has this fear. This fear is natural, but it tastes sour when it starts intimidating and thwarting our development. When a newbie faces this fear he freezes, but when a seasoned professional faces this fear he deals with it.

Fear of not earning much

This is the fear that has stopped many deserving men and women from achieving what they always wanted. Having a financially stable life is everyone’s desire, but if this desire is pushing you to get everything quick and now then you should stop to think. You will get what you deserve, but not now. It will take some time. We all have to start small.

Fear of not getting enough work

This fear is related to the fear we discussed above. Not having enough work to justify the career change freezes the new entrants. When starting out you may not get enough work, but as you establish yourself in the field, you start getting works.

Fear of not getting recognized

People in general seek recognition from family, friends, and neighbors. They want their jobs to be recognized and respected. For undeveloped mind, freelance writing may not be a career to respect, and sadly most of the people have that. This thing keeps many from opting for this career, despite all its lucrative benefits.

The answer to both the questions is the age old “it depends.”

I know this answer sounds boring and it does not actually say anything. That is why I decided to write a brief post to describe when one should leave freelancing or one should leave it alone.

Should I Switch?

The decision to leave freelancing or not depends upon the answers to the following questions:

1. What will you do if not freelancing?
2. Can you support your family and yourself during the “switch period”?
3. Are you sure that you want to make a switch?
4. Is the switch worth the effort?
5. Are you confident that your clients will accept you in the new role?
6. Do you have what it takes to make a switch?

Switching career is not an easy task and you already know it. You first tested the sour water of switching when you switched from a full-time job to freelance work; therefore, you must be aware of the kinds of issues one faces when one decided to switch. After a switch, you will again be a fresher in the field. Hence, you should be prepared to fight the same battle that you fought when you first switched from full-time job to freelancing.

What should I do?

You can go for any career you want after free lancing, but there are some career choices which are more related to the works you have done as freelancer. Hence, before you bid adieu to freelancing let’s consider what career choices you have.

1. You can become a consultant. If you are a freelance writer, you can become writing consultant.
2. You can become a coach. A press release writer can become a better press release writing coach.
3. You can start a freelance agency. After working on many assignments for many years, you must know the nuances of freelancing business. Then why not become a freelancing hub that takes work from companies and redistribute among other freelancer.
4. You can become a freelancer manager for some company.
5. You can start writing on freelance career choices.

When to switch?

After knowing what you can do, it is time to know when you should switch. In order to find that out, you need to answer the following question to know when to switch from freelancing to another career.

1. How many years have you been into this? To become a coach, writer or consultant you need to have many years of experience.
2. Do you think you have acquired enough skill to manage a freelancing business?
3. Can you be a good negotiator? You must know to negotiate both from clients and freelancers, as it is important for you to make money as a freelance business owner.
4. Do you know everything that is there to learn to switch from freelancing to consultation?

We can classify quitters in two categories. The first categories consist of those who lost the freelancing battle and failed to make any mark, hence he is leaving the field all in blood and tears. There is a second group that consists of people who are quitting their freelance jobs because they have stepped up to provide consultancy services or to manage group of freelancer.

The people falling in latter group have done the right thing, but there is something seriously wrong with the freelancers who belong to the former group. These are the people whom I will call quitters because they are leaving or have left freelancing because they could not make this work.

Freelancing is not easy, and whoever told you that this is the easy way to make money then the person was DEAD WRONG! Freelancing is difficult because unlike your 9-5 job, you are your own manager, own worker, and own support person. This is not a corporate job where you are supposed to do just one thing. Here, you have to see forest when your client shows you tree.

Worried?

Do not lose hope. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. In this case, the light will be the tips I am sharing here, which if applied properly, may convert some of the quitters into winners.

How to avoid being a quitter

• Find out the reason why you are not getting enough clients. For this you need to ask the following questions:
  • Are you not competent enough?
  • Is your skill set not saleable?
  • Do you have problem in managing time and work?
  • Are you in the wrong field?
  • Is your rate too high?
  • Don’t you have good samples to show?
  • Does not your sample speaks of your ability and justify your rate?
  • Does your proposal letter include a strong call to action?
  • Is your profile worth reading?

