I have touched on the topic of freelance writing phone interviews in the past, but many of you have asked me to do so again. Most clients hiring a freelance writer are not interested in speaking on the phone. Instead, they will do all of their “interviewing†via email. That being said, as your career grows you are sure to be asked to complete a phone interview at some point in time. Believe it or not, I have already had three phone interviews this year alone. While this scares many freelance writers there is nothing to be worried about.
What does a phone interview entail? I have found that most of these conversations have three distinct parts:
1. To start, you and the client will exchange information. This is when you will learn more about the client and what they want. And once they are done you will talk about yourself including information on your experience, rates, etc.
2. The client will begin to ask specific questions. Chances are that you will not touch on everything during the first part of the conversation. For instance, you may talk about your experience but the client may want more specific information. Make sure you are ready to answer any and all questions that are asked of you. And remember, there is nothing wrong with being honest; you should never lie to make yourself look better.
3. At the end of the conversation the client will usually tell you one of three things: they will get in touch with you, they want you to get started, or they are moving on because you don’t fit their needs. I have heard all three, and you are sure to do the same. Obviously you want to land the gig, but if you don’t there is nothing to be ashamed of. You are not the perfect fit for every client, and vice versa.
Now that you know the basics of a freelance writing phone interview you should be able to shake your jitters before taking your next call. There is nothing to be nervous about if you are confident, prepared, and ready to be open and honest.Â
Do you think it is a bit early for this post? Maybe, maybe not. Believe it or not, many freelance writers have already abandoned their goals for 2009 for one reason or the next. How about you? Are you staying on track or are you already straying away from the goals you set and the strategy you outlined for the new year?
If you are off to a bad start in 2009 it is very important that you listen up: you still have time to get back on track. Now is the time to pull your career together and really get down to business. If you continue to stray from the path you have set for yourself there is a good chance that you will look back in a few months and wonder what could have been. You don’t want that to happen, do you?
Although past years have not been the same, this time around I am doing a great job of sticking to my strategy and chasing all my goals. The year is only two weeks old but a good start is important to a successful year. Again, if you are far from where you thought you would be at this point you need to make the proper changes today. Each day that goes by in which you are not on the right path is another day that is wasted.
If you are not following a strategy or have yet to set goals it is safe to say that you slacked off at the end of 2008 and the beginning of the new year. But since it is only the middle of January you can make up for this lost time if you act now. It only takes a couple of hours to draw up a rough strategy and set both short and long term goals. Will you finally take the time to do so?
This post may seem a bit “pushy†or similar to a sales letter. But sometimes it takes a bit of a push for some freelance writers to realize that they are not on the right track. If you are off to a no-so-great start in 2009 now is the time to forget about what has happened in the past two weeks, and to realize that hard work and the right strategy can go a long way in making this your most successful year ever.
I have heard time after time from aspiring freelance writers that they are afraid to leave their day job because it is more secure. While this may be the case for some, you should think twice before falling into this trap. In my opinion, becoming a freelancer of any type is more secure than traditional employment. You may not totally agree with this, but there are many reasons why I feel this way:
1. You call the shots. When you work as a freelance writer you are in charge of every decision from the number of hours you work to your rates and much more. This is not the case when you work for an employer. From where I sit it is much more secure to be the one in charge of making all the decisions. Why would you want to put your career and your future in the hands of somebody else? If you do this you are more or less saying that you trust them more than you yourself.
2. With traditional employment you can only work a set number of hours. Sure, you may be able to get overtime here and there, but this is not always the case. When you work as a freelance writer you are in charge of your hours. If you want to work more so you can earn more, so be it. I find comfort in knowing that I can ramp up my production and work hours if I need to earn more money or bring in more clients. This is not an easy feeling to obtain if you work a traditional job.
3. No set income. In my past career I was receiving a set salary. While some people feel secure knowing that they have the same amount of money coming in each month I look at this situation a bit differently. Why would I want to put a cap on my earnings? As a freelance writer I can earn as much as I want; it depends on what I do as a professional, not what somebody else decides to pay me. It is nice to know that a good work ethic and quality work can help me earn more money. Can the same be said for most traditional careers?
4. An employer can “go under†at anytime. And even if they don’t go under they can layoff employees without notice. How would you feel if you put in many good years with a company just to have them lay you off because they need to cut back? As a freelance writer you have the security of knowing that you always have a job. Sure, clients come and go within the freelance writing world, but you can spread yourself around to ensure that you always have an income.
In my opinion, working as a freelancer is more secure than a traditional job within a traditional company.
