How to Get a Freelance Job: Think Like an Employer
by Joe Wallace
Learning how to find a freelance job isn’t all about knowing how to write a query letter or write a solid article. Part of the game is learning how to think like the person who needs to pay a freelancer to do this work in the first place.
How can you improve your chances of finding freelance work? Simple–think like an editor. There are three factors involved in hiring a freelancer. Editors, project managers and hiring managers all want the same things–they need a reliable person who will turn the work in on deadline, provide clean copy and be responsive when the editor writes back with revisions.
SmartMoney’s SmallBiz.com ran an excellent article on how to evaluate freelance help, aimed at hiring managers. The piece is chock full of advice on what to look for when hiring freelance talent, and how to check out a freelancer to make sure they are a good fit for the company. Background check? You bet. Freelance contracts? Definitely. Here’s a hint–the author encourages hiring types to use Craigslist and MediaBistro.com.
The article isn’t aimed at writers, so why should you spend your time reading it?
Reading this SmartMoney article helps you get into the head of the person on the other side of the desk. What are they really looking for? What’s the ideal freelance candidate?
If you’ve had trouble finding freelance jobs, check out this article and learn a few secrets. One very important thing you should take from this article–being a newbie does not automatically exclude you from a freelance job, but you will be asked to prove yourself.
The trick is to welcome that challenge and be a total overacheiver. Once test time is over you’ll have earned the confidence of your new client.
