When the applications started rolling in, I was dumbfounded. All of my best intentions and systems notwithstanding, the applicants seemed intent on ruling themselves out of contention by sending sub-standard application emails. They were so bad that, at times, I felt like I was shortlisting based on the quality of the application, rather than the quality of the applicant.

This article is for any writer – experienced or not – who plans to apply for a copywriting job. It presents 12 tips (in order of importance) on how to apply in such a way that you stand a chance of making the shortlist.

1) Follow Instructions

If the job ad contains instructions, follow them. If it contains instructions which are labelled “IMPORTANT”, and which are formatted bold and red, you can assume they’re somewhat important and that there’s a reason for them. Follow them! Read and re-read the ad to make sure you’ve followed every instruction. If the ad says apply via email, apply via email! If it says to use “Copywriter Application” as the subject line, use “Copywriter Application” as the subject line! If it says to visit a website, provide a quote, supply three copy samples, and include your resume, DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS! If you don’t follow the simple, obvious instructions in a job ad, the employer will have no faith that you’ll be able to adhere to a complex copywriting brief!

2) Less is More

Don’t waste the employer’s time. Remember, they’re hiring a freelance copywriter because they need someone to take on a bit of their workload. They’re ‘time poor’. Keep your application short ‘n’ sweet. This is your chance to show what you’re capable of, so don’t fall into the trap of using big words and complex sentences. Less is more.

3) Show How You’ll Help Their Business

Try to see things from the employer’s perspective. Most employers who advertise for freelancer copywriters are looking for people who can help them streamline their business. Employers – particularly copywriting studios, advertising agencies and web design agencies – who want freelance copywriters are trying to ‘productize’ copywriting. They want to be able to ‘turn the handle’: they want an affordable freelance copywriter who can be relied upon to deliver client-ready first draft copy, with minimal supervision. They’re trying to build a copywriter factory line. Remember this when you apply, and try to show how you’ll help them achieve this goal.

4) Make Your Application Scannable

Once again, remember that the employer doesn’t have a lot of time. So make your copywriter application easy to scan. Don’t just write one long block of text. Use short paragraphs, headings and bullets, and bold the important bits.

5) Address the Requirements

If the copywriter ad lists the requirements of the job, make sure you address them, individually. (But remember, keep it short ‘n’ sweet.)

6) Be Open and Honest

Don’t oversell yourself; if the story told by your samples and resume doesn’t match your sales spiel, you’ll be discounted. If you don’t have the experience or expertise to satisfy one or more of the requirements, say so. And don’t lie about your experience or include samples you didn’t actually write. This may get you one job, but you may not get paid for it, and you’ll certainly never get another. And remember, the copywriting world is very small; everyone knows everyone, and warnings about deceptive freelancers travel very fast along the grapevine.

7) Provide Relevant Samples

If the job ad asks you to supply samples of your copy, do everything in your power to find and supply samples that are relevant. The ad may specify the kind of samples you need to supply, but if not, take a look at the employer’s website, and send samples that are relevant to their main service offering. If they do mostly web copy, send web copy samples. If they do short copy, send short copy samples. And if you don’t have any relevant samples, try to identify the core qualities required by the employer, and send samples that show you possess those qualities. (e.g. If the employer does mostly online brochure-type web copy, you’ll need to supply samples which show your ability to simultaneously capture a product and an audience, and maybe even educate the audience.)

8) Don’t Expect Immediate Feedback

Because most job ads attract hundreds of applications, and because the employer is still trying to run their business, you can’t expect immediate feedback on your application. Don’t send a reminder email after a day or two days. If you’re going to send a reminder, do it after a week or two weeks. And, unless the ad says to call, don’t call! Phone calls take up a lot of time, and this can be very frustrating to a busy employer who, most likely, has no feedback to give yet, anyway.

9) Don’t Use Broken English

If you’re applying for a job as an English-language copywriter, you have to have a solid mastery of English. If your application is written in broken English, you WILL NOT get the role; you’re simply wasting your time and the employer’s time.

10) Proof-Read Your Application

Nothing undermines a copywriter more than mistakes in spelling, punctuation, grammar and syntax (he says as he nervously scans his article!). Pay close attention to detail. You may be applying for quite a few roles, but don’t hurry through your application; always take the time to proof-read and spell-check. TIP: Although it’s not a show-stopper, try to spell the employer’s correctly!

11) Don’t Ask for Work Experience

Unless the ad specifically states that unpaid work experience is a possibility, don’t ask for it. While it certainly indicates great enthusiasm, most employers simply don’t have the time to mentor a junior copywriter, even if they’re not paying the writer anything.

12) Don’t Ask for a Critique of Your Writing

If your application is unsuccessful, feel free to ask why not, but don’t ask the employer to critique your writing. Explaining why your writing is inadequate is a very time consuming task, and it’s not the responsibility of a prospective employer. If you ever had a chance at a call-back somewhere down the line, this is the surest way to lose it.

