Resumes or not

[Iva Ursano]

I have issues with resumes and maybe some of you can help. I have read from a few freelance writing gurus that you should never have to submit a resume when applying for a freelance writing gig but most of the jobs I come across ask for resumes. One of my issues is that I DON'T have a resume for writing as I am just breaking into the freelance writing field. How would I even make up a resume for these jobs? My other question is how many of you DO have resumes, what do they look like and can someone help??..:)~ Thanx guys!

[Vivian Marshall]

I don't have such a resume; I had not even thought about it.  But if you want to do a resume for freelance writing, think about the skills and experience you do have.  Will any of those transfer to freelance writing?  Did you write reports, newsletters, document root cause analysis, or write a thesis for school, these are all types of writing that you may have done.  Have you gathered and interpreted data, develop recommendations, etc.? These may be things that will also transfer. I am not sure what your background is but there are probably skills such as I listed that you can highlight. The hiring individual may not be looking only at writing experiences, he or she may be looking at your length of time in each job, how you account for times you were not employed, etc. Hope this helps.

[Sandy James]

I have seen some jobs that want a resume and others that do not. I would suggest that you do two things:

First, I know you haven't written much because you're new to writing, but write something and join one of the free portfolio sites to post it on. Write an article about one of your passions, and post it in your portfolio as a writing example. There are  free portfolio sites that you can check out and you can follow this link to more sites:  http://www.sessions.edu/notes-on-design/top-8-portfolio-sites-for-2014.. I use Pressfolio.com for my portfolio. Once you have a portfolio site, you can give the client the link and let them check it out. You can also refer them back to your LinkedIn portfolio as I know many writers do that.

Secondly, if the company/client wants a resume, then they want a resume. Write one up and gear it towards the position they're offering. Vivian is absolutely right when she says to list your skills--communication, organizational, supervisory, etc., Hiring managers usually look for other things besides writing. So, if you worked somewhere and saved that company $57K in some type of budget analysis, that's important and put it down! That shows initiative, attention to detail, you can work the numbers, and more.

I hope that helps. My background is HR and I write resumes.

Sandy

[Iva Ursano]

Thank you Vivian and Sandy! Your answers helped me a lot! I just don't understand why some say don't apply to jobs that ask for resumes. I just don't get that. And I despise writing up a resume!..good grief. I do have a blog, website, ebook, published articles on websites and a portfolio on Clippingsme. ( I think that's what it's called) Tomorrow is Sunday and I think there's a snow storm blowing in. Great day for resume writing. :)

On Friday, February 27, 2015 at 10:45:14 PM UTC-5, Iva Ursano wrote:

[FWPMikeyDee]

I really can't give any better advice that what has already been given. I will say that just because a client asks for a resume doesn't mean that client is bad or a scammer or whatever. I've applied and landed many projects that have turned out to be great using a resume. I think it's something so ingrained into the employment application process, especially in the States, that many people simply automatically ask for one without a second thought. I keep one on hand just in case. One point I would like to make is to not lose any sleep over your resume. Ultimately, your portfolio and writing clips will speak for themselves, I'm not entirely sure how much weight is placed on a resume even when it is asked for. This article I wrote may help you create a resume when you have a background like mine: Not exactly full of writing experience. 

http://profitable-writing.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-perfect-freelance-writers-resume.html

Hope this helps!

Have a great weekend!

[Iva Ursano]

Thanx bunches Mike. That article was a HUGE help as was the advice by the girls. I will work on a resume (grumble grumble, grrrr). I suppose it's good to have anyway. It's something that I've procrastinated doing because as much as I love writing there are some things, well, that just ain't no fun...lol

[Vivian Marshall]

As I have followed this post about resumes,  I thought about what I had written about a descriptive narrative and the similarities to a resume.  A resume is a description of your work history, your skills and knowledge, and your professionalism among other things.  This was a new thought process for me because I typically have thought about resumes as a required necessity---I had never thought about a resume as painting a picture of myself for people who don't know me.  The cover letter is an additional opportunity to add to specific details to my description.  I was  thinking about how use this insight to help me land a job.  One of the things I am considering is developing a checklist of things I want in my picture; then reviewing my resume to see if it paints the descriptive picture I want.

Some of the things I am considering for my generic descriptive checklist are:

- Stability

- Results Oriented

- Self Starter

- People Person

- Big Picture

- Creative

These are all things that are typically common to the types of jobs I am seeking regardless of the functional title of a particular job.

This was just a new way for me to rethink my resume and I thought I would share it with you for what it is worth.

-

On Friday, February 27, 2015 at 10:45:14 PM UTC-5, Iva Ursano wrote:

[FWPMikeyDee]

I must say, that's an excellent way of looking at the whole "resume or not" question as a freelancer, Vivian. It's certainly opened my eyes to new possibilities.

As a Web writer, perhaps the resume shouldn't be utilized in a strictly traditional sense. Instead it may function better when used to express more than just work experience, learned skills or educational achievements. I'm starting to think that its focus should be on showing who I am as an actual individual with a life, with complex thoughts, dreams, hopes. That I am something more than just another faceless entity eager to churn out content in exchange for a few pennies. 

As a matter of fact, why shouldn't I, as Vivian cleverly pointed out, paint a vivid image of myself for the client to see and understand. Show those potential employers that I am a living and breathing person with opinions, values and life experiences very similar to their own.

Considering the career we've chosen, I think that approach could make a major difference. In an industry where writers are oftentimes unappreciated and undervalued, we could definitely benefit from a written self-portrait designed to make clients acknowledge our individuality, our skill and most importantly our worth. Maybe once it has been changed to meet that goal, the old school resume would become an indispensable part of a freelancer's portfolio. 

