The fourth in a series on how to become a writer.
Now that you know about types of writing jobs, education required, and options on freelancing, that leaves an obvious next question. How do you find writing jobs? We’ve found our various writing jobs in a few different ways:
- We applied online to a job posting.
- We got hired from knowing someone else in the company (including twice being referred by one another).
- We were randomly reached out to because a hiring manager saw our website.
- We were reached out to by someone that didn’t hire us for a full-time role, but wanted our help on a temporary, contract basis.
I think there are two major lessons to be pulled from these experiences. It does, indeed, pay to know people. And having a good online presence can get you opportunities.
Where to Look for Jobs
As someone with a background as recruiter and resume writer, as well as a human myself who looks for jobs, these are my top recommendations if you want to find work.
- Indeed: This is a top job board site. It’s very well-used by employers and is easy to search. But do NOT apply through Indeed. Use it for research and then visit the employer’s website directly to apply.
- LinkedIn: While not as user-friendly in search terms as Indeed, it does offer a large amount of jobs to look through on a daily basis. Networking opportunities are also very useful here. Again, don’t use their Easy Apply. You’ll just get lost in the shuffle. Go to the employer’s website.
- Submittable: This offers opportunities to submit written work to a variety of publishers if you are looking to be more of a freelancer.
- Pitching: You can pitch article ideas to various websites in hopes of getting paid to write the article. This is hard work and does require a great deal of research and effort on your part. Having a reputation already as a writer makes pitching easier.
- HigherEdJobs: If you are seeking to teach writing or work as a writer in the academic field, this is a great website to use.
- Remote.co: There aren’t a lot of job postings on this site. However, since they focus only on remote work it is a good place to stop by once in awhile and see what writing jobs are available.
- Visit Company Pages: If you have companies in mind you’d like to write for, check them out directly. Go to their LinkedIn profile, their website, or their social accounts. They will post what they are hiring for through these channels.
