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Wednesday, Mar 23

Freelance Marketplace Critique of the Week: 3.23.05

You've posted your mini-bios at the MB Freelance Marketplace in hopes of snagging a great freelance - or full-time - gig. That's hot® . 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 goes to Carla Passino, who begins her profile as such:

dorn-thumb-thudmb.bmpA seasoned writer and former editor for a leading British website, I know what makes a good story. I am accurate, punctual, dependable -- and multilingual (English, Italian, French and Spanish). I have written both hard news and features for a wide range of print and online publications in Britain and America. My areas of interest are culture and the arts, wildlife and the environment, food, real estate and travel. I am a member of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists, the Guild of Food Writers, the Circle of Wine Writers, the Online News Association and Women in Journalism.

Jane says:

Instead of saying "My areas of interest are...," you should say, "My areas of expertise" include. A potential hiring manager (i.e., Editor) doesn't really care what you are interested in. He wants to know what you can bring to the table, and that you have experience covering his beat. An Editor of a food magazine wants to see that a writer has covered food not that he likes food. A Finance Editor wants to see someone with business clips, not that he's interested in business issues.


I'm not sure that highlighting guilds and associations you are member of are relevant enough to have on top. They do not reflect your strongest sales points. I do however think that the fact that you have written for Vogue-online and Conde Nast Traveler-online are impressive and that it would serve you well to mention these major media brands in your overview.

Finally, why make the reader work to find your clips when your competitors are providing clips along with their profiles? You can still invite interested parties to visit your Web site but you should also have a smattering of clips, along with your resume, attached to your profile.

If you are interested in having your listing critiqued, send a note to the folks at the Marketplace.

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