Rabbit! And happy Friday to you.
Good day yesterday – well, before the bad news anyway. I managed to coordinate my upcoming article interviews, work on a personal project, then clean and shop for the writers’ group (I hosted). It has been gloriously sunny, dry, and cooler (79-80) here the last two days, so I found excuses to get outside.
I came back in, checked the email, and saw that my ongoing project work – one of my mainstays at the moment – is gone. The company reorganized and closed up that division. Big gulp and back to marketing like a fool today. Not that I haven’t been, but I think it’s time to bust out some new marketing tactics.
In that vein, it’s time again for This Job, Not That Job, our semi-regular look at how you can find better than what you think you have to choose from. In our Webinar, Anne and I fielded a few questions on where to find the work. The pat answer is “Do a Google search” and yes, that’s good advice. But it doesn’t help if you don’t know what to look for. So you head right back to surfing the ads and job listing sites, where you come across swill like what I’ve included below. But in the same time it took me to find the first gig, I managed to find a second gig that paid infinitely better.
So let’s start with the swill.
SEO Article Writer Wanted (work from home)
Our team at XXXX Communication is currently searching for content writers experienced with SEO on an independent contractor basis to work from home. Writers will be writing articles relating to the categories within the XXXX Communications network. They will be required to implement keywords generated by our staff, utilize search engine optimization techniques, and do research for each article category.
Writers will be assigned articles and receive $8 per every 250-300 word assignment.
Requirements:
• Strong writing and grammatical skills
• Ability to research assigned topics
• Knowledge of search engines and how they work.
• If interested, please reply to this posting with “Content Writer – Your Name” in the subject. Attach your resume. All applicants that we are actively considering will then be asked to write a sample article following our company’s specifications. Writers will not be paid for this sample article.
Please bear with me while I point out the obvious.
Flaw #1 – “Work from home” in the title. That usually means “That’s your perk, so don’t expect much more.”
Flaw #2 – They don’t know how to spell their own name (is it “Communication” or “Communications”?).
Flaw #3 – $8 per 250- to 300-word assignment. You’re not serious. You are? Wow, because you go on to say you require:
Flaw #4 – tons of skills for a lousy eight bucks. And then you turn the knife when you say:
Flaw #5 – “Writers will not be paid for this sample article.” Then you’ll be writing those suckers yourselves, for smart writers don’t supply you with all the content you need by giving you a freebie. It’s also a huge red flag indicating the “samples” are what you’re after, not the writers.
So many insults in one ad! But you don’t have to work for people like this. In fact, up until yesterday I wrote very similar articles for $100 per. Sure beats eight bucks.
Try something like this instead:
Cyberguide is for the entire family, and is filled with practical information to help make the Internet experience enjoyable, safe, and rewarding. It is a value-centered magazine that also offers our readers advice and insights into issues–ranging from legal, to financial, to the aesthetic–as they relate to the World Wide Web. Despite the ‘how-to’ nature of the magazine’s subject matter, we want lively writing that can include personal anectdotes and telling details, not an A-to-Z account of using the computer.
Length: 250-2,500 words.
Pays $50-500 for assigned articles. Pays $25-250 for unsolicited articles.
You’ve increased significantly your payment, the strength of your published clip, and yes, your workload. But would you rather work for someone expecting a freebie and who probably isn’t hiring or paying anyone eight bucks, or would you rather work a little more and get a bit more bang and buck?
What job do you have right now that you could improve on? What are you seeing out there and how can you find better? What are your favorite methods of finding gigs?
11 responses to “Worthy Tip: Take This Job, Not That Job”
RE: Marketing today. Remember that many people are leaving early for the holiday weekend, so it will be buried at the bottom of the inbox until next Tuesday, if they ever get to it at all.
I'm not doing any marketing until next Wednesday — learned the hard way that if I send stuff out the Friday before a holiday weekend, there is never a reply and the follow-up usually nets confusion, embarrassment, and irritation that I'm asking about something that was so badly timed it fell to the bottom of the inbox barrel and was never found.
I'm working on the next book and finishing up the assignment for Confidential Job #1, and getting back into the marketing swing by mid-week, when the dust clears.
Also, it makes sense your job would end yesterday, on the dark moon. Today is the new moon — fresh start!
Devon-what great advice and I always love how you find the positive.
Enjoy the holiday weekend and for our non-American buddies-enjoy your weekend as well!
Devon, I was thinking that, too. The new moon is a great time to start something new. Today has some promise – another writer and I are brainstorming on how to make hay from this recent client reorganization.
Cathy, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, as well. And Happy Canada Day to our northern neighbors!
Lori, I think Devon's wise, too. Sure, research, research, research today. But don't send anything. I also learned that.
She's also right about the new opportunities. Sorry to hear your project ended. Been there and felt that kick in the gut. But we always seem to find as-good or better work, don't we? I'm confident you will this time, too.
Enjoy the fourth weekend, everybody!
Lori, I feel your pain! That e-mail was a surprise, but not wholly unexpected. I've been following some of the happenings of the parent company and new that something was up. It was a good gig, wasn't it? I think I'll wait until Tuesday to resume queries — too much on my plate today and the long weekend beckons.
I love Devon's practical advice.
Nest week I hope to get some ideas off to that promising yarn-focused magazine I mentioned the other day. Maybe I'll get bonus points for focusing on yarn when it's stifling hot. (Good news: the weather guy on the radio just said the cloudy skies this morning might keep the temp under 95 today!)
Next week. Not "nest" week. (Hey, I have a black keyboard in a dark office on a cloudy day but don't want to turn on the light because it will just make the office hotter that it already is.)
Happy 4th all – even folks outside of the US should have a happy Monday!
Matt, it was a bit of a sting. I was more ticked than anything, but whaddya gonna do? 🙂 I didn't follow the company news, so it did sneak up on me.
I really enjoyed working side-by-side with you and the others there. Let's hope something similar comes along. You had some great content up there.
Well, you're building a virtual nest, Paula. Why not? 🙂 And you should get BONUS DOLLARS for focusing on yarn in July!
Gabriella, I've found that to be true more times than you can imagine. One project disappears, a few take its place. It'll happen this time – I have enough feelers out that something should come in soon. I'm waiting – but not holding my breath – on one particular client to get back in touch. I'm a perfect fit to their needs. She said so in the initial phone call. However, I'm used to "sure things" disappearing for lack of interest, budget, or time…
Isn't it interesting the first job ad is loaded with keywords? I'm a bit surprised that work from home is only used twice, though.
What better way to get free keyword stuffed content then by asking people to write an (unpaid) article using the company's "specifications"?
You probably already have, but if you haven't, take a break… I'm sorry you lost the gig… suspect a better one is one the way.
hugs
Tis interesting, isn't it Wendy?
Anne, thank you. No worries, though. Got another one today. 🙂