Monica Valentinelli: Author, Game Designer and Consultant

Posted on June 6, 2007 - by Monica Valentinelli

Freelance Writing Tip #20: Interview Cautiously

Since writing jobs are so few and far between, when you get to your very first interview, it’s very common to let that enthusiasm shine through. Unfortunately, enthusiasm sometimes means that you’ll take one-too-many allowances to get the job. Finding a job is a heck of a lot like dating; just like you wouldn’t want to reveal too much about yourself on the first date–you don’t want to tell an employer you need the job to pay for your grandkids’ day care, that you are on anti-depressants, or how many people you’ve dated the first time you meet with them.

Laughing?

Believe it or not, in my experiences hiring others to work for me in different companies I’ve worked for, I’ve heard those exact same words.

So if you are as passionate and excited as I am about writing, use it to your advantage. Channel that energy into asking your potential clients or employers about what they do and more about their business model. You’d be surprised just how much you can learn by listening more than speaking. And here’s one thing, though. Even if you find out that you’ve made a mistake, or they wanted someone with more experience, that knowledge you gained will help you in your next interview. Don’t get discouraged by that rejection because you did all the right things; be encouraged that you did do what you needed to.

It never hurts to practice interviewing and being professional because you never know what could happen in the future. One person that “rejected” you for one position might be the very same person working for another company, months down the road, hiring you for a different job.

In the writing business, you just never know where someone might end up.

Related posts:

1. Freelance Writing Tip #27: Interview Your Employer
2. Freelance Writing Tip #1: Freelance Writing is a Business
3. Freelance Writing Tip #2: Know What You Want
4. Be Political, but Be Smart: Freelance Writing Tip #35
5. Freelance Writing Tip #18: Unpublished? Unread