RETURN TO WRITING STRATEGIES

The Outplacement Chronicles: How to Jump-Start Your Writing Career
By Terri Mrosko

Four glorious months after I left the company where I worked for 21 years, I knew it was time to get serious about a new career. After the shock of being downsized wore off, the realization that I could now pursue a career in freelance writing began to take hold. With the dream of writing firmly ingrained and a hefty severance package in tow, I began my exciting new journey.

I spent weeks reading everything I could get my hands on at the library and on the Internet, and then spent several more weeks formulating my writing ideas and learning the art of writing query letters.

Soon the four-month anniversary of my last day at work arrived and that meant starting the outplacement service provided as part of my severance. I groaned at the thought of trading my precious writing time for face time at the outplacement office. Realistically, I knew I had to do something part time until freelance writing became lucrative. I had no choice but to see what outplacement could offer.

After a month of outplacement services, my writing career took on a new life. I got two writing assignments, established promising career contacts, learned of many new resources and techniques, and conducted several interviews. One month later, directly stemming from contacts made through the outplacement office, I landed a freelance correspondent position with a community newspaper.

Soon it will be a year since I left the doors of outplacement behind, and I am thankful I took full advantage of the resources available to me. I have over 100 articles published in newspapers, online and print magazines, and in my own successful print newsletter.

I successfully applied the steps I learned in the outplacement process in a not-so-traditional fashion to jump-start my writing career. Whether you are just starting a writing career or are well established in one, following this advice from an experienced career counselor will enhance your strategies in obtaining the career or article sales you desire.

Networking

"Networking is not an outplacement concept; it is a marketing concept."

On the first day of outplacement, I met my career counselor. Just talking to someone with a vested interest in what I wanted to do with the rest of my life was invigorating. As I explained my situation and career objectives, the career counselor underscored the importance of connecting to people and sharing ideas and information.

"Networking is about relationships, and when it comes to writing in particular, you need to have those relationships in place, especially if you are just starting out. Networking is a conduit for information about future jobs or further contacts."

Sitting at home writing all day or sending out queries is not the only way to get assignments. Reach out to make real connections with people in order to make things happen.

Resume Writing

"Resume writing is useful because it forces you to reflect, identify and synthesize what you know about yourself."

Next I attended a workshop on resume writing. I brought a working copy of my existing resume, which looked great--if I was applying for a financial analyst's position. A complete overhaul was in order.

My counselor advised, "If you're just breaking into the writing business, you should glean everything you can from your actual work experience that is communication or writing related."

Through a series of worksheets designed to help draw upon my unique strengths and expertise, I created a functional resume geared toward finding a job as a writer. I remembered to include newsletters and manuals I wrote and edited as part of my previous positions, as well as my networking, facilitating and researching accomplishments. These accomplishments can also be used as credentials on a query letter.

"In a writer's cover letter (or query), the cover letter becomes the most important piece, which may or may not point to a resume."

Job Search Techniques

"A freelance writer would probably be a good traditional job searcher because they know how to identify and go after what they want."

My next lesson involved learning about job search techniques. Traditional techniques are used in identifying an industry, targeting and exploring a market, then targeting particular companies within that market. This of course is very similar to a writer's identifying a genre (non-fiction), a market (career management) and a publication within that market (Working Woman). Remember, the well-written cover letter is an essential tool in both processes.

Search methods for finding a job or for finding a writing assignment underscore the need to make the right fit, be it for assessing a specific company or a specific publication. The Internet, which has transformed the traditional newspaper classified ad, is a great place to start your search. I found listings for writing-related jobs at Avalanche of Jobs and for freelance assignments at Authorlink! Classifieds and Working Writers Newsletter.

Interviewing

"Now as to technique: A writer must be focused in their questioning, know why they're asking the question and know how the question is relevant."

The final step in the outplacement process was learning about interviewing for a job. While the scope of the interview differs for the job seeker and the freelance writer (one is being interviewed while the other is conducting the interview), the basic skill set remains the same. Communication skills like eye contact, non-verbal cues, active listening and paraphrasing are key components of the interview.

My career counselor offered me this advice: "Make the questions short and to the point, and make note of the answer. This may sound funny, but sometimes you don't listen to the answers and you end up asking the same thing again."

Strategies used during the interview process can greatly aid in information gathering. I was keenly aware of listening actively and maintaining a professional attitude throughout the course of the interviews I conducted.

It is projected people will change jobs an average of seven times within their lifetime. Many will change careers as well, with or without the aid of outplacement services. The key to any job change strategy is to take advantage of every available option and resource.

Think of all the traditional techniques available to help advance your career. The writer plies and molds the words that uniquely come together on the written page. You can do the same in shaping the outcome of your writing career by combining all those available resources and tools.

Copyright Terri Mrosko. This article originally appeared in a January 2001 issue of Inscriptions Magazine. If you are interested in reprint rights, contact us.