I love it when Randy Hecht does a brain dump.<\/p>\n

Randy is the moderator of LinkedEds & writers group, and man, has she seen some stuff. Anyone who is a member of the group has seen some stuff because some writers are just putting everything out there, whether they should or not.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest frustrations is what Randy is about to tell us — why you can fit the job description and still not be right for the job.<\/p>\n

When the Job Fits (and when it doesn’t)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

By Randy Hecht<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of the toughest lessons to learn in freelancing: Just because a job is perfect for you doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re perfect for that job.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all been there. The gig description starts out sounding like your dream assignment. It\u2019s a topic you\u2019ve been dying to cover, or a market you\u2019ve been hustling to enter with no success, or a prestige client that would add instant luster to your portfolio.<\/p>\n

And then the other shoe drops. To qualify, you must have experience in that market that you haven\u2019t been able to crack. Or you need to send clips that show how you\u2019ve covered the topic, when you were hoping this was your breakthrough opportunity. Or applicants are required to live in a distant (from you) city, region, or time zone.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when the protests begin. It happens so often that I sense it may be inevitable. If the job is posted to an online discussion board, someone is going to tell the job poster\u2014that is, the prospective client\u2014that the requirements are misguided or outdated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t live in Chicago, but I\u2019m perfect for this position. Please take a look at my website and contact me. I\u2019d love to work with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you limiting your search to freelancers with expertise in foreign exchange rate fluctuations in countries seeking full membership in the European Union? A good content writer can write about anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hours you\u2019re requiring are impossible for anyone with young school-aged children. Why isn\u2019t your company more friendly to working parents? Freelancers should be able to set their own hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see you\u2019re seeking a full-time employee. Did you know that freelancers are more productive than staffers? I\u2019d love to set up a call to explain why engaging me as a consultant will be more cost-effective than further bloating your payroll.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe post says the job is on-site. May I ask why? We live in a virtual world now.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve blurred the details a bit, but those are true in spirit to actual comments I\u2019ve read in response to online job postings.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing: Some of those arguments might be made successfully.<\/p>\n

But you can\u2019t make them successfully by challenging the job poster in public or attempting to engage your prospective client in a debate about which of you is more attuned to what the company really needs.<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Does that #freelancewriting job fit? Are you sure?” username=”LoriWidmer”]<\/p>\n

What can you do? It\u2019s called (brace yourself) marketing.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re intrigued by that job description, spend some time on the company\u2019s website. Find out as much as you can about what the company does, with an eye to where your skills and expertise would be of the greatest service.<\/p>\n

Read the staff bios if the website includes a page for those. You never know who at the company might share your alma mater, your interest in rock wall climbing, or your claim to make the best brownies on the planet.<\/p>\n

Do a LinkedIn people search of the company to uncover shared connections who might help you get in front of the right decision-makers.<\/p>\n

Time-consuming? A bit, yeah. But not as much as chasing after random cold leads that with minimal effort could have been warmed up and made more promising. Which is the whole point of the market research component of marketing.<\/p>\n

It won\u2019t always work. But then, nothing always works. And what it will do is help you strengthen your ability to assess prospects and polish your presentation of why you\u2019d be an asset to their teams. So when the right fit does come along, you\u2019ll be the one at the head of the pack of freelancers who want that assignment.<\/p>\n

Writers, how have you turned an almost-fit into a gig?<\/strong><\/em>
\nHow do you decide if it’s right for you to reach out?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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