Kal Penn: 8 Things He Can Teach Freelancers

Kal Penn may not be a freelance writer, but as an actor, he is a freelancer of sorts. Recently, the web has been abuzz with news of his character’s sudden departure from House so that Penn could take a job working at the White House.

President Obama greets Kal Penn, Image: Newscom

Here are eight things you can learn from the Harold and Kumar go to White Castle star:

1. Never stop looking for opportunities. Penn’s character on House wasn’t written off the show to fall into a story line – he could have stayed there for months or even years to come. Sometimes, though, we need to keep looking for opportunities, or at least be open to them. I know you have that great blogging gig, but what if something more interesting or lucrative comes along? It can be hard to leave a project when you’ve grown attached after being there for a few months (or years), but don’t roadblock yourself.

Image: Justin Cousson via Wikimedia Commons

2. Be open to unusual jobs outside your comfort range. As far as job’s go, Penn’s new job as a Office of Public Liaison assistant director doesn’t really have anything to do with acting. That doesn’t mean he isn’t qualified for the job, though. You also should be open to taking freelance jobs outside of your comfort range. For example, say you write mostly about finance and business. If you have kids, you may also be qualified to write a mommy blog, even though that’s a big departure from your normal subject matters.

3. Network, network, network. Penn didn’t just get a call from the President one day, asking if he’d like a job. He may not have sought out the position, but he did network a lot – he was a strong, vocal supporter during Obama’s campaign and met many influential Washington people. You need to network too. The more people you meet the better. I know you’re mainly freelancing online, but get business cards (I highly recommend Bizcard) and hand them out to everyone you meet, from your landlord to your baby-sitter to your lawyer.

4. Write about things you love. It won’t feel like work if you write about what you love. Penn has a passion for politics and outreach, and that’s why he’ll be great at his new job. The more your love your subject, the more you actually care about it, meaning that your work will be ten times better.

Image: Flickr

5. Leave jobs with a bang. When you know you’ll be leaving a job, it is really easy to fizzle out, not caring about the last few things you write. That doesn’t leave a very good impression though. Instead, take a note from Penn and leave with a bang. His character on House was an integral part of the show right up to the very end.

6. Don’t become your job. For actors, it is really easy to fall into a role and become know for that role – and only that role. For Penn, it would have been easy to forever be the slacker, stone Kumar…but he didn’t let that happen. His role on House was completely different and he performed it well. As a freelance writer, you also don’t want to become known for just a single role. If you do that, people start to think that’s all you can do. Let me give you a good example – b5 Media’s own Darren Rowse. He’s well-known for his work on Problogger, but also well know for his work on Digital Photography School. People know that he can write about more than just blogging. Of course, there may be instances when you WANT to be known as a personality for a single subject matter, but remember, on the Internet, easy come, easy go. Your job may not be around forever, and then what?

Image: Flickr

7. Be responsive, especially to bad news or negative comments. A lot of House fans were, and still are, angry about Penn’s character so suddenly leaving the show. I think, though, that what has save him from tons of bad press is that he has been extremely open and responsive about leaving. He’s given a number of interviews about the new job and his reasons for taking it. People still may not be happy, but they understand and still like him, overall. You need to be the same way with your clients. If you get an email – especially a bad email, answer it AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. People don’t like to be ignored. It makes them even angrier.

8. Don’t close doors or burn bridges. Lastly, take a cue from Penn and don’t burn bridges. Penn has come out and said that he’s not “leaving Hollywood” – at least, not forever. His role on House may not be open for possibilities in the future, unless they choose to do flashbacks or ghost scenes, but as a whole, he may very well be back to acting in a year or two. When you leave a job, whether it be your choice or your client’s choice, be polite, gracious, and professional. You never know what opportunities may lie ahead, and you don’t want to close doors or burn bridges in this business.

Flickr images via JaneJGA and jenlight, respectively.