Conclusion

You’d be surprised how many freelance copywriter applicants DON’T observe the above guidelines. These applicants make the employer’s job extremely frustrating and time consuming, and they all but rule themselves out of contention. Follow all of the above tips when applying for your next freelance copywriter position, and you’ll be a very big step ahead of your competition.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/191317

Well, now you can. “Wealth Dynamics” matches your personality, natural style and talents with each of the EIGHT ways to create wealth… so you can discover which path to wealth is the right ONE for you.

It only takes 15 minutes to take the test to discover your Wealth Dynamics wealth profile and the 6 steps you need to take to build your wealth… AND you can do it in the comfort of your own home or workplace.

Discover the path to your wealth at 

www.nativelywealthypath

Wealth Dynamics is a wealth profiling system which uses a psychometric test to assess your personality, strengths, productivity, values and group behaviour, to determine your most natural way to build wealth.

Up until now the only way to discover which path is right for you, has been through the process of trial and error. You make your money in business, then lose it all on the stock market… You spend years earning money working for someone else, and then lose it all starting your own business…
Wealth Dynamics was developed to take the trial and error out of the process. It provides you with a map to guide you on your path to wealth, allowing you to identify which strategies, and six steps you need to be focusing on, learning about, and taking action on.

Wealth profiling is a tool based on ancient philosophies which helps you to identify how to use your natural talents and character to live in your “zone”, and in the “flow”.

Once you know your profile you’ll have clarity on your path of least resistance. Not surprisingly, what you do most naturally, is also what creates the least stress and the most enjoyment. That’s the point – if you’re doing something that feels like hard work, you’re already doing the wrong thing.

When you discover your wealth profile, you’ll also receive the rules for the game for that profile, so you gain incredible clarity on how to invest your time, what steps you need to take next, who you need to learn from, where you need to be, what you need to do – and equally important, what not to waste your time on any longer.

“If you want to learn basketball, then don’t spend your time on the football pitch.”
Roger Hamilton

Article Source: http://www.nativelywealthy.com/dynamicPage.asp?PageID=

©Marewa Paranihi

I want to know what the situation is like for women in different countries when it comes to business. What factors come into play from a cultural perspective as well as from a historical and political standpoint.

The spotlight this week is on female entrepreneurs in the USA.

I was really heartened to read a recent article on Forbes.com that shows women are becoming the nation’s job-creation engine, starting new businesses and completely outdoing our male counterparts. Yes, women who own businesses in the US will be responsible for creating one-third of the 15.3 million new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018!

You should definitely read the article but here the key highlights from a newly published report by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute that excited me most:

Female small-business owners are focused on making work more enjoyable

Not only are women creating a positive work environment and more opportunities for other people, they’re also giving their employees a reason to feel better as a part of the team, paying the more and looking after their healthcare.

Female entrepreneurs are more concerned about building a lasting business

Women are adept at keeping the customers they have and cultivating customers who appreciate what they do. They are skilled at differentiating their businesses from competitors in a meaningful way, knowing what other small businesses are doing to improve, succeed or fail, and taking advantage of economic conditions.

Women are more open to taking advice and seeking valuable information

Women entrepreneurs seek input from their employees, chief operating officers, chief financial officers, accountants and financial advisors. They’re becoming better at taking a longer-term view of their businesses including having a succession plan in place, a retirement plan and something to sell at retirement to ensure they’re able to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

I really look forward to more people like Mark Wolf, the director of the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, to produce more research on the way women are impacting the world.

If you like what you’re reading then come and visit http://www.womanzworld.com and me – Natalie Sisson, a Kiwi Entrepreneur and Adventurer passionate about getting more women into business and having fun while doing it from anywhere around the world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natalie_Sisson

By Natalie Sisson

Andy is also a coder, which lends to business success since coders do not have to rely on third parties to build their websites, business portals, databases, etc. This self reliance is key to building a successful business and is akin to a contractor building his own house. Andy founded, and was CEO, of eBenefits, a web based human resources service. At eBenefits, Kurtzig built a talented team, signed significant partnerships with Fortune 500 companies like Automatic Data Processing (ADP) and Marsh & McLennan, and raised $8 million of venture capital financing. He went on to sell eBenefits to an Inc 500 Company. Prior to starting eBenefits, Kurtzig founded ANSER to service and develop software for the newspaper industry. He holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley. He is an angel investor in several companies including StubHub (acquired by eBay in 2007) and iLike.

Necessity being the mother of invention, Andy originally launched his most recent venture as a way to help his wife get answers about questions regarding pregnancy. His goal was to get legitimate answers to good questions. When you combine that with his strong business background, his location in the Silicon Valley and the ability to code his own software, you get JustAnswer.com.

JustAnswer® is a website where people go when they want an answer from a Doctor, Lawyer, Mechanic or one of thousands of third-party verified Experts one-on-one. Millions with questions come to the site for affordable and fast answers in more than 100 categories, ranging from Medical to Legal. Experts typically provide answers within minutes. Andy explained that there are experts in JustAnswer generating six figure incomes. Many earn less, but this has actual serious work from home, or your office, potential.

