How to Effectively Search for Freelance Jobs in 2018

Welcome back, readers!
It's a pleasure to have you join me at Pen & Prosper in 2018.
It promises to be an informative and exciting year.

It's already off to a great start: this morning I received the news that Pen & Prosper has been recognized once again as a "Top 100 Blog for Writers."
Thanks so kindly for your readership, recommendations and support.
For those interested, you can read more here:

https://thewritelife.com/100-best-websites-for-writers-2018/

Today's guest post provides tips and techniques to enhance your search for work and achieve some of those writing resolutions.
So, if you're on board, let's get busy...

It can be a bit daunting initially setting out as a freelancer; often people don't know where
to start. Even those who have been at it for awhile can find looking for clients to be challenging. Where should you look for assignments? How do you identify reliable job leads? Well, first thing you’ll need to do before you embark upon your journey, is get your portfolio together, polish up your writer’s resume and begin searching online for jobs that best suit your talents and skill set.
With this in mind, here are a few insider's tips to effectively search for freelance jobs in 2018:

Use Keywords

Use a variety of keywords to search for jobs such as:
· Write for us
· Freelance writers wanted
· Writers needed
· Looking for writers
· Contributors wanted

You get the idea! You can mix these searches up as well to find different results. "Write for us" is a good one to use, because it will bring you to pages that hire contributing writers on an ongoing basis. These seekers will be more likely to have time to consider your offer seriously. Remember that pages use a variety of terms to call for freelance writers; so make sure to do several searches to get maximum results. You might have to comb through a few pages too to find what you’re looking for.

Use Job Boards

Job Boards can be a great place to find freelancing jobs! They are a very competitive forum, though. Check back every day for new jobs and create strong, tailored pitches. There are plenty of great job boards out there, but here are some popular ones you'll want to start out with:

-Problogger

-
Blogging Pro

-
Freelance Writing

-
The Write Life

-
Upwork

Narrow It Down To Your Niche

Whatever your niche, make sure to include it in your search. If you're a travel writer, for instance, be sure to include the word "travel" in your searches; it will help narrow down your search and you won’t have to spend hours looking through ads for technical writers.

Advance Your Search

Use the advanced settings in Google search to look for results in the past week and past month. This will ensure that you find the most up to date jobs. There’s no point in scrolling through ads from 4 weeks ago that have likely been filled by now.

Take Your Time

Know that it is going to take a good bit of searching to find a suitable job that is just right for you. Don’t take the first few jobs you find, allow yourself to be selective and don’t sell yourself short and take something that’s beneath you. Also avoid jobs that only offer "exposure" and a link back to your blog as compensation for your articles. Translated? This is code that you will not be paid anytime soon.
Know your worth.

Best of luck!

BIO

Sarah Talty is a freelance journalist from Ireland, with a demonstrated history of working in the publishing industry. Skilled in writing, editing, and proofreading. Strong media and communication professional, in the process of completing a Journalism and New Media with English degree from the University of Limerick. She can be contacted here.