I've honestly never thought of the writer's resume in this light; as a medium for expressing from the opening communication exactly who I am, what I value and hold dear, why my skill-set is unique and just exactly how the client will benefit from the services I provide. It's clear to me now, though. The writer's resume can easily evolve into the missing element writers need to overcome the anonymous nature and impersonal barriers associated with working online.

Now that I think more about it, I envision a truly professional freelancer's resume containing a personable and inviting picture, a concise description of my skill-set, details about the services I provide and a short description highlighting my work/education background (as it relates to writing). Then I would take all that traditional stuff and combine it with a personal "mission statement"/"business goal", a set of guiding principles, a guarantee of quality and dependability and a paragraph or two detailing who I am as a person and why that makes the content I create unique and valuable. All that intimate detail would be interspersed with potent examples of how exactly my services would benefit the client and help them achieve their goals. 

As writers of Internet content, we may want to create our resumes to explicitly express our personalities and our character, to fill in the gaps left exposed by most portfolios. Using the accepted and familiar form of the resume to get close and personal might mean the difference between landing your next client and simply getting ignored. I'm going to make some changes to mine and see what happens. 

Thanks Vivian for your awesome insight. And all of you freelance family members, ya'll frakkin' rock!!! Thank you so much for your contribution to the forum. I will keep adding more and more people and growing our little community until it becomes a thriving place to meet. Also, FCCO is still in the works. I just bit off a lot more than I could chew so it's gonna be behind schedule. It will be a reality this year, I promise! Take care and talk soon!

[Iva Ursano]

Wow..great posts you two (Viv and Mike) Thank you both so much. I already did draw up a resume but you both showed me a different side to resume writing for freelancers that totally makes sense!! I had a hard time because I keep thinking "why is the fact that I've been a hairstylist for 20+ years or a Feng Shui Consultant for over 5 years or a volunteer at the Y as an aerobics instructor of any importance to writing"? I always struggled with making one up which is why it has taken me so long to do so. It was just very frustrating for me and I kept thinking, "this is pointless!!"

On Friday, February 27, 2015 at 10:45:14 PM UTC-5, Iva Ursano wrote:

[FWPMikeyDee]

Trust me Iva, I completely understand. My resume was immaculate and stacked with mad experience. Full of consistent years on the same job, glow references from former bosses. My resume looked like gold to most employers who saw it. Just as long as that employer was hiring carpenters or finishers for the construction trade or Dish/Direct installers, I was typically good to go. A client looking to hire a writer usually avoids the guy who has been a  frame carpenter most his life and  holds little more than a Good Enough Diploma in the way of education.  I sold health insurance for a couple years, and ADT systems at the mall, flea markets and  outside sales. But nothing even remotely resembling writing or editing or even publishing. I was a skilled tradesman... I could write...Well, I was damn good at telling myself I could write.... but I had absolutely no background or experience in the freelance industry....basically the first 2 to 3 months were spent learning, researching the industry, every once in a while finding a project/client who didnt ask for a resume. But after 5 months at the most, I managed to get a few projects under my belt. They were, strangely enough, all clients who required in-depth DIY step-by-step guides. Now that I look back, it was targeting clients buying content about DIY woodworking and handyman guides that gave me just enough opening to get my foot in the door. 

That's prolly the best advice I can give to an aspiring writer who lacks a writer's background or education. Take what you know, like hairstyles, cosmetics, fashion, etc, and focus on clients looking for content in your area of expertise. You'll be able to write from your own mind and experiences which means a lot less research. It's usually easier to write about subjects you know. 

Look at the feeds in the right sidebar on the homepage. Click on one of the Problogger Job Board Links and look for jobs that interest you. Make it a daily routine to apply or query 5 to 10 clients off one of the many job boards out there. When you're not working on billable hours for a paying client or applying to paying ads, find other opportunities to write and get paid, learn new styles of writing, study SEO, SMM, and get a solid grasp of Content Marketing. Within a few months, you'll have too many jobs to keep applying as much as you did at the start, but you should constantly dedicate at least a couple hours a week to finding new clients and new paying markets. 

Contact me if you need more help. I'll help you in anyway I can. Great week!

[Iva Ursano]

Thanx Mike. You're awesome. I check the job boards daily! There are 4 or 5 I check out all the time. I've applied for many!!! Still nothing but I am hopeful! I keep at it. Too determined to give up :) I have a great author profile on a very popular personal development site and I know one day that will certainly be an advantage for me. One day...lol

On Friday, February 27, 2015 at 10:45:14 PM UTC-5, Iva Ursano wrote:

[FWPMikeyDee]

Look for local opportunities. Even small Mom n Pops have blogs nowadays and they need to get top 5 SERPs for their locally targeted keywords. Cold call businesses out of the phone book. That's my goal over this next week. To compile a list and then call at least 5 to 10 local businesses everyday. My old man followed this thing when he first started as a heath insurance producer. He went to this seminar that laid it all out statistically. If he routinely called 20 businesses everyday, statistically he would land a certain percentage. I can't remember what all the numbers were but it was calculated down to exact (or statistically exact) figures. Here's the thing, he's loaded now. He kicks back and collects residuals all day now. So it worked. Cold calls suck, but they're not all that bad. You know what is way way way wya way worse than cold calling? Going door to door selling shit! Seriously, I was probably the worst door to door ADT salesman ever. I couldn't get over the fact that I was annoying the hell out of people. I didn't really believe in the product, either, so that just killed any chance I had at making a sell.

Anyways, I bet statistically speaking if you call 10 businesses a day, you have to land some eventually. It worked for my old man and health insurance. It may be a bit different for content creation, but our services are not only valuable but people really need them and probably don't even know that they really really need the shit out of them. I'm gonna call some folks and let them know they need my services until someone agrees with me.