• Now the next step is to pin-point the exact reason, and to do that, you will have to adopt methodologies used market research agencies.
  • First, Identify all the problem areas
  • Now, take one problem element at a time, and work on it. Keep rest of the problem elements constant.
  • Measure the result.
  • If the result is close to what you had expected then change another variable (problem element), and keep rest of them constant, otherwise, rework on the first variable.
  • Measure the result
  • Repeat the process and fix all the problem elements.

• Upgrade your skills
• Learn time management
• Be patient

Always remember, freelancing is not like a regular job where you have someone to tell you what is wrong and what is right. It is also not a fix-time job, which also means that you can take leave whenever you want. Be patient with this career, rewards at the end are worth the wait.

But if you want to be a writer, the first step is making sure you have the skills.  I’m not necessarily talking about the degrees you think you need, but rather the knowledge.  If you want to be a freelancer you absolutely need the Associated Press Stylebook.  It’s a listing of everything you need to know for journalism trends concerning grammar, spelling, and how you should write a journalistic article for any topic.  It’s your writing bible, so keep it with you while you write until you know the facts inside and out.

Start up a personal blog.  This will serve for a resume of sorts, where you can continually update your personal accomplishments and day to day musings.  Your blog will serve as a good introduction to employers, and could even earn you extra money in the process, from advertising.  Not to mention it’s a free and easy way to hone your writing techniques, something you desperately need to do at all times.

Keep a list of your goals around your work area, so that you can keep sight of your target.  That way whenever you’re feeling less than motivated to be a successful writer, you have constant motivation.  Never stop working toward those goals, and keep them close to your heart.  Anything is possible if you’re willing to work for what you want.

Finally, now that you’re set to really get started, look for work.  Submit your writing to websites, there are a plethora available for freelance writers.  In the beginning be prepared to work for low money to develop a good work history, or even free at times.  But once your history is more reputable, the better jobs will consider you.  The more of a name you can make for yourself, the more valuable and expensive your services will become.

Is your résumé ready?

Sounds familiar? Yeah…every job requires you to have a résumé, and freelancing is no different in this regard. You will need an up-to-date résumé throughout your freelance writing career, and particularly when you are starting out when you have no portfolio to show. Your résumé will tell your prospective client about your experience.

How good is your cover letter?

You cannot do without a cover letter ever in your freelancing write. You will need this every day and for every project you bid on. It is a thousand times more important than your résumé. You need to know that you are not alone when you apply for an online writing gig. You are competing with hundreds of freelancer who is vying for the gig. Hence, to get noticed, you need to have a very attractive cover letter properly outlining your skills and experiences.

The things written above were good enough for any freelancer, but what makes a cover letter more important to a freelance writer is the fact that through your cover letter your prospective client will get the first glimpse of your writing; hence, if it is very impressive then consider your job half-done.

Do you know how to apply?

Well, doing this is not very difficult. It is just time consuming. Before you apply for a gig, you need to find out how the employer or the freelance board through which you are applying wants your application to be.

Some boards just need one cover letter, which you post with your bid, while others may ask you to write a brief introduction while posting the bid, and the rest of the details in a private message.

There is one more difference. The difference is in the way your client will accept your samples: some will ask you to send them links to your sample, while others will be okay with your attachments, and you will also find a handful of clients who will ask you to paste a brief article in the body of a private message. It is also not uncommon to find a client who wants you to write a custom sample for him on the topic or on the subject chosen by the client himself.

Get these things ready, I will be back in the next installment with some more checklist items. Meanwhile, I will also request you to tell me what you feel about the items I have listed above.

Next you’ll really want to consider jobs that will pay you a realistic living wage.  These can be hard to find, but there are plenty that are available, you just have to be diligent in trying to find them.  Some real positions available as work from home opportunities include.

