Got a note from a prospective client the other day after I’d responded to an ad. The question came – Do you have experience writing about this, that, and this other thing? I didn’t have that experience.
All of us get these questions. Not all of us have the experience they’re looking for. It’s at that time in your career you have to make a tough choice – finesse the truth or own up to your own limitations. I suggest the latter. Every time. No way should you ever pretend to have more experience than you actually do.
So how to answer? Honestly. FYI, honesty doesn’t have to sound defeatist or apologetic. My response went something like so: “I do know what a (this) is, but I’ve not written anything to date on the topic, or specifically for (that). I do have experience writing about (this other thing) and in producing a number of marketing pieces for various corporate clients (named a few relevant ones). That said, I’m quite comfortable taking on new topic areas. Most recently I completed an article about (cool topic) for (neat magazine), and I’ve just been assigned one I proposed on (really cool, high-level topic). There aren’t too many topics in this area that I’d not take on. Well, one was a bit daunting – (the heinous topic). I’m the first to admit this is not my comfort zone. I turned it down – I know my limits!”
Will I get the work? Who knows? If I do get it, it will be because the client liked my honesty and feels my background is sufficient to give me a shot. And I won’t feel like I’ve had to pretend to be something I’m not in order to get the job.
How many times have you faced this one? What have you done? Have you ever stretched the truth? Did you get away with it?
I won’t whitewash lack of specific experience, but I will explain why I can do the job anyway (if I want it). “While I haven’t had a client request that particular thing from me before, I have taken workshops on it.” Or I’ll show samples that require a related skill set even if it’s not exactly what they’re looking for.
I do what you did — admit it’s not my specialty, but that I love to learn new things, and I have a swift learning curve.
I use the America’s Cup as an example — in two weeks from knowing nothing about sailing to learning how to handle a sailboat to covering the America’s Cup.
I usually get the gig.
When I don’t get gigs, it’s usually because they’re looking for a low bid, in the $20-$50 range (although they don’t say so in the ad, just tell me later) rather than my rate.
This one did advertise a rate, and it was a nice one. It’s what drew my attention to it – plus the fact I had experience in that area to begin with (just not as specific as they were apparently looking for).
I agree, Devon. The experience comes from the curiosity and the desire to learn more about the topic. I knew nothing about risk management or commercial insurance markets when I was hired to cover both. It became a passion.
I just had an instance like this. A friend of mine wanted me to look over his business plan. Thinking he was looking for general editing and formatting, I said yes. Then he sent me a very formal email cc’d to the president of his company asking what I’d quote to check the financial forecasting in the plan. Um…I have serious moral problems charging people for my puny math skills. I told him it was outside my skill set, even though he probably told his president that he’d found the person who could solve their forecasting problems…oh well. It would have been worse if I’d tried to do it and gotten it wrong.