blog @ spacebarpress » marketing http://spacebarpress.com/blog Life as a wannabe freelance writer Wed, 12 May 2010 15:31:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 How NOT to Find Good Talent http://spacebarpress.com/blog/2009/03/how-not-to-find-good-talent/ http://spacebarpress.com/blog/2009/03/how-not-to-find-good-talent/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:06:56 +0000 Julia http://spacebarpress.com/blog/?p=86 Today I opened my email to find this message:

Interested in contact information for this candidate for a position with a Toronto software company.

That’s it, no contact information, no nothing. I checked the headers from the email and it was sent through one of those job websites, so it’s possible this HR person didn’t realize that his message would be sent directly to the candidate, but still. I find this utterly hilarious as I’ve spent the last several weeks working diligently on my cover letters for my job applications. I’ve agonized over the placement of a comma, worried about my word choice, and held my breath before clicking “Send”. And this fella sends me that email? Tsk tsk.

]]> http://spacebarpress.com/blog/2009/03/how-not-to-find-good-talent/feed/ 0 Finding My Uniqueness http://spacebarpress.com/blog/2009/02/finding-my-uniqueness/ http://spacebarpress.com/blog/2009/02/finding-my-uniqueness/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:18:43 +0000 Julia http://spacebarpress.com/blog/?p=73 While searching the Internet for new freelancing opportunities, I came across an article that talked about the number 1 rule of freelancing: Find what makes you unique. If you don’t do that then customers aren’t going to want to hire you, because they can just hire anybody. If you’re the first freelancer they find, then great! But what if you’re not the first one, how are you going to earn their money?

Step 1-how many layers of uniqueness do I have?

  1. I am a writer.
  2. I am a computer geek.
  3. I am a sports fan. (My friends would probably say that should be the first layer, given my loyalty to my beloved Montreal Canadiens. [I am feeling their current pain far too deeply. :-) ])
  4. I am a woman.
  5. I am concerned about the environment.

Interesting list, if I do say so myself. A few of those are obvious, a few others aren’t. Let’s see what else I can learn.

Step 2-List two things for each layer that I could write about.

  1. Style guides and writing standard documents for software development.
  2. Puzzle video games like Tetris.
  3. How does technology affect us as a society?
  4. Why is the NHL not as popular in the US as it is in Canada?
  5. Why do hockey players not wear their protective equipment properly?
  6. Why doesn’t the NHL regulate safety equipment like the NFL?
  7. The daily grind of being a professional tennis player.
  8. How I can reduce my carbon footprint.
  9. What household products can I use that are “green”?

Wow, that list didn’t take me too long to write at all. Funny, considering I was just lamenting the other day that I had lost my inspiration for writing. I think I’m going to have to start making more of an effort to come up with these types of lists and just start writing! Apparently I have  a lot to say.

Step 3-Find places that need these types of articles.

This could present more of a challenge, but it’s one that I’ve got to make an effort on if I want to kick-start my freelancing career. Currently I could use Helium.com, or even Today.com, a new place I discovered this morning. Also I was thinking of using this blog to showcase my writing, as I’ve seen some freelancers do. Particularly the ones that do more SEO and keyword article writing. If I want to develop that aspect of my business, I’ve got to start doing that as well.

How are you discovering your uniqueness? Is it helping you find more customers?

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