Samantha Lisk: Owner & Freelance Translator, Primavera Language Services

Name: Samantha Lisk

Age: 25

College & Majors/Minors: M.S. in Translation, New York University; B.A. in English with minor in Spanish, Campbell University

Current Location: Cary, North Carolina

Current Form of Employment: Owner and Freelance Translator, Primavera Language Services

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I work as a freelance translator and Spanish and ESL instructor at the business I started, Primavera Language Services.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

Oddly enough, I found my first job through an ad on Craigslist. The position was an editorial assistant at a small company in Apex, NC, that works with peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals. The job title was somewhat deceptive, however, since 99% of my job involved tasks closer to data entry than to editing.  

Unfortunately the company went through a series of cutbacks because of the economy just as I was approaching a year there, and I was laid off. Unable to find another full-time position, I began working as a tutor in SAT prep, Spanish, and ESL, and since I didn’t have a family of my own or any similar commitments at that time, I decided it was the perfect time to go back to school for my master’s. Deciding to pursue a career that would use my linguistic background, I found and was accepted to New York University’s online Master of Science in Translation program, and I graduated with my degree in May 2014.

Although professional translators in Europe are often hired as full-time employees, in the United States most professional translators work on a freelance basis. I began to do so in September 2013 and formed my own company, Primavera Language Services, offering Spanish-to-English translations of legal and financial documents as well as instruction and tutoring in Spanish and English as a Second Language. I use the skills I gained through my English degree every day to research unknown or ambiguous terms and concepts as well as to write high-quality translations that seem to have been written in English originally.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

Well, I’m currently writing my first novel, so I consider that to be quite important even though it hasn’t been published yet! It has nothing whatsoever to do with my translation or teaching work; it’s about conscientious objectors during World War II. I’ve been fascinated with the period of the 1930s and 1940s since I was a teenager, and I enjoy immersing myself in a world that’s completely different from that of my “day job.” It refreshes me as I prepare for another day of translating birth certificates.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

I did several things. One was to join the staff of Campbell’s literary magazine, The Lyricist, and I remained on staff until I graduated. This gave me an insider’s look at the entire publication process from advertising to picking out the type of paper and the size of the typeface. Eventually I became editor, which gave me experience in leading a team and managing several projects at once.

I also completed two internships abroad in London. One was for a non-profit organization and involved mostly data entry, but the other was as an editorial intern (or sub-editor, as they call it) for This Is London, an entertainment magazine directed at visitors to the city. In this position I proofread and edited the proofs of the magazine; quickly learned the basics of Adobe Photoshop and Quark XPress and used them to format photos and copy; contributed story ideas; and wrote an article of my own that was published in the magazine.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

First, if you want to become a writer, learn as much as you can about subjects outside of English. Writers must have a subject to write about, and there are many jobs out there for technical, medical, and scientific writers in addition to journalists. 

Second, if there’s even a slight possibility that you will one day freelance, take some business courses. You’ll need to know about how to run a business, which entails not only the service or product you’ll provide but also things like marketing, writing contracts, and keeping accurate books (accounting, not literature). There are many free resources available out there for small businesses, such as SCORE and the Small Business Administration (SBA), so be sure to take advantage of them. 

And third, consider learning basic skills in coding (particularly HTML and CSS) and web design, since you will almost certainly need a website.

You can learn more about Samantha's work at Primaveralanguage.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Frances McCue: Writer, Lecturer & Arts Instigator

Photo courtesy of Mary Randlett

Name: Frances McCue

Age: 52

College & Majors/Minors: English Major

Current Location: Seattle, WA

Current Form of Employment: writing, teaching, instigating.

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I have three streams to my work river: I write poems and prose which I publish in books and in magazines or journals. I am an Arts Instigator who helps individuals and organizations start or sustain creative projects. And my third stream is as a Senior Lecturer and the Writer in Residence in the University Honors Program at the University of Washington.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

When I was in high school I took a summer job cutting trails and doing a tree sampling project for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. I lived in the woods and took showers at Falling Water, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural wonder. I got it through a family member. My first internship as a writer was actually as a “distribution manager.” I took literary magazines around San Francisco on my bike, delivering them to bookstores and coffee shops. I actually have never really had an actual job as a writer, but all of my teaching and administrative jobs have demanded that I write well.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

I was the Founding Director of Richard Hugo House, a literary center in Seattle. A friend from college said, “Wow. You have a job running a place that brings in famous writers AND it has a bar? Sounds like a dream situation.” Truly.