Rob Thrasher researches and writes about many topics. Articles include topics of safer drinking water and indoor air quality for his newest site, Safer Homes. [ http://safer-homes.cybervillage.com/safer-homes-newsletter ]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Thrasher

By Rob Thrasher

So what exactly is bum marketing? Put simply, this form of affiliate marketing and online business building is about starting on a shoestring budget and building up a high level of cash flow in a short period of time. If you think this is challenging, you are completely wrong. There are many tools, services, and resources available to help you build an Internet empire in a matter of months if not weeks.

Now, I don’t want to get carried away here and promise you the world. If I said you were going to get rich overnight, I would be a complete liar with no self respect. The truth is even bum marketing requires hard work and dedication. The biggest difference between the bum marketer and the average employee is a degree of motivation and discipline. You simply cannot expect someone else to do the work for you. You have to wake up in the morning (or the afternoon) and get started working!

That said, bum marketing also requires a high degree of creativity and initiative with the lifestyle part of the equation. If you want to be successful as a bum who makes money online, you have to stay committed to that way of life and realize it’s not easy to do. Many people fail to actually become legitimate bum business owners because they get so wrapped up with those “big prizes” like the BMW or the Mercedes Benz.

The truth is anyone can live this way! What’s your dream? Travel the world in style? Jump from coffee shop to coffee shop building your empire? Lounging out by the pool with your laptop? Take your pick! Anything is possible, but it’s up to you to make it happen. That, my friends, will require real dedication and commitment.

Ready to get started building your bum marketing dream? How about starting your Internet marketing empire with some more helpful information. We’ll help you get started on the high road to success!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Merchante

I have also heard many successful businessmen say “I don’t do small talk” but isn’t Smalltalk at the base of many significant events in human history? Wasn’t it small talk that began hundreds of years ago back in England about a new world that was awaiting development overseas? Wasn’t it small talk that began as a little buzz which grew to a huge overflow of support for President Obama’s historic victory?

Some people who attend business networking events or business functions in general, think that Smalltalk is unprofessional and they must focus completely on really important and elaborate “Business Speak”. They almost feel as though speaking about anything besides that would brand them as an individual who is amateurish and not serious about business.

Could anything be more further from the truth? When you’re dealing with business people, it’s smart to remember that you are dealing with “people”. This means that while they have on a suit and tie, what’s underneath is still a bonafide human being. And this “human being” is susceptible and open to Smalltalk.

Smalltalk like; what they engage in outside of the office, current events that have nothing to do with business, college stories that are really laughable, and so on. These little conversations can make a person feel comfortable and can be a warm-up to more important business talks.

Learning to communicate initially with Smalltalk is a skill but it’s one of the skills that require little work to develop. Just think about the last casual conversation you had about current events with a close friend. How much skill did that require?

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you can relate to people on a warm-personal level, you will have succeeded in securing stable new relationships. These relationships can lead to major things throughout your life. They can lead to new jobs or careers and even large-scale business partnerships. Whatever the results may be, remember that it all began from small talk.

So, the next time you feel as though you are wasting your breath on trivial topics, consider the fact that Smalltalk can lead to greater things. Smalltalk is a part of good business networking just as much as professional conduct.

• Your value statement should be about RESULTS not activity. So, a statement like “business up 200%” is much more powerful than “more sales, better marketing, more appointments.”

• Your value statement should always be MEASURABLE. “revenue up 200%” is better than “more revenue.” And, “Revenue up $1M” most of the time is even better than “revenue up 200%.” If you are stating “revenue up 200%” then always help the prospect convert that to dollars and cents. He WILL respond more often and faster.

• Bracket your value.

• • Average– Start with an “average” result either across all of your clients, or “average” the result in different segments (even better).
  • Minimum–Then be prepared to talk about the minimum result you’ve ever delivered. Find the words that work the best here. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve had clients that fell flat on their face, but there were few of them, and it wasn’t due to anything I did. In most cases, they just couldn’t bring themselves to change, so they kept making the same mistakes. My usual statement is: “for those that get it, and DO follow through with what they learn, most will more than double their business.” So, find your minimum, and how you feel comfortable stating it.
  • Maximum-Now find the best results you’ve ever delivered. For my sales training, I usually say something like “my typical client doubles his business in 3-4 weeks, and I’ve even seen a couple jump up 10 times within a week. And most of my clients just keep multiplying their results over and over.

Click here to view the embedded video.

By bracketing your value, you have given a very clear value statement to your prospect. He can understand that working with you what the dollars and cents, or multiplier is for a typical prospect, and what the minimum and maximum is.

This approach will cause people to LEAP into your shopping card. Almost no one dares give a clear value statement, so you are WAY above your competition, and you have just removed any reason for that typical objection: “Gee this seems awfully expensive” or “I don’t have the money.”