Translation services
Web developer
Writer/editor
Technical support
Virtual assistant …to name a few

All of these jobs are very mobile, and are available for the taking to anyone that wants a work from home opportunity.  The main thing about finding them or succeeding with these positions is just working hard.  Work hard to find them, and then once you have the position, work hard to make a name for yourself so that you can continue to find work once this opportunity has dried up.

Being a freelance worker means never getting too attached to any one job, as you are in a constant state of shifting positions at any number of companies.  You’re in charge of keeping that resume constantly updated, and being prepared to participate in interviews every few weeks.  Not to mention keeping track of your own earnings records so that you can properly pay the taxes owed according to the laws in your state.

But as long as you’re prepared for such a mountain to climb, freelancing offers you the opportunity to take control of your life and your job.

In the real world, you will find it extremely difficult to make your voice heard midst all the chaos, but the good news is you can do it, and do it by doing what you know best. I mean, by writing.

Freelance writers have one big benefit over freelancers of other fields, and the benefit is his or her ability to write. Unlike other freelance professionals, who struggle to write promotional materials for themselves, freelance writers are cut out to do exactly that. If you are a freelancer, I feel it is needless to say that your ability to write is the sole reason for your existence then why not use this ability to seize clients’ attention?

The matter written in the body of your e-mail is the first point of contact between you and your prospective client, so make it as better as you can. The quality of this initial contact will increase the possibility of your getting hired, yet most of the freelance writers never take this seriously.

As a freelance writer, you need to understand that every word that you write is in itself an advertisement for you. Hence, choose your words with much caution when you are writing mails to your existing client or prospects. Before going through your samples that you have attached with your application, your prospective clients will read the cover letter or the mail that you have written, and the prospect will only decide to click the attachment link, if he or she is impressed with what and how you have written your e-mail.

If you are a freelance writer or aspire to be one, always remember to take every communication with your client seriously, and use every opportunity you get and show how well you can write. Unlike other freelance professionals, for you, promoting yourself is easy. You are cut out to do that!

an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit: a computer nerd.

The internet has inevitably turned average people into nerds; the dot com revolution has become a single-minded obsession for most individuals, especially when we take into consideration its importance as a method of communication.  From submitting school assignments to applying for jobs or services, it is hard not to stay away from a computer.

The definition is a bit misleading now, with the advent of online social networks.  Being single-minded, or focusing on one topic, can lead to an oxymoron: the internet, and therefore computers, is a pursuit that is socially nonsocial.  People are using text messages rather than contacting others face-to-face, but they are still getting their messages to each other.  Just think of MySpace or Facebook.  Today, being a computer nerd is the best stereotype you could portray and you’ll definitely forget the stigma that the word “nerd” has carried in the past, once you realize that an IT freelance career can be profitable.  Now you might ask, “How can I become a computer nerd from the comfort of my home?”  A friend of mine is slowly becoming a computer nerd and honestly it isn’t that hard to do.  Here are some guidelines and free resources for your transformation:

1. Install Linux first!  That’s what she did and I was surprised of how quickly she began to understand computer terminology.
2. Play around with HTML.  There are plenty of online tutorials!
3. Take a break and check out computer books at your library or read online articles.  If you choose the second option you’re probably already addicted to the internet (and you’re more of a nerd than you think!).
4. Practice JavaScript and you’ll be well on your way to writing a program.
5. Make your own website (and by that I mean, don’t use free templates!).  It’s fun to do and breaking the ice in this industry is as easy as registering your first domain name.  This is important because you’ll get more credit to your name as a freelancer who has a personal/professional website.  You can also use a free website and then use the custom HTML section to play around.  Make sure it redirects to your domain though!
6. Once you got an idea of it all, volunteer your time!  Do something for a friend or offer a potential client a test page.  Recommendations are your best asset when it comes to standing out from the crowd (and it’s better than being charged to practice in someone’s class).

That is all for now.  Hope to see you joining the ranks of our creative profession.  Like it or not, you’re already a computer nerd just for having read this far!