Have you been on LinkedIn lately?
I’ve been hearing a lot of stories about ultra-long job interview process steps, multiple people involved, and at the end of all the hoops candidates go through, they are told they didn’t get the job.
Wh-what?
I find this crazy.
I mean, I haven’t had a traditional job for about eleven years, but still, I don’t recall a job interview going like that.
I suppose with COVID-19, there are more people needing jobs. And when there are more people vying for the same remote job, there are more rigorous assessment criteria to follow.
It’s no wonder recruiters, human resource people, and marketing managers are involved in hiring.
So, if you’re fed up with long job interviews, maybe there’s another option out there – namely, freelance work online!
But first, let’s unwrap this mess.
The Long Process of a Job Interview
Amber Burgess is a content manager looking for a job.
Well, she became fed-up and let down after trying to land her dream job.
“I was sent a rejection email that they were no longer going to move forward with me as a candidate.
I spent 5 weeks applying to this job! The process included:
- A 1hr kickoff interview with the chief of staff
- A 1-week assignment to evaluate my skillset
- A 1hr interview with the hiring manager that included further work on the completed assignment
- A 1hr interview with a data scientist that included an exercise assignment within the interview that I was not made aware would be a part of the interview
- A 1hr interview with a product manager that included an exercise assignment within the interview that I was not made aware would be a part of the interview”
Talk about exhaustive!
Five weeks of all of this resulted in absolutely no job for Amber.
And the kicker in all of this?
Throughout this process, she was encouraged and given positive feedback on her work and effort.
Is this lengthy job interview process normal nowadays?
But that’s not all.
More and more people are getting fired from their jobs.
If you search YouTube for “I got fired,” you’ll see young people getting fired from corporate jobs.
And this coincides with the news you’ve probably been hearing about certain sectors – tech, for example – and how big companies are laying off massive amounts of people.
But The Remote Job Interview Process Is Worse
I recently shared my thoughts on seeing “fake” writing jobs all over LinkedIn and job boards.
It’s ludicrous, and what’s worrying is that desperate freelancers are falling for this.
These fake jobs say they are freelance writing jobs, but they aren’t.
They are just a regular 9-5 employee job.
Freelance content writer Dana Yewbank noticed this odd remote job ad.
“This is the wildest “freelance” job posting I’ve seen yet!
One of the largest online retailers in the WORLD is apparently hiring “fully-remote freelance content writers” who…
- work full time, 9 – 5 EST
- can enroll in a healthcare plan
- get paid well below the current industry standard
Y’all, this is BONKERS.
How many times must we say it?
THIS. IS. NOT. A. FREELANCE. POSITION!”
Dana goes on to talk about how freelancing is different from traditional employment.
In her post, she explains that freelancers are taxed significantly more than regular employees.
This means that while doing the same work as a full-time employee, you could pay up to 30% more in taxes from your earnings.
Also, freelancers don’t get paid time off, vacations, claim benefits, have sick leave, etc..
That’s why freelancers need to make enough money and have enough clients to afford these things.
I can take the entire summer off or work if I’m sick (if I want to) and take the afternoon off or Fridays off.
If you’re interested in freelance writing work, let’s see how to get some work!
The Interview Process for a Freelance Writing Job is Easy
Getting hired as a freelance writer is pretty straightforward.
There are three main ways you can use:
- Job boards and job sites
- Cold Pitching
- LinkedIn Networking
But before we discuss those tactics, consider how easy it was for me to land one of my recent gigs.
I get an inquiry about a company interested in hiring me and asking about my rates.
I gave him my rates, and then he asked me about a topic I could write about.
From there, I wrote and submitted the post, and they paid me.
There was no dragged-out job interview process, Zoom calls (although some companies do this for hiring a freelance writer), and only one contact person.
So, if want no headaches to gain a remote job, let’s look at these ways to land a client.
1. Job Boards and Job Sites
Are there specific job boards dedicated to writing jobs? YES!
For example, Blogging Pro curates blogging, freelance writing, content writing, copywriting, and editing jobs for online businesses.
As a new freelance writer, these are easy writing jobs that you can apply to.
The only catch is that most of them aren’t that high-paying, but you have to start somewhere, right?
Go ahead and visit a few job boards, such as Problogger, Superpath, and Writers Work, to see what writing jobs you are interested in.
For example, over on Problogger, here’s a scriptwriting job for YouTube videos.
Each writing job will require different qualifications and requirements.
For this gig, a CV or cover letter and a “short trail,” which I presume is “short trial.”
Most companies are fine with specific writing samples you’ve published.
I wouldn’t write a short trial sample for a company. Instead, I would present my portfolio and move on if they don’t want to deal with me.
You have to realize that many of these businesses have yet to work with freelancers, so they treat us like employees and do employee things instead of freelance things.
It’s up to us to show them the way!
2. Cold Pitching
Cold pitching refers to contacting companies that are not seeking freelance writers.
You approach them with your LOI or pitch and wait for a response.
Typically, cold pitching means sending out dozens of pitches before you hear back from a lead.
In February, I focussed on cold pitching and LinkedIn networking and received a response from a cold pitch I sent.
A response asked me to do a quick video about why I wanted to write for this company.
I found this unusual but didn’t mind since I have two YouTube channels and am used to video recording myself!
After doing that video, I now prefer doing this over sending an email!
Cold pitching is a process I could be more successful at, and that’s okay since I’m much more successful with lead generation (having clients come to me).
But, as I’m a course creator and help new freelance writers, I decided to make sure I can land client work in other ways, which I can!
This video sealed the deal, and I have already submitted my first content article to them.
3. LinkedIn Networking
LinkedIn is a powerhouse platform for finding writing jobs.
Remember that while it’s a good idea to build your brand on LinkedIn by posting consistently and engaging with others, you should also balance this with connecting with the right people and asking for freelance work.
It will take time to grow your presence on LinkedIn and your ability to connect with people (depending on what tier they are on).
Once you build up your profile and brand, you’ll get freelance jobs in your feed daily.
I just opened my LinkedIn account, and this job was the first one in my feed.
You can also search LinkedIn’s job section, but it’s hit-and-miss for me. Most of the gigs are full-time and remote, not freelance.
The thing about LinkedIn is networking.
Connect with as many content leads, managers, and editors as possible and engage with their content.
Over time, LinkedIn will show up for you, and you’ll find work quickly.
Ready to Become a Freelance Writer?
If you’re fed up with the lengthy job interview process, why not try freelancing?
Check out these 100 resources to help you start this journey!
