TechCrunch reports that so far in 2023, there have been 121,205 employee layoffs at tech companies.
Freelancers are feeling this belt-tightening, too. Client workloads are down, contracted budgets for content are getting cut, and in general, people working in the professional content marketing world are feeling…uncertain.
That’s a nice way to put it, eh?
My workload in 2023 has volleyed around a lot in these first three months. For three weeks I’ll be swamped, then it’s crickets. Then busy again. This is part of the ride I signed up for; it’s always been this feast-or-famine dynamic over the 10 years I’ve been doing this.
But since I know folks are getting back into the swing of applying for jobs, pitching new clients, etc., it felt like the right time to dive into some anecdotal insights around the question:
What are the indicators/characteristics/qualities of a great candidate for a writing-related role, in-house or freelance?
I posed this question over on Twitter and got some excellent responses from people in the hiring seat, so I wanted to share those here. Hopefully you’ll find it as useful as I did.
1. Ability to handle edits/feedback gracefully
This was a theme I heard from two top-notch editors, Tommy Walker and Ryan Law. Both indicated they look for writers who handle topics and feedback without inserting their own egos.
I’ve written before about not taking edits personally, although I get it: We all feel a personal connection with the work we produce, so when you get a doc back that’s full of comments and edit requests, the immediate reaction is to either 1) shit your pants, or, 2) be defensive. It’s human nature, baby! We self-protect at all costs.
But, when you feel this way—especially in the context of a trial post or a first-time assignment, remember: It’s business. It’s not personal.
Tommy said, “I want writers that care about the work and can write without ego. So many folks are just in the hamster wheel and turn out meh work, then take it personally when you go to critique.”
Ryan added that having defensible opinions about what makes writing great is a fight that doesn’t need to be picked. “I don't need to agree with their opinions,” he said. Instead, he looks for:
A systematic approach to problem-solving (they can reason by analogy, knowledge of useful models or frameworks)
A general nerdy passion about writing and sense of play
Makes sense to me.
2. Responsiveness and communication skills
When I co-taught the Creative Class (an online course for freelancers), one of the big themes we emphasized was: ‘do what you said you would do when you said you’d do it.’
It’s not hard, nor is it rocket science…yet so many people can’t do it! As a result, they fall into the category of “flaky.” They go missing for days, deadlines get thrown out the window, and/or they are unresponsive when there needs to be some back-and-forth to finish out a project.
Riley Kaminer said: “I need writers who are responsive. It doesn’t matter how good the content is if we can’t communicate about it.”
This is the first part: Responding to emails and requests in a timely manner, meeting deadlines, etc. But it’s more than that, too. Many people hire writers who can write well, but they also want a team player willing to chime in with their expertise.
If you can come to the table with suggestions and feedback on how to take a piece from good to great, you’re far more valuable than the writer who can’t (or simply doesn’t.) When you don’t, you’re just a cog in the content machine, cranking out assignments. A lot of people can do that. Now, so can AI-powered writing tools.
Some food for thought.
3. Analysis and synthesis
Building on that last theme of taking a piece from good to great, Tracey Wallace said this:
“I look for a writer with the ability to connect the dots for readers. I can provide the brief, the research, the company’s point of view, but the writer needs to tie it all together in a way that illuminates the issue for the reader. This usually requires industry expertise.”
In this world of AI-powered tools, now’s the time for us human writers to step our game in the specialization category. By building up industry and subject matter expertise, working hard to stay on top of emerging trends in the space, and building up a network of fellow smart people talking about what’s happening in said space (via social media, subscribing to newsletters, joining a community…whatever!), you become far more marketable and valuable.
And in doing this, it’ll be easy to tick someone like Tracey’s boxes re: connecting the dots, synthesizing the information to illustrate the big picture. If you haven’t yet, consider specializing further than you already do.
Be the GO-TO person for one very specific thing.
4. Writing chops and voice
Obviously, solid writing skills are a must-have. If you feel this is an area you could use some work, make sure you’re reading regularly and practicing writing daily, even if it’s just a journaling exercise. In my experience, these are the two most surefire ways to improve your writing skills. Grammarly Premium doesn’t hurt, either.
But voice is a little bit trickier to nail. When we talk about voice, we’re referencing the style in which a writer adds personality, a conversational tone, and a “human element” to a piece.
Viktor Nagornyy said, “I look for writers with a signature writing voice. It's easy to fix grammar, but to give a bland story personality requires a lot of rewriting. I might as well write it myself in that case.”
There’s a chapter on this in my book, which also has a workbook section with some practice exercises if you’re feeling stuck on where to look for information on this.
5. Other key traits
In the screening and hiring work I do for Content Remix, where we turn podcasts into narrative-style blog posts, there are a few things I look for as I review applicant info and later evaluate who to keep on after the first paid trial piece.
Attention to detail. If I see grammar/spelling errors, notice a writer isn’t following the directions provided in a brief, etc., that person probably won’t get a second assignment. Again, this seems basic, but so many people get sloppy here.
Curated portfolio samples. I’ve reviewed a lot of portfolios over the years, and so often what I find there is a collection of hodge-podge work with no common theme. I want to see two or three examples of a writer’s best work, not all of their work. Portfolio curation is key.
Curiosity and question-asking. Some freelance writers get caught up in worrying that asking questions will make them look inexperienced. Not the case! I love candidates who are curious and have lots of questions about the work, the role, the process, and general expectations. It not only shows engagement, but also an understanding that “there are no stupid questions.”
Final thoughts
Whether you’re applying for a new job or working to book more freelance projects, remember that at the end of the day, there’s another human being in the hiring seat.
Be the person you’d want to hire if the roles were switched.
