Freelance Marketplace Critique of the Week: 5.20.05
You’ve posted your mini-bios at the MB Freelance Marketplace in hopes of snagging a great freelance – or full-time – gig. Good for you! But, are you completely satisfied with your listing? Do you think you’ve described your accomplishments, specialties and skills in the best possible light? Let’s check in with our expert, Jane Ashen Turkewitz, the premiere resume writer for MediaBistro, in our weekly segment where a real Marketplace profile, just like yours, is critiqued to give its owner insight on how to make it even more effective. As a former media recruiter, Jane has reviewed thousands of resumes and has successfully placed candidates at Time Inc., Hearst, Hachette, Primedia and other major media companies. Turkewitz has written hundreds of resumes for writers, editors, publishers, sales executives, marketers, graphic designers, business managers, technology executives, public relations professionals and others.
The critique of the week belongs to Christopher Deliso, whose profile begins with:
I am a travel writer, photographer and journalist based in and covering Southeastern Europe. My work is informed by a strong academic background (Master’s in Byzantine Studies, Oxford), rich experience living and traveling in the region, and necessary language skills. Versatility is my key strength. So long as it’s Balkan-related, I do it. I’ve written on everything from Islamic terrorism, Microsoft expansion and opera stars to sultry beaches, oil pipelines and EU integration. Complementing this topical variety, I can offer diverse writing styles – business, academic, journalistic, literary, etc. Further, my sensitivity to people and places means I try to convey something more than the typical Western writer’s superficial outside view. By living full-time in the Balkans, I keep the connection vital and discover something new daily. I live for investigating unusual places, seeking out the stories and pictures that usually go untold.
Christopher, you have a unique situation as you are living overseas, seeking freelance work in America. The first thing you need to do is show the reader that you have, in fact, been published in American media. List some of the American publications you have written for upfront, in your introduction. I also think you should reword your opening to focus on your writing and journalistic capabilities, vs. your photography. As I recently wrote to another freelancer, if you are looking for photographic work, create a second profile on MB.com under the photography category. Although your photographs are stunning (I love the olives photo!), I almost did not scroll down further as I did not think you had any more articles attached after the pics. I wonder how many others are doing that?
If you’d like your profile critiqued by Jane (and really, if you took the time to create one you should have the best one possible), drop a line to the Marketplace people.
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