A writer was recently blogging about writing business advice they would give their younger selves. That prompted me to think about my own younger Sue.
I think about my 25-year-old self, just a couple of years into her career. She was laid off from her first magazine job and thinking she’d try out this freelance thing that she originally planned for later.
Then I think about 28-year-old Sue, a couple of years into freelancing, thinking that it suits her. Then 35-year-old Sue wondered if this was the path she should continue on.
What should I tell them?
Fortunately, as a part-time writing teacher, I have had lots of younger selves to pass along advice to, so these thoughts are not as wasted as they might be. Here are my top 3 tips:
Look for mentorship
I actually advise new writers to avoid full-time freelance in favour of the mentorship they can gain through great supervisors and editors at publications and workplaces. Working traditionally can also help them to try out different roles and learn from people with more experience. For those super-keen to start a business after five to seven years, freelance might be a great next step.
Develop expertise
I advise students to choose a niche in their career and also work at it for long enough to give their chosen field a chance. For instance, if they’re interested in non-profit communications, work a job or two in that area and sample it properly before deciding if it is for you or not (most often, they want to jump ship, and I suggest maybe changing jobs instead of niches).
Keep learning
I also recommend continued learning. Both for new topics like the latest social media platforms, but also to go deeper in topics you already know. For example, to become an even better proofreader or social post writer.
My final bit of advice is to find mentors along the way, both ones that you can reach out to for advice but also for specific tasks, for example, a business coach if you’re a freelancer. If you ask someone and they don’t have time to be your mentor, ask someone else.
I also share these blog posts on LinkedIn – visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbowness/ to connect with me there. Or hire me to write blog posts for you!