““Look for new economic models for sustaining a life in literature and writing. In other words, skip applying for academic jobs and don’t bank on the novel becoming a best seller.””

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

I hosted a lot of parties. I was interested in bringing people from all different parts of campus, with all sorts of interests, together. I still do that!

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

Look for new economic models for sustaining a life in literature and writing. In other words, skip applying for academic jobs and don’t bank on the novel becoming a best seller. Find work that relies on the THINKING and WRITING skills you’ve acquired, rather than the direct passage into the literature industry. Everything is changing; we’re all going “Adjunct.” And, if you know that, and you work it, you might find some great opportunities in piecing things together!

To learn more about Frances McCue's work, check out her website, FrancesMcCue.com. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn. 

Allena Tapia: Freelance Writer & Communications Consultant

Name: Allena Tapia

Age: 37

College & Majors/Minors: Michigan State University, English major, Spanish and Education minor

Current Location: Grand Ledge, Michigan

Current Form of Employment: Freelance writer & communications consultant

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I own GardenWall Publications LLC, a 10-year-old communications agency. I am the owner and head writer. I have two regular employees (my teen children, who do administrative tasks) and several contractors. My contractors are all over the world, as one of my services is English to Spanish translation, so I retain native speakers in several different dialects. I also make use of a proofreader and an accountant. At times, I hire temporary contractors for overflow work, too.

Our current client load consists of two magazines, several non-profits, and one website. My newest client has been with me for three years. My oldest client has been with me for close to a decade now. We offer various (written) services, such as copy, content marketing, translation, promotions and social media management. I do take on some one-off clients, such as author support services (editorial, book promotion, social media set-up).

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

My first job was as an editor with the local community college. I actually secured it the very week after I graduated from MSU. It was a posted position.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

Another position I had was at MSU about a year and half after I graduated. I supported the Editor in Chief of an international science research journal. This included editing, researcher liaison duties and general departmental duties.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

I was originally an Education major. However, MSU has a program that requires an extra year of undergrad work for teacher certification. At the cusp of that extra year, I was burned out by raising a toddler and a baby and going to school full time. I looked over my credits and realized I could take a BA in English with just one more semester. That last semester, I put everything into my English degree, including securing two internships: one with a local magazine and one as a grant writer with a statewide nonprofit. It was these two internships that allowed me to transition to the workplace so quickly after graduating. I had marketable skills that were demonstrable and backed up by my internship portfolio.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

For students, I highly recommend seeking out internships or volunteer work that will garner you a portfolio.

Check out Allena's website at GardenWallPublications.com. You can also find her on Facebook.

6 Ways to Write for Yourself When You're Busy Writing for Everyone Else

A little while ago, I wrote a piece about how working in the service industry could help make you a better writer. At the time, I was working in the service industry. Now, though, I’ve transitioned into a job that pays me to write (a weird thing for me, considering it hasn’t really happened before). That being said, I’ve had to learn to how find time to work on my creative pieces while still having the mental energy to sit in front of a computer eight hours a day and work on the projects I’m assigned.

I’ve come up with a few things that have worked for me and, hopefully, will work for you too, if you’re looking to find ways to keep creative writing in your life when you’re being paid to write for others.

1. Schedule, Schedule, Schedule

The biggest thing for me—and something I’ve only come around to in the last year or so, ignoring the fact I’ve been hearing this for years now—is keeping a schedule. Every morning before work I force myself to get up and read or write or work in some capacity on whatever project is currently sitting on top of the pile. Sometimes that is a book review and sometimes it’s a short fiction piece (or in this case, a post for Dear English Major).

I honestly hate getting up earlier than I have to, but I make myself do it and, just like working out, I feel better after. I’m allowed to dump whatever work has been kicking around in my head, clearing space for the workday ahead. It’s almost never easy, but it’s necessary.

