What Should I Include In My Resume? Ask Anne, The Pro Writer

(www.thegoldenpencil.com)

Dear Anne,
I’m a regular reader of your newsletter and always look inside the job postings list. I would like to find a writing job I can do from home one day but it is proving to be rather difficult.

One thing is that some jobs are for US based people only. Another obstacle is that they sometimes want someone with a long experience in a special field. Hmmm.. it’s not going well so far.

I teach English to foreigners for a living but do not have any qualifications in journalism or any degrees. I am new to writing and all I have to show is 3 articles printed in a magazine some years ago.

So my question is … When prospective employers on craigslist ask for a resume what should I write? I think my difficulty is shared by all new writers without lengthy experience!

ZZ

Hi ZZ,

I’m glad you find the site and the job postings helpful.

I don’t use a resume as such, but what I call a Credit List. You can see mine at www.annewayman.com/resume.htm Remember, I’ve been freelancing for years and years. But I remember what it was like. Well, that, for me, was before the ‘net…

I know I see and post writing gigs for ESL teachers – not often, but they’re out there. You do, however, have experience teaching which should give you some stories to tell and/or tips about what you do.

Don’t underestimate the value of the three articles even though they were awhile ago. It’s okay if your current credit list only has three items – that’s three more than someone who is really just beginning.

You might want to review No Writing Clips? No Problem! You may find you have more credits than you think.

You also indicate you’re not in the United States. Since most of the jobs I post are in the U.S., be sure you have a PayPal account or other way to make it super simple for someone in this country to pay you.

If you’re serious about a freelance writing career, invest in a website.

With all these elements in place, persistence is the key.

Good luck!

Do you have a question about freelance writing? Ask Anne, The Writing Pro – that’s me ;) Ask in the comments or send an email and put Q&A in the subject line so I can sort it out from spam and I’ll do my best. Meanwhile, you’ll find some Q&A’s here:

Ask Anne, The Pro Writer

Write well and often,

Two newsletters:
Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision – for those who want to get a book written.

Image from http://www.sxc.hu