10 Tips For Getting A Well-Paid Technical Writing Position
Getting a well-paid freelance technical writing position isn’t always easy. Luckily, we’ve compiled a great list of tips to help you do just that, so carry on reading!
- Understand exactly what’s involved in the career
- Assess your writing skills
- Assess your technical skills
- Find your area of expertise
- Compile and excellent CV for yourself
- Join appropriate websites
- Take any jobs you can get initially
- Be professional
- Build an outstanding website for yourself
- Advertise in other places
You should find out exactly what a freelance technical writing position actually entails. Post some questions on forums for freelancers, and read a few decent articles on the topic.
If you want to be a freelance technical writer, you really need to be able to write well. So, try to assess the quality of your work honestly. If you decide that your skills are a bit rusty, do a few online courses to improve them.
Your technical expertise also needs to be up to scratch, so make sure you have a decent background in the field. If you don’t, you really should do some reading on the topic, or perhaps complete a few decent online courses.
Experts get paid more than non-experts, so try to find your exact area of expertise. So, choose one of your strong areas, and focus on turning it into an area of expertise. You can always improve it by doing a bit of extra reading and studying.
Create an excellent CV that details all your relevant qualifications, experience and skills. Just remember to be honest and professional.
Next, you need to join a few appropriate websites, so find some that cater to your specific skill set and join them.
In the beginning, you should take any jobs you can, even if they don’t pay too well. This will help you improve your reputation, and put you in contact with clients who you can get long-term work from.
Always be professional. Do all your jobs according to the client’s specifications, submit all your projects on time, and always be polite when you interact with clients and potential clients.
A good way to advertise your services is to build a great website for yourself. Include your CV and portfolio on the site, so potential clients can see exactly what you have to offer.
Don’t forget to advertise your services in other places, such as your local newspaper or a decent job seeker website.