I became a content writer in 2013 when I got hired to blog for a software development company. Very few businesses in this industry at that time thought B2B buyers would actually use Google to search for vendors. Content writing in the software field was new. And the company that hired me simply decided to make an experiment. To cut a long story short, I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
Today, if you're a content writer, you can find a ton of jobs. Of course, if you know your stuff. If you don't, you'll need to work on your writing portfolio. Not only because this is what content writers do, but also because people who are supposed to hire you, need real-life examples of your work. There are three simple ways to build your writing portfolio:
What is it you're passionate about? Health, food, traveling, art, technology, sports...Hey! Maybe you're passionate about gardening? You can use Medium as a good starting point. Write and publish one in-depth article on this blog every single week. Regular blogging will help you form a writing habit. And your own blog is a great way to showcase your work to your potential clients!
Read also: How to write a blog post
There are many companies that offer internships to aspiring content writers. You can browse job sites to look for those. Content writer internships are often part-time, remote, and offer paid compensations. It's an incredible learning opportunity and a chance to get a job without any previous experience.
Read also: Content writer interview questions
It might be hard to land your first gig without any client reviews. But hey, maybe you already know someone who can become your first client? If so, you can ask them to order an article from your Fiverr or Upwork account and then leave you a review.
When you’re building your writing portfolio, you may come across opportunities to work for free. Is this a good idea? Sure it is, and I've done it before. If your ‘pay’ is a published article with your name on it, even if you wrote it for free, it'll pay you back via the future work it’ll help you win.
Read also: 7 skills a content writer needs
If you want to use writing to put bread on the table, there’s no time better to start than now.
Check out my book From Reads to Leads: 11 Principles of Writing Content People Will Read and Respond To. I wrote it to help aspiring writers speed up their careers in content marketing.
Watch it instead:
Are you a content writer? How did you start? Share your story in the comments on YouTube!
Every week I share my ideas and tips on content marketing with writers, B2B marketers, and business owners. Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you never miss a new video.
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Articles no one reads... Non-stop requests from ebooks to Instagram captions... Feeling a cog in the content machine... If you're thinking "Oh sh*t, that's me!" it's time to pivot into high-impact work. My newsletter will tell you how.