• Discipline, or sometimes a lack thereof – A point to further that is the need to develop discipline (and learn when to forego it). Keeping yourself honest and disciplined in this process will help immensely. Even when I don’t want to, I drag myself to my desk, turn on some music and put the coffee on. I’d much rather still be in bed, but through the discipline I’ve been able to accomplish projects that would’ve otherwise sat dormant for months. There are times, though, that are cause for breaking discipline. Sickness, obviously, is something to pay attention to. If you’re ordered to rest, then rest. It isn’t noble to ignore doctor’s orders in such a way. You’ll only screw yourself over later on because the sickness/pain/whatever will linger. So if you need rest, rest.

2. Set Goals

It’s January, the time when everyone sets goals that are promptly left abandoned on the side of the road like cigarette butts by early February. Being a writer is no different. Setting goals helps with the discipline. If you know you’ve got certain heights to reach, it’s better to know where and how high those heights are. It’s also important to set shorter-term goals (in academia, SMART goals) so that you can keep going on a day-to-day basis.

For me, I shoot for around 500 words a day on days that I write (there are days that I only read, as well, and on those I shoot to read at least 100 pages). Most of the time I’m good with hitting these goals. Sometimes I don’t and I’ve learned not to beat myself up over it. An image I keep in my head constantly is a description that comes out of George Plimpton’s interview with Ernest Hemingway in The Paris Review:

"He keeps track of his daily progress—“so as not to kid myself”—on a large chart made out of the side of a cardboard packing case and set up against the wall under the nose of a mounted gazelle head. The numbers on the chart showing the daily output of words differ from 450, 575, 462, 1250, back to 512, the higher figures on days Hemingway puts in extra work so he won’t feel guilty spending the following day fishing on the Gulf Stream."

If Hemingway is okay not doing the same number every day, so am I. Many writers aren’t, but you need to experiment and see what kind you are before making any rash decisions on self-flagellation for blowing a goal on a given day.

3. Accountability (or if you watch South Park, have an Accountabilibuddy) 

Invoking an episode of South Park may not be the best lead-in to this point, but bear with me. It’s hard for me to get stuff done when I don’t have someone berating me about it. The motivation is not always there to follow-through on a project when it comes to creative work. This is where I find someone to hold me accountable. Another writer works great. He or she can hold you accountable and vice versa for finishing a project in a pre-determined amount of time, et cetera.

If nothing else, this person can function as a sounding board for story ideas. It’s good to have one or two friends who you can trust to not only keep your ass in line, so to speak, but who you can trust to offer honest opinions and constructive criticism on pieces when, more than likely, they shouldn’t yet see the light of day.

4. Read & Read Some More

This one shouldn’t really be a surprise, but you don’t get to be a better writer by only writing. You need to read, too, and probably read more than you write. In this case, taking some time you would use to write and using it to read is also a good thing to do, as you’re continually exposing yourself to new types of literature. In the same vein, read widely. Classics are great, as are contemporary works, as are works written by writers not from the United States as are…you get the point.

You may not like everything you read—let’s be real, you more than likely won’t, and you’ll probably hate a good amount of it—but if you don’t read it, you won’t know what you want to write and what you don’t want to write (and to push that further how and how not to write what you want to write).

Being involved in a literary magazine or something like that helps, too, because you get to read both good and bad writing (again showing how and how not to write). I guess what I’m saying is, read more than you write. When you train for a marathon, you don’t only run long distances every day. You run short, you run long, you do sprints, you do weight training, you change your diet. You do a lot of different things. Writing is no different.

5. Keep a Notebook Handy

There are moments throughout the day that someone will say something and something in your brain will go “I need that. I must have that. I must use that.” For those instances, keep a notebook handy. Or note cards. Something, as long as you can write on it. I use a mix of scraps of paper, note cards, and a steno book. At the end of the day, I’ll take whatever scraps I’ve accumulated (usually two or three per day) and toss them into a shoebox that I keep under my desk at home. The box is the accumulation of a couple months worth of ideas and I go back to it often, looking for something to mine. Stay observant and write things down. If you don’t get to a sustained period of writing in a given day, you can take solace in the fact that you’ve scribbled a few lines down to use later.

6. Embrace the Unknown

I’ve been surprised countless times at the direction my day takes sometimes. Be open to that. If you get so locked into your schedule and discipline, you’re going to miss a lot. This is counterintuitive to much of what I’ve already said, I know, but that’s okay. Like a lot of writing advice, mine ends with the caveat that all my advice is subject to change. If it changes, that’s okay. Follow the change and have that notebook ready.

