I started learning about Freelance Writing or Freelancing in general, last October 12, 2020. It's been a month of learning, reading related articles, and watching YouTube vlogs about how to start in this Freelancing World, and eventually succeed with it.
I started applying for freelance writing jobs about 3 weeks ago, and so far, I'm doing good about it. At the moment, I am currently employed as a freelance writer for a Filipino client. That means, I only get to write certain topics when my employer gives me projects to write about. So far, I have written 13 short blog posts for her.
As for my experience in applying for writing gigs and jobs, some employers ignore my proposal, which is understandable because they might have a lot of applicants to review. Some also gave me acknowledgment for applying, and then at the end of their message, they already hired someone for the job. Some clients would also ask for a trial article or written exam before they hire applicants, which I opt not to do because I feel like it will only be a waste of time. Some also asked about my rate, and after that, I no longer hear anything from them. These are just some of my experiences in applying for jobs.
So in this article, I am going to share 1 of my written works that I did for a prospective client and the writing job I applied for.
This is Script Writer for Youtube Videos:
Job Description: "We are creating a Personal Finance Channel that summarises all the videos from other Personal Finance channels for that day. You will have to take Time Stamped notes and a summary of those videos. We have created a tool to make note-taking easier on YouTube and you will be using that. Once all the videos are summarised, then organize them all into a Video Script. You will be providing a script every day after watching around 2-3 hours of content."
I had to download the tool first, then created an account in it before I started with the simple task for the job. He also gave me the links to the sample notes and summaries that I should follow.
Here is my entry for the Note-taking task. The title of the Video was "You Must Watch This Video Before You Die."
00:39 5 things you want to do before the time actually comes.
00:57 The very first thing you need to do is you need to go out there and get yourself some life insurance.
01:25 When you get a life insurance, it's not supposed to be a big payday when you die for your family. They're not going to become rich all of a sudden.
01:31 In reality, it's all about making sure because your income is not here anymore, they can still survive without needing your income anymore.
01:45 What should I do when it comes to life insurance? I say the first thing is this: get term life insurance.
02:13 How much money should I actually get for the payouts when it comes to life insurance? In this case, I recommend anywhere from 10 to 15 times the income you actually make today. That way, your family is taken care of for 10 to 15 years after you're actually gone.
03:41 The second thing you need to do and something you're probably not going to think about is you need to go out there and update your beneficiaries.
03:46 A beneficiary is basically the person that's going to get your money or your assets when you die.
05:12 The third thing you need to do is get a will and also a living will.
05:23 A will is basically like a testament. It tells everyone what you want to get done with your assets after you're actually gone. It's giving assignments to your assets and what you want to get done with them after you're gone.
05:46 A living will is when I can no longer make decisions for myself, I'm not dead, I'm still alive but I'm just like in a comma, the answer is what is going to happen with my body.
07:11 Now the fourth thing you basically want to do is get an estate planner. This person is going to be in charge of your assets and also paying your debts after you're gone, and they're gonna make everything a lot more easier to flow when you're gone.
07:27 Now, the last thing is not really about money, but it's more about being in the present. I'm still alive today, let's make sure where my life is heading, is where I actually want it to be headed. Just be present at this time right now. Make sure you take control over your life and you live a life you can be proud of when the time actually comes.
And here is the summary for the notes:
Bryson talks about 5 things you want to do before you die.
The first thing is you need to get yourself some life insurance. He recommends getting a term life insurance instead of a whole life insurance.
The second thing is you need to update your beneficiaries. It is a person that is going to get your money and assets when you die.
The third thing is to get a will and a living will. A will is like a testament where you give assignments to your assets and what you want to get done with them after you are gone. A living will, on the other hand, is when you are still alive but you can no longer make decisions for yourself.
The fourth thing is to get an estate planner. He is going to be in charge of your assets, and in paying your debts after you're gone.
The last thing is not about money, but it is more about being in the present. Make sure that you take control over your life and you live a life you can be proud of when the time comes.
After sending the notes and the summary to this client, I immediately received a message saying:
"Hi Florie, your notes look really great. But, I have already hired another nice guy who submitted the notes bit earlier. If that partnership doesn't workout or If I needed more people, I'll definitely hire you. Please share your contact details. Thank you."
So there you go. Another writing job that I failed to get. But it was a nice experience because I learned about those 5 things that I need to do before I die, especially number 5.
Until my next job hunting experience. 😉
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Yay mahirap ba maam? Ako lng ata ung computer grad na umiiwas sa keyboard haha