There are few things more rewarding than becoming a freelancer and being able to provide your audience with the content you want to produce. The freedom and flexibility of being able to sell your work to the highest bidder or use it to contribute to a common good are all great feelings. But, to become a freelancer, you need to start from the ground up – in other words, you need to go to college.
Yes, to become a full-fledged freelancer, you will need to spend some time getting a formal education. But don’t worry, you’re not alone in wanting to make this a permanent career change. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, freelance writing is among the 15 fastest growing occupations in the country, and new graduates with a journalism background can expect to earn at least $60,000 per year. So, if you’re looking to make a career change and want to write as a permanent job, here’s how you can do so through college.
Decide What Type Of Degree To Get
If you want to be a freelance writer, you will first need to determine what type of degree will make you most employable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fields of education, economics, and business are all popular choices for journalism degree candidates. So, if you’re looking to make a career change and want to write as a permanent job, you should consider getting a degree in journalism.
Get A Part-Time Job
If you’re looking to make a career change and want to write as a permanent job, you will first need to get a part-time job to gain some experience. You can test the waters with a few hours a week for a few months before committing to a full-time schedule. If you’re looking for flexibility, consider applying for a job at a newspaper company or magazine.
Ensure You Have The Necessary Skills
To be considered for a permanent writing job, you will need to have the necessary skills to produce the type of content the employer is looking for. In the Bureau of Labor Statistics, career experts note that employers are looking for candidates with the following skills:
- Advanced typing skills
- The ability to multi-task
- A working knowledge of relevant software packages, such as Microsoft Word, Publisher, and Notepad
- A good understanding of general computer terminology, such as “RAM”, “HDD”, and “SSD”
- A journalistic sense of objectivity and fair-mindedness
- A willingness to learn more about the field
Once you have the necessary skills, you can move on to the next step – getting the education necessary to become a fully-fledged freelancer.
Start A Blog
To get the education necessary to become a freelance writer, you can start a blog. The key to making this a successful career change is to make sure you develop your own brand and position yourself as an expert in your field. The best way to do this is by posting regularly on your blog and engaging with your readers through social media.
By doing so, you will be able to establish yourself as an expert in your field, create and develop content that is useful and helpful to your target audience, and build a platform that will allow you to eventually make a career change into journalism, or any other field for that matter.
So, to summarize, to become a journalist, you will need a degree in journalism, some part-time or full-time employment, keyboarding skills, a blog, and the ability to engage with your readers. Once you have these six essential elements under your belt, the next step is to get to work.