---

About the Author

Sam Slaughter is a writer based in Central Florida. He's worked a variety of jobs in his life from grave digger to professional beer brewer, but currently gets paid to be a copywriter for a health and wellness company. He's had fiction and nonfiction published and serves as a Contributing Editor at Entropy and the Book Review Editor at Atticus Review. He was voted the Best of There Will Be Words 2014 and his debut chapbook When You Cross That Line will be published in 2015. He can be found on Twitter @slaughterwrites or on his website: www.samslaughterthewriter.com.

---

READ MORE:

Michael Restiano: Content Strategist & Freelance Writer

Name: Michael Restiano

Age: 22

College & Majors/Minors: Tufts University & University of Oxford, English

Current Location: New York, New York

Current Form of Employment: Content Strategist & Freelance Writer

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I currently work as a content strategist at SapientNitro, a global digital advertising agency. My job here at SapientNitro is to help brands get the right content (that being anything from web copy, to images, to long-form articles—like the thing you’re reading right now!) to the right audience member at the right time. Doing that work requires an equal mix of strategic planning and creative thinking—it’s a great exercise in using both halves of my brain!

When I’m not in the office, I’m working on my writing career. I currently freelance for two blogs: the Huffington Post and the SALT Blog, and I also have one short story and one short memoir in the works.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

One of my acquaintances from Tufts in the year above me found a job at SapientNitro when she graduated. The company was looking to hire more entry-level folks right around when I had graduated, so my friend sent an email out to a marketing professor we had both had during our time at Tufts advertising the positions. Luckily, this professor keeps distribution lists for all of his past classes, so that email ended up reaching me.

I applied for one of the jobs, went through the process, and the rest is history! I have a friend, a lot of effort, and a ton of sheer luck to thank for how I ended up at my current position.

I think luck had a major role to play in my freelance gigs, too! I had been a content intern at SALT (which is actually a product created by American Student Assistance to help recent grads and college students with personal finance and student loan repayment) the summer after my sophomore year in college. They liked me so much they decided to let me keep writing for them on an independent contractor deal.

My senior year in college, I attended a marketing conference where Arianna Huffington was the keynote speaker. She shared some of her thoughts around the importance of sleep in a professional’s life. I agreed with most of her arguments, but had a few contending points. She had given the audience her email at the end of the presentation, and encouraged us to write to her with our thoughts. I did exactly that, never thinking she’d actually read the message. When I saw the response in my inbox, I remember nearly spilling my tea all over my laptop. That message ended up becoming my first Huffpost blog, “The Sleepless Generation.”

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

I had two writing heavy internships that I think heavily influenced where I am now.

The first was a part-time summer internship (my first one, in fact) at my college’s Advancement Communications office. My job there was to create digital stories and content based on current campus happenings that would appeal to Tufts graduates. It was my first lesson in how to write for a specific audience, and I also saw first-hand how technology has made marketing and editorial fuse more closely together than ever before. After that summer, I knew that I wanted to pursue marketing as a career path.

My content internship at SALT further solidified that notion. This time, I was tasked with writing personal finance stories (“creating content,” in marketing lingo) that would resonate with millennial college students and recent graduates. SALT was a unique challenge for me because I had to figure out how to make a typically “unsexy” topic appealing. During my time there, I learned that there’s a good story behind almost EVERYTHING—you might just have to look harder for it with some subjects.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

First off, on a strictly practical level, I interned A LOT. I’d say that by the time I graduated, I had done around 7 or 8 marketing internships. These experiences gave me the skills I needed to make the jump from student to young-professional, and made my senior-year job-search much easier.

On a more abstract level, I think one of the most important tendencies I had in college was that I constantly sought opportunities and experiences outside of my comfort zone. I think a lot of people close themselves off to new opportunities because they get comfy—they get caught up in their day-to-day, and can’t imagine what their lives would be like if their routine completely changed. Everybody ultimately wants comfort and stability (English major response coming at ya right here) in their lives, but the downside to being stable is that you never grow. Everything just stays the same, for better or worse.

