Important things to know before getting the first writing job

In one of my previous articles I talked about the things I wish I knew before getting into the content business. Once you know what you’re getting into and are ready for the road ahead, the next question is – How do I get writing jobs?

Continuing the series “Things I should have known”, today I am going to elaborate on this crucial factor of getting your first writing job.

In this post, I would like to talk in detail about the various sources of getting work. I will detail how you can use this information to get a head start in your freelancing career.

Before getting first writing job

Getting the first writing job– A daunting task

Back when I started, I practically had no knowledge about how things work. I was just shooting my arrows in the dark, hoping to hit a bullseye.

After a couple of months of trying my luck on various freelancing websites, I finally got my first client.

He hired me through Freelancer, which was my go to site at that time. The task I got was to write 500 words product reviews by using the given keywords.

Since I was not at all experienced, I had no idea about the payment methods and cycle. He was able to sense that and understood I was new to this business. He promised to pay me by month end and gave me a few more articles to write.

But, when the time for payment came – whoosh, he was gone. I tried reaching out to him via mails, IM (on freelancer), etc. but to no avail.

So yes, my first client duped me. Though the amount owed wasn’t much, I was devastated. The lack of knowledge about negotiation is what cost me. I will take this issue in yet another article in this series.

Enter – Worknhire.com

I would not say that Freelancer is a bad site. It is perhaps one of the biggest in the world when it comes to freelancing jobs.

However, due to stiff competition and too many users, the place was a little too intimidating for me.

Once duped, I left freelancer and started looking for alternatives. That is when I stumbled upon WorknHire.

Though it is not the biggest out there, but WorknHire is a decent freelancer marketplace for Indian freelancers. On this site, you can find jobs related to tech, writing, marketing and even data entry. There are a lot of writing projects posted and this is where I got my first regular client.

In the coming years, I made a few more clients using this platform. I am very glad that I stumbled upon this platform before giving up on writing.

What you should know from my experience?

Well, this was the story of how I started. But, what we are interested in knowing is how I should have started. What were the things that I needed to know before I got my first client. Which source of work was to be the best one? Let us ponder over that now.

In my opinion, before you start your journey as a freelancer, you must have a clear roadmap. As I have said earlier, being a freelance content writer is just like running your business and for business, we need strategy.

A major part of your strategy should be to identify the popular sources of work. In my experience, I have come across few of the best sources that can really give you a head start. I will talk about these platforms one by one and tell you about their features and how you can approach them.

sources to get writing jobs

Facebook Groups

While it might not seem like it, Facebook is great place to connect with potential client. I had never thought Facebook will help me get clients. However, it turned out to be quite a reality.

There are numerous groups in Facebook like Content Writers, Content Writing and SMM Jobs, etc. that are dedicated to content writers.

In these groups, there are many people who are posting their requirements and you can directly connect with them to get writing gigs.

The best part about this platform is the fact that there are many high paying gigs available. I landed one of my regular clients from this website and it was one of the highest paying gigs I had at that time.

LinkedIn – Groups & Jobs

To be honest, there is no better place than LinkedIn when it comes to getting a client. I really regret the fact that I started so late with LinkedIn.

My advise to all the new freelancers would be to create their LinkedIn profiles as soon as they can. Do ensure that your profile has all the relevant information regarding your writing experience. A well maintained profile draws a lot of attention so be mindful of that.

LinkedIn is full of professional writing firms looking for talent and you might even land a full time job in case you’re interested in one.

I got a few really amazing gigs from LinkedIn and I would definitely suggest you to try it out.

Freelance Marketplace – UpWork / Freelancer / WorknHire

Other than the two I have already talked about, there are many more platforms like InstaTaskers, UpWork (formerly Elance – oDesk) that provide freelance writers with clients.

It is highly recommended that you sign up for a few sites yourself and try it out. There is no one size fit all in this business. Hence, there might be sites which work better for you while they didn’t for me. Do not forget to share your feedback on any of the other websites that you try.

As my personal suggestion goes, you should try to land a few clients via WorknHire before you move to the bigger sites. I am saying this because once you have experience in writing content, you can showcase that work and get even better jobs.

Hence, going to sites like UpWork & Freelancer after you’ve gained some experience makes much more sense.

Job & Internship Portals

With the focus on going digital increasing each day, the content writing business has seen a healthy CAGR. There are many firms which are catering to writing, SEO, digital marketing and allied services which can prove to be a full time career opportunity.

There are internship and job websites that post about the content writing jobs (full-time) and internships available with various firms.

If you’re looking for full-time, then I would suggest that you check out sites like Internshala, Lets Intern and Twenty19 for opportunities. Other sources like Naukri, Monster, Indeed etc. can also be referred to.

Pro Tip: For all those who are passionate about writing and might want to transition into full time writers, doing an internship is very important. Doing an internship with a writing firm ensures that you know how the professional set-up works. It will also give you the much needed credibility which will allow you to get more clients / full time opportunities in future.

The Final Word

Based on my personal experience, below is the summary of how you should approach to get writing jobs:

  1. Start with a portal like WorknHire to land clients and gain experience before moving to bigger sites with more competition.
  2. Simultaneously, create a LinkedIn profile showcasing your talent and desire to work as a content writer.
  3. Do not stick to just one platform. Try out different websites / groups to get clients.
  4. If you are in it for the long haul, try for internships and ultimately go for a full time content development job.

I hope this article will help the beginners in scouting for clients in a better way. If you like what you read, share it on your social media and follow us so that you can stay updated.

Do not forget to leave a comment if you have used any other source and it worked out well for you.

Until next time – Stay Home Stay Safe!

Did you know about these 4 mistakes that all new bloggers make? Read about them here!!

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