(image: gsb.stanford.edu)
Finding work from home, especially writing work, is not that difficult if you have a solid resume, a quality portfolio, have enough previous experience to impress would-be employers, and an education that matches your skills. To work from home also implies being comfortable, making your place of residence a sanctuary for your tasks. Some people believe one’s home is only for relaxation and casual affrais. However, there are people that can tune into work no matter where they are. If you consider yourself as one these individuals, please read on.
Resume
In order to work from home, you will need a resume to send out that reflects this occupation. You should not send out generic resumes that could match any job description. You will need to tailor your resume to remote writing and/or editing work. Not only will you change the language of your stated objective, but also what experience you choose to showcase in your resume. Some work experience is not connected to remote work, or to writing itself. If you have not done any freelance work from home before, be sure to include all the writing work you have done in offices—whether it was paid or non-paid. Moreover, you should adapt your resume to each position you apply for. Do your best to incorporate keywords and phrases that are present in the description of the job you are applying to.
In order for your resume to be solid, you should have someone you trust take a look at it. A peer, colleague, or tutor you think is an expert in writing resumes would be a fine choice. Often, we cannot notice mistakes and holes in our resume without the help of a second eye. Also, there are some people that specialize in composing resumes. Their assistance can be your ticket landing work from home.
If you notice, after sending your resumes out to different jobs, that you continue to get rejections and no interviews, you should know that you need to edit your resume. You should take each failure as a chance to grow and to improve your resume writing skills. Sometimes, it takes a month to achieve that perfect resume.
Portfolio
If you want to be a serious writer, you need to have a sizable portfolio of your writing. It should have a variety of completed writing tasks in it, as each position will require different types of samples for your work. The selection of your samples should be thorough, as you should edit and re-edit samples you have written, choose which samples are the most professional-looking, and which samples fit the tone of each position’s description.
Once again, it is important for you to have someone look over your work, i.e. portfolio. You might believe your portfolio is outstanding, but readers and purveyors of your portfolio might not think so. We have an inherent bias about our own writing. Often, we are clouded by our effort and the process of a writing piece that we cannot judge its objective quality.
Almost every employer of writers and editors will ask for samples of your work if you apply. That is why having a portfolio you are proud of is key in order to gain work from home.
Previous Experience
Though employers often want years of experience in writing, editing, publishing, and more, sometimes it is enough to have a degree and volunteer or internship experience. Whatever experience you have, list all the positions that are relevant to the job you are applying for in your resume. If you want to work from home as a writer, then you should focus first on jobs you have done that are connected to remote work. After you present this type of work, you can move onto office work and other related experience.
As with most resumes, you should list your previous experience starting from the most current. Provide jobs descriptions that are no longer than two sentences, as employers do not have so much time to read through your details. Often, they simply scan resumes instead of read each word. Therefore, it is better to be concise and exacting instead of long winded when composing a resume, especially in relation to the details of your previous experience.
Be sure to add your recommendations from supervisors or other managerial staff. This will boost your listings of previous experience significantly. In fact, many employers expressly convey that they want to see your recommendations. One of the most annoying things is when you have to present recommendations, and you have to run around and search for people who would give you recommendations. So, it is best to have at least three on hand.
Education
Most remote writing jobs require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree. The type of the bachelor’s degree is not always important, though having a degree related to writing aids you in landing work from home. Rarely will an employer of remote writing work ask for a master’s degree, or a PhD for that matter. The most asked-for degrees when it comes to writing jobs are: English, literature, linguistics, editing, journalism, communications, and other related degrees.
Also, you do not need to obtain a degree from a highly-reputable university in order to get work. A mid-range university or college is fine. In addition, most employers don’t ask for your GPA or about your academic achievements. So, there is not much reason to fret over the particulars when it comes to inputting your information in your resume. A bachelor’s degree is commonly required, as it shows you can finish tasks, are competent enough to take on certain assignments, and that you have discipline.
Making Your Home Worthy of Work
Most offices are suited for efficient work. So, if you want to work from home, you should also make your work environment ready for long hours of struggle, concentration, and brilliancy. This implies doing away with possible distractions. You might have friends and family at home, and you need to make sure you are not constantly bombarded by them. You should select a room you will work in that is quiet, has enough light, and looks businessy enough. You don’t want to work in a room that makes you feel sleepy, too relaxed, or uptight. You should tell the people you live with about your schedule and your work requirements. Writing takes immense concentration, and usually it is done within a certain timeframe. Writers are commonly habitual beings.
In addition, you should know how you work best. You should assess whether you work better in the early morning, in the day, or at night, and build your schedule around these preferences. There are other factors as well: some people work better in lit areas and others in dark rooms, some people prefer to listen to music and some don’t, and some people enjoy absolute quiet while working while others enjoy the presence of others. It is essential to examine your own personality to create an efficient schedule for yourself. Sticking to this schedule will train your body to write better and more consistently. If you are inconsistent with your schedule, the quality of your writing will go down, and your mind will not be as fresh.
Finding Work
There are a variety of ways to get a job as a remote writer or editor: cold proposals, applying on freelance websites, applying to gigs, and asking through connections. I have received many jobs through cold proposals, where one sees a website or company one wants to work for and applies there through various methods. As an editor, I would edit a page on a company’s website and send them the edits, saying, basically, “look at all these errors. You should hire me to take care of them for you.” You can do similar things as a writer. You can write sample material for a company to impress them, including attaching your portfolio.
Freelance websites are numerous. Websites such as Craigslist, Fiverr, Freelancer, and Upwork are great avenues. You can easily find work from home if you are persistent enough and treat the search like a full-time job. Be aware, though, that there are tariffs on these websites for using their services. So, the rate you see is not your final rate. Also, it is best to apply to several of these sites at the same time in order to gather enough work.
Gigs are one-time projects that sometimes turn into long-term partnerships—if everything goes right. You can apply on various sites, though I would recommend Craigslist for gigs. You can garner enough money if you work on several gigs simultaneously.
Connections in the work world are key. Sometimes, all people need to do to find a job is to ask around. Family and friends have many connections, and they can recommend you to employers. They can even help you bypass the interview process. You can befriend remote writers and see if they can find you work with employers they are attached to.
Endnote
I hope this information has been useful and interesting. One last reminder: in order to be a successful remote writer, you need perseverance and the willingness to work hard on your own time. Best of luck.