When you’re a young person, you should not be getting “stuck” in anything—you simply do not know enough about the world or yourself yet. So when that opportunity to do something completely out there/not like you/ really random comes along, you take it. The space just outside your comfort zone is where you learn and grow the most.

For me, that opportunity was spending my entire junior-year abroad at the University of Oxford. Most of my friends were doing semester programs in more exotic locations, so initially I struggled with just following the crowd and doing the same. I decided to do something different, and looking back, I consider it to be the best decision I’ve made in my life thus far. I learned so much about myself, socially, academically, and professionally, that my life changed so much for the better.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

Intern your tiny liberal arts butt off. There’s definite value in an English or other liberal arts degree: it gives you the intellectual foundation you need to be a great critical thinker, analyst, and writer in a way that no business degree ever can.

But frankly, it’s not enough to get you hired at your dream job, assuming your dream job is anything even remotely corporate.

Employers hire based on skills, not potential to gain skills. You can only get those skills from pre-professional experiences like internships. Experience is the currency of any position, and in this job market, you need quite a bit of it even to just get your foot in the door.

I believe in this so much, that I’m willing to make a bet with you.

If you do an internship directly relevant to your desired career every summer after your freshman, sophomore, and junior years of college, you will not have a hard time finding a job after your senior year. If I’m wrong, feel free to send me hate mail at Mresti02@gmail.com

Outside of that, my advice would be don’t fear the unknown and remember to enjoy yourself! You only get to experience your 20s once, so make sure that you leave some time outside of work to do what you love and to see the people you care about.

Follow Michael on Twitter and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Lucas M. Peters: Freelance Writer & Lecturer

Name: Lucas M. Peters

Age: 36

College & Majors/Minors: UW ('03, BA, English Lit), Central Washington University ('07, MA, English Lit), Goddard College ('14, MFA, Creative Writing - Novel)

Current Location: Morocco

Current Form of Employment: Freelance Writer and Lecturer

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I teach World Literature, Moroccan Literature and English Composition at Al Akhawayn University (AUI) in Ifrane, Morocco. It's a small university (college, really, but they call themselves a university) of about 2,000 students. I've also been doing quite a bit of freelancing travel writing and just a couple of months ago signed a contract with Avalon Publishing to write their guidebook for Morocco under their "Moon" brand. The book will be titled "Moon Morocco" and should be out in the fall of 2015. Which means that my mornings, weekends and vacations are spent either writing or traveling around to weird little corners of Morocco. This weekend, I'll be in Larache, a little-visited fishing village where the notorious French writer, Jean Genet, is buried.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

My first job was selling comic books and sport cards at a little kiosk in the middle of Southcenter Mall. I was 13 at the time. It was pretty great. When there weren't any customers, I could read the latest comics. I was really into Image at the time and tore through Spawn, Gen-13, Pitt and a bunch of their other titles.

I guess my first "real" job was in 2007. I just graduated from CWU with my MA and was tired of waiting tables and bar tending (something I had been doing for the better part of a decade to pay the rent). I scoured Craigslist, applying to jobs in Seattle, NYC, SF, Boston and a bunch of other places. I ended up interviewing with Business Wire in San Francisco for a position as an editor. On my application, I lied and said that I already lived in San Francisco. At the time, I had about $200 in my bank account. I used it to fly down for the interview and slept on my cousin's couch and kept my fingers crossed. They called me back, I interviewed again, and they offered me a job.

I loved SF, but I hated the fact that I only had three weeks of vacation a year, only three weeks to really get out of the city and explore. I have an insatiable travel bug and after two years of humdrum cubicle life at Business Wire, I was like, "Man... I gotta get outta here." I started looking around for teaching jobs thinking I might land a job at a Community College somewhere in California but what I got was a series of rejections. The only sort of full-time teaching work I found were in places in the middle of nowhere, like the Aleutian Islands or North Dakota. I figured that if I was going to have to move to teach, I might as well make it interesting. I started casting a wider net, looking at Southeast Asia, Europe, et cetera. I ended up getting a couple of offers and took the teaching job here in Morocco. It seemed like the most interesting place to live, the food was supposed to be really good and, to be frank, it was really close to Europe.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

