Freelance Writing With oDesk – Cover Letters and Interviews

If you have read the first three freelance writing hubs in the series, you will be ready to start applying for jobs. You now know how to fill out your profile, look for good assignments and understand the difference between hourly and fixed rate freelance writing assignments.

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Freelance Writing With oDesk - Filling Out Your Profile

Freelance Writing on oDesk – Finding Assignments

Freelance Writing on oDesk - Hourly Jobs vs Fixed Rate Jobs

Now, you are ready to make the first contact with the buyer and show them that you are the perfect fit for the freelance assignment. The key to getting ahead of the competition and showing the buyer that you are the best person for the job is to write a killer cover letter. If you spend a little time on this, you will begin to convert applications into interviews and interviews into assignments.

The cover letter is the single most important aspect of impressing the buyer and forcing your way onto the shortlist of candidates for interview. I am not going to go into the exact mechanics of how to write a cover letter because that is a topic that could take up a few Hubs. The only thing to remember is that it needs to be short and concise, but leave the buyer in no doubt that you are the best person for the job.

Each letter should be personalized and tailored to the specific assignment and you should refer to the details in their job posting, showing that you have read and digested it. There are a large number of providers on oDesk who are basically spammers; they cut and paste the same standard letter for each job and clutter up the applications for the rest of us.

Eventually, the system filters them out, so do not be amongst that number. However, to save a little time, I do keep a couple of dozen variations on file that I tweak for different jobs. That makes sense and prevents you from wasting valuable time writing every letter from scratch. A few tips for writing killer cover letters are:

• Try to keep it concise but complete – the first paragraph should tell the buyer what you can do for them.
• Include some URLs of your work samples – this was the main reason why I opened a Hubpages account. It is a great place to display your work!
• Try to emulate the style of the buyer – if their posting is informal and with their first name, feel free to adopt a light style in your letter. If their posting is formal, be formal back.

• Leave some things open-ended – If you leave some unanswered questions in the buyer’s mind, they might just ask you to interview so that they can expand upon it.
• I tend to go for a shorter cover letter rather than tell my life story – keep it lean and mean and ensure that they chase you for more information.
• oDesk frowns upon including your contact details in the letter – you can swap e-mail addresses and Skype numbers at the interview stage
• Always point out your availability and be honest – most of my clients are US based, so I always point out that I tend to work US hours, often into the small hours of the morning.

• Proofread, proofread, proofread – There is no way of editing the letter, once it is sent, so make sure that you have checked your grammar and spelling. A buyer may forgive a graphic designer or computer programmer the odd typo. For somebody claiming to be a professional writer, a spelling mistake could cost you a job.
• oDesk allows you to include a sample of your work but, to prevent providers from overdoing it, they only allow one file. I usually look through my portfolio and find four or five articles or papers relevant to the job. I then copy-paste into a single document and separate them with pagebreaks, to make it easier for the buyer to read through them.

Often, despite your best efforts, you will still receive a rejection back from the buyer with a message, letting you know whether you were rejected because your rate was too high or you were not a good fit for the job. These can be useful, but don’t get too downhearted as it is part of the territory.

In addition, many assignments just disappear after 30 days, usually because the buyer has forgotten about them or became overwhelmed by the amount of spam applicants. Again, nothing personal; forget it and move onto the next assignment.

If everything goes well, you have achieved success and the buyer will want to know more about you. They will send you a notification for interview and you can now move to the next stage, impressing them into hiring you. Some buyers are happy to conduct an interview by e-mail, some through chat programs, others prefer Skype and webcams. It is entirely your decision but most freelancers are happy to do this.

Being invited to interview is often very exciting; you have reached the next stage and obviously made an impression upon the buyer. This is where you can really blow away the competition and show that you can complete this assignment perfectly and exceed the buyer’s expectations.

Generally, they buyer wants to know a little more about you and your availability. Most buyers want you to expand upon your skills and experience and reassure them that you are the best fit for the job. Answer these as fully as possible and be honest, because any ‘embellishments’ will come back at you.

