Freelance Marketplace Critique of the Week: 8.12.05
You’ve posted your mini-bios at the MB Freelance Marketplace in hopes of snagging a great freelance – or full-time – gig. 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 Susan Lennon, whose profile begins:
Accomplished writer, strategic thinker; technologically adept; curious, reliable, savvy; expert interviewer; a team player; creative and fun with strong work ethic. Visit www.susanlennon.com for work samples and other info.
Jane’s thoughts:
Your profile needs a complete overhaul. Your “Personal Overview” is the first thing that a potential hiring manager reads. Let me ask you something. How do you think your “Overview” helps to differentiate you from your peers? Anyone can say what you have written here. Dig deeper to provide an overview that describes the topics you cover from an editorial perspective and lists some of the A-list magazines/papers in which your work has been published.
Don’t make the hiring manager do ANY work. He will not go to your Web site to see samples. Why should he when your peers (other freelancers at mediabistro) are providing samples attached to their profiles? Attach a diverse array of your work at the bottom. Entice the hiring manager to want to know more about you.
Finally, I find that the information you have provided about yourself in the “Other Work History” and the “Awards” sections are written in a sloppy manner. It looks like you put this together in a rush. Take your time and write clear, accurate statements. Remember, your profile is the first thing an Editor/hiring manager is going to see that reflects your ability to write and communicate a message. You need to get it right. Good luck.
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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