A couple of years ago, some friends of mine who run a tour company for Morocco (Journey Beyond Travel) were looking for someone to write brief city guides for their clients. They asked me if I was interested. I said yes. It didn't pay much, but it was the first "real" sort of travel writing that I did. This ended up opening up a few more doors. It's largely because of this that I got the job with Avalon to write the guidebook for Morocco.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

I started at the UW in 1996 and I was a really bad student as an undergraduate, especially my first year or two. I rarely went to classes. I even skipped a midterm for Italian. I was too busy trying to figure out how to balance working and the social life with school. It wasn't until I figured out how to study, how to show up to class, how to really take advantage of being a student that I started to have some measure of success. In 2001, I signed up for a study abroad trip to London. This was the first time I had been out of the U.S. and it was eye-opening. I remember enjoying the classes. We went to see performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company and had a class that met at a different corner of London every week and we toured some specific part of the city. However, it wasn't the classes so much as what I was learning about myself. Being away from everything you know does that. There was a sense of independence, a sense of solitude, a sense of being lost, and a sense of discovery that was all wrapped up in the seven months or so I spent there. More than anything, this was the thing that probably has prepared me the most for post-grad life, though to be fair, I did have four different majors (Business, Music, Art and finally, English) and the ability to float from major to major aided this discovery process.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

In this economy, you can't be afraid to move. I know too many people that have wrapped their minds around living in one place and they end up struggling. They compromise career goals and take some other types of jobs just so they can continue living in a place that is comfortable, with their family or friends or whatever.

My advice is to get out of the comfort zone and start looking not so much as where you want to live, but what you want to do. In the end, I feel this is the thing that makes people happier. If you can do the thing that you love... that's the secret.

Visit Lucas M. Peters on his website & follow him on Twitter.

7 Cold, Hard Facts About Freelancing

Freelancing is an excellent career option for many writers—it allows you to have more choice, from the type of work you do to your daily schedule. Want to work in your pajamas all day? Want to work on the beach in Hawaii this week? Go for it! However, just like any job, there are pros and cons. It’s important to do your research before you jump in head first!

There’s some cold, hard facts you should know about freelancing if you’re considering taking the leap of quitting your day job:

1. There’s a lot that a full-time employer figures out for you. As a self-employed freelancer, you will have responsibility for these things.

If you have had experience working for a larger company, then at least a couple of the following things were most likely taken care of for you:

• Your paycheck already had taxes taken out.

• Signing up for health and dental insurance was pretty easy, and if you had any questions, Human Resources could help you out.

• Signing up to contribute to a 401(k) or other retirement plan may have been an option for you, and your employer may have even contributed to it.

• Paid Time Off (PTO) was measured out for you and your boss or HR kept track.

To begin with, as a freelancer, you are in charge of doing all of your own taxes. For many, this will mean paying quarterly taxes, or planning ahead and budgeting enough money to pay taxes at the end of the year (which you’ll also need a business license to do!). When it comes to managing your own finances, this is just the beginning! You will also have to find your own healthcare plan, and plan/invest for retirement on your own. And PTO is a thing of the past! On that note...

2. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid.

In regards to the benefit of having an employer, having PTO means that you get paid even when you’re not at work, whether you’re sick with the flu or on vacation in Hawaii. But of course, things are a little different when you’re completely on your own. If you’re working hourly for a client and not putting in the hours, you’re not getting paid. Your schedule may be flexible, but no one else is there to do the work for you and pick up the slack. 

However, this also allows you to take as much vacation time as you want. Instead of being limited to what your employer offers each year, now you have the flexibility to do as you please. 

3. You will probably spend a lot of time alone.

While there may be opportunities to collaborate with others, the bulk of your time will most likely be spent getting work done on your own. You’ll be in charge of managing your time, calendar, and projects. It’s important that you work well independently, are self-motivated, and are able to find that cherished work/life balance that can be so hard (especially for freelancers) to achieve. Think back to college or any work-from-home days you have had: Was 8+ hours too long to be alone? Were you able to study and be productive?

4. You need to network. Period.

Even if you set up an amazing website that showcases your skills and portfolio and “does the talking for you,” business will most likely not magically appear. You have to network. The word “network” alone is enough to stop some people dead in their job-search tracks, but break it down and it won’t be so scary! Reach out to agencies that are dedicated to connecting creatives with employers, ask friends, family and former co-workers if they know anyone who might be in need of a copywriter/editor/etc., and don’t turn down opportunities to meet new people. For some freelancers, the bulk of their work may come simply from referrals alone. Either way, it's essential to your business to make new contacts and connections.