If you do not have a great deal of experience, point out that you are a quick learner and sell yourself as a keen, hungry writer. This is where you are really selling yourself, but a little enthusiasm and honesty will push you to the head of the queue.

Once you have been around a while, you may receive invites to interview from people who found you through the search function. That is good but check the job application before clicking that accept button. Sometimes, you will find that the buyer has asked 6 – 12 people to interview and that is a perfect opportunity. Considering that a good proportion of those providers will be busy and cannot take the assignment, then you have a good chance.

However, you will find the odd spam buyer, who asks 50 providers to interview, That is really not worth your time, especially if they have not read your profile. Despite the fact that my rate is clearly displayed on my profile, I had an invite from a buyer to write 50 articles at $1 per article. I declined and left a pretty blunt Northern response in the comment box – I do not appreciate my time being wasted.

Freelance Writing With oDesk – Your First Assignment

If you follow the advice in these Hubs, you will soon receive your first assignment and be ready to start work. All that remains is to do the best job that you can possibly do and make sure that you deliver the work well before the deadline. In the final Hub in the series, I will show you how to build a god reputation and I will also try to clear up a few questions about oDesk.

If you are interested in signing up for oDesk, please use this referral link. It costs you nothing but I will be paid $50 when you earn your first $1000. Happy Days.

Freelance Writer Editor – My Personal Site

How to Become a Writer – The Tools for Developing a Writing Career – Many people, swayed by the explosion of online writing, are considering developing a writing career, as an author or freelance writer. This guide explains the mentality of the writer, showing you the dedication and skills needed to become a writer. The foundations of success are built upon hard work, as well as talent, and this advice will help you take the final step and turn the dream into reality.

Freelance Writing for a Living – This Hub provides a stern test of whether you have what it takes to become a freelance writer, questioning whether you have the desire or talent to take up freelance writing for a living. In reality TV style, the article gets rid of contestants until only the best, brightest, and most dedicated remain

Freelance Writing for a Living - Active Income – This article explores some of the options for making money from writing, showing you to turn your skills into money. From freelance boards to seeking private clients, this Hub gives a broad picture of the various options.

How to Become a Writer – Article Writing and Avoiding the Article Mills – As part of developing a writing career, many aspiring freelance writers make the mistake of becoming sucked into the article mills, which specialize in churning out generic content. This article shows you what to look out for and how to avoid them, instead concentrating on building a private client base.

Freelance Writing With oDesk - Filling Out Your Profile – This article guides you through the process of joining oDesk, one of the leading freelancer sites. It shows you how to fill out your profile and apply for jobs, chasing the better paying jobs rather than becoming bogged down in the article mills. Freelance writing with oDesk is a great start to developing a writing career, and this advice will help you to take the first step.

Freelance Writing on oDesk – Finding Assignments – You have finished your profile, and now seek to find a paying gig on oDesk. This article shows you how to find the best assignments on oDesk and build up your reputation. Like most freelance boards, there are cheapskates and bad clients on there, and this article will help you to avoid the cheats and wasters.

Freelance Writing on oDesk - Hourly Jobs vs Fixed Rate Jobs – This article explains the oDesk trade off and the difference between fixed price and hourly rate jobs, highlighting the pros and cons of each. Some freelance writers prefer the flexibility of fixed rate, others the guaranteed payment of the hourly model. This guide will help you to decide.

Freelance Writing With oDesk – Cover Letters and Interviews – Sometimes, despite filling out your oDesk profile and applying for good jobs, many freelancers cannot seem to make the final step. Most of the time, this is due to weak cover letters or interview techniques, and this Hub gives a few pointers to finding that first assignment and starting your freelance writing with oDesk career.

How to Become a Writer - Business Website Design and Marketing for Freelance Writers and Editors – As you develop your career as a professional writer, you will eventually need to create your own website, for maximum impact. This article shows you how to develop a business website design for freelance writers, from purchasing a domain name, to designing and marketing the site.

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