While you may not think of being a freelancer as a good job for a military veteran to get into, it can actually be one of the most beneficial career paths and one that you can take up quite easily. From being able to work your own hours, choosing the clients you want to work with, and having a lot of freedom in the direction of your business, it’s easy to see why this is an attractive prospect.

However, as a military veteran, you may be wondering how you’re supposed to break into such an industry. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place as today we’re going to explore seven of the most important steps you need to take in order to pursue your dreams as a freelance writer.

#1 – Define Your Niche

The term ‘freelance writer’ can cover a broad spectrum of niches within the writing industry, so the first thing you’re going to need to do is to identify what you’re going to specialize in. You could be writing content for websites (known as ‘copy), writing product descriptions for sales websites, blogging for businesses and individuals, or anything in between.

“If you’re unsure on what kind of writing work you want to produce, try experimenting with what you enjoy. Research online for the type of content writing jobs out there, and try applying for different jobs so you can see what best suits you” shares Nick Denning, a freelance writer for Australian help and Study demic.

#2 – Research Clients

There are plenty of websites and platforms out there dedicated to freelancers to help them find work and clients from all over the world. Most of these sites are free to sign up and use and are some of the most trusted ways to find work and get paid. Here are some of the sites you can get started on;

• Upwork – This is a hugely popular global freelancing website that covers all industries.
• Paper Fellows / Elite Assignment Help – These two sites offer a fantastic selection of editing and proofreading jobs.
• Academized / Academy advisor – These tutoring platforms are full of writing jobs in all areas of content.
• Ox Essays – Find jobs on this site where you can edit and perfect academic papers, as reviewed by UK Top Writers.
• People Per Hour – A leading freelancing job board platform that operates throughout the world in all industries.

#3 – Selling Yourself

Once you’ve established your niche and where you’ll find your clients, the next task is selling yourself to acquire the business. Of course, as a military veteran, talking highly, nearing on boast-able, isn’t in your nature.

Highlight the skills you’ve learned from your military experience and apply these to the world of work. For example, your time management skills, your ability to listen and operate according to detail, and your ability to serve people are all fantastic skills you should include in your profile and job proposals.

#4 – Give Yourself a Chance

Once you’ve set yourself up, it’s time to start freelancing! Start applying for jobs and experimenting with how you approach new clients and sell yourself. Take notes on what works and what doesn’t, and adjust your tone of voice to remain professional yet friendly.

The best approach is to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and ask yourself what you want from your chosen freelancer. Then, simply apply this logic to yourself and start acquiring those new contracts.

#5 – Aim for Long-Term Clients

The best kind of job to apply for is with a long-term client where you can get continuous work for weeks or months. This way, you can develop a partnership with your clients and perfect your writing style.

This is especially important if you haven’t been writing before and you want a chance to develop your skills, learn how to deal with clients and use your preferred freelancing platform.

#6 – Enhance Your Writing Skills

As a freelance writer, you’ll need to remember that you’re a business that offers a service to your customers. Just like any business, your customers and clients are going to expect the highest possible quality of content, which means you’ll want to be proactive in developing your writing skills.

If you want to enhance your skills or make sure your current ones are current, here are some online writing tools and resources you can use;

• State of Writing / Via Writing – These platforms are full of writing guides you can use to improve all aspects of your writing styles.
• – This website is an online editing tool that can help you perfect the structure and readability of your content.
• Best British Essays – Use this website to check and improve the grammar you use in your writing.

#7 – Reviews are Essential

Once you’ve started to complete writing assignments, you should ask for reviews and testimonials for the service you’ve provided. This way, you can easily start improving areas of your business where you need to, and you can share these reviews within your profile in order to gain new clients.

The more positive reviews you have behind you, the easier it will be to get better-paid contracts and work.

Summary

While working for yourself as a freelance writer may seem like a daunting prospect, even after you’ve been in the military, there’s no reason why you need to let yourself become overwhelmed by it. Be professional and put your customers first and you’ll be well on your way to running a successful business!

Visit our job board regularly to find companies that have positions available offering veterans jobs and follow our blog and social media profiles to get news of job fairs in your area.     

Freddie Tubbs is a recruiting consultant at Australian reviewer. He helps businesses make the right recruiting decisions, and contributes expert columns to Writemyaustralia and Boomessays blogs.