5. You are constantly going to interviews.

While it’s not necessarily like an interview for a full-time position at a big company, each new client you meet will be like going through the interview process all over again in a way. Some clients will have a lot of questions, some will know exactly what they want, and some might need YOU to tell them what they need. At the very least, you’ll want to be prepared to tell them what you do, how much you do it for, similar work you’ve done in the past, and maybe even why what you do is important.

6. You might not have a stable income. 

Many choose the freelancing life due to the fact that you have the potential to have more control over your income. You can set your own hourly rates, project fees, and the hours you put into your business are indicative of how much money you will make. This also means that when work is slow, you're not getting paid as much. It's important to figure out exactly how much money you need to make each month and ensure you can meet those goals. It will also be important to save up at least a few months worth of living expenses, just in case you don't have enough work or jobs fall through. Planning ahead is essential!

7. You are responsible for everything. No pressure!

The world of freelancing is truly a blessing and a curse! While it affords you with a flexibility that full-time, 9-5 employees can only dream of, it comes at a price. It’s all about making a trade—what are you willing to sacrifice in order to gain more freedom and autonomy? In addition to being a writer (or editor, or whatever it may be), are you ready to also be your own finance, human resources, and marketing departments?

The future of your career is in your hands—go and make the most of it! Read about the careers of other freelancers and self-employed people here on Dear English Major:

Ashley Sapp: Freelance Writer/Editor & Administrative Coordinator

Emily Ladau: Freelance Writer & Disability Rights Advocate

Summer Fanous: Freelance Writer

Nicole Wayland: Freelance Copyeditor & Proofreader

Kelsey Wiseman: Freelance Editor

Erik Hanberg: Self-Employed/Writer

Melissa Kravitz: Freelance Writer

Jan Couture: Self-Employed Writer

Janet Schwind: Self-Employed Writer, Editor & Publishing Consultant

Andi Satterlund: Self-Employed Writer/Knitting Pattern Designer

Pamela Patton: Owner, Operator & Chief Wordsmith @ Paragraph Writing Services

Katie Plumb: Freelance Writer

Christine Stoddard: Writer/Filmmaker, Co-owner & Creative Director of Quail Bell Press & Productions

Robert S. Gerleman: Freelance Author & Editor

Charlotte McGill: Self-Employed Writer & Editor

Maggie Smith-Beehler: Poet, Author, Freelance Writer & Editor

---

READ MORE:

Rachel Maleady: SEO Analyst

Name: Rachel Maleady

Age: 25

College & Majors/Minors: Major: Communications with a Concentration in Public Relations, Minor: Business

Current Location: New Jersey

Current Form of Employment: SEO Analyst at a higher education company

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I currently work at a higher education company as an SEO Analyst. In this role, I get to create and apply various SEO and online marketing strategies to my company's 5+ properties. This role allows me to work in all different areas including content promotion, content strategy, keyword research, link building and more.

What was your first job? 

My first job out of college was working as a SEO Copywriter and Online Marketing Specialist at a small marketing firm near my hometown. I focused more on the writing side of SEO, which I do less of at my current role. To fill that writing "void," I am a freelance copywriter and also run my own lifestyle blog.

What was another job that was important in your career?

Honestly my blog, although not technically a "job," has opened so many doors for me. I am referred to many of my freelance clients through my blog, and it's always a great talking point. I can't stress enough how my blog has helped form my career.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

I researched companies in my area long before I graduated, hoping to spot open positions or make connections when graduation time came. I ended up transitioning from PR to more SEO/online marketing and copywriting though, so most of that didn't help. I would suggest studying and trying out all different areas of your major to see what you really like and don't like.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

I would definitely say to look into digital. Print media is dying and most magazine jobs now are terrible (long hours, intern-like tasks, no pay), so prepare yourself for other areas of writing. Start your own blog. Put together an online writing portfolio.

Check out Rachel Maleady's blog and online portfolio, and follow her on Twitter!

---

READ MORE:

Rachel Wong: Content Specialist

Brittany Shelley: Director of Content Marketing

Angeline Evans: Digital Media Manager