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What Does A Freelancer Say To A Company Looking To Hire Him?

by EricMN
10 replies
Hey guys,


I have recently been approached by a company looking to hire a copywriter. They had an ad posted while I was doing a little prospecting, but it seemed like they were looking for more of an in-house, on-staff copywriter. Being a freelance copywriter, this didn't appeal to me at first.

My question to you is how would you approach the situation?

I enjoy working from home and at my leisure. . . if that makes sense. But I'm not in a position where I am above taking a potential job of this sort.

So I guess the issue here is, what is the next step, and how can I evaluate whether or not this is worth it? What is the best way to uncover the compensation, work life, etc?

If anyone has dealt with a similar experience or has been around the block a while, feel free to chime in. I'm all ears.
#company #freelancer #hire
  • Profile picture of the author KingOfContentMarketing
    Check this thread out for some good stuff
    http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...opywriter.html
    Signature
    Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
    - Jack Trout
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  • Profile picture of the author EricMN
    Fantastic thread.

    Gordon really hit it out of the park.

    Thanks Joe for the link, much appreciated. I do feel silly when I forget to use the search feature (I do use it, promise).

    If anyone still wants to chime in, feel free.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jake Dennert
    Originally Posted by EricMN View Post

    They had an ad posted while I was doing a little prospecting, but it seemed like they were looking for more of an in-house, on-staff copywriter. Being a freelance copywriter, this didn't appeal to me at first.

    My question to you is how would you approach the situation?
    Hey Eric,

    Lots of things to consider here, and hopefully I'm not just repeating what was said in the thread Joe posted.

    Two things would make an in-house, on-staff position over freelancing from home "worth it" for me:

    1) Pay

    2) Commute

    If the place was close-by (like, VERY close) to where I lived... and they were offering to pay me just as much--if not more--than what I was currently making from various freelance jobs...

    ...I'd seriously consider it.

    Why?

    If an in-house position covered everything for me financially, I wouldn't have to continue marketing myself.

    So if you're not at a point where you're getting enough repeat business from your current clients... think about the trade off:

    Would you rather work from home and continue marketing yourself heavily to get more and more jobs (until you've got enough repeat biz to keep yourself happy--if you're not there already, that is...), or take the position...

    ...and not have to wonder where that "next job" is going to come from?

    Anyway, that's how I'd go after it.

    Congrats on picking up that job offer, and I hope it works out great for you.


    Jake
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    • Profile picture of the author IMHopeful
      I agree with everything Jake mentioned, but would add that: You lose a certain amount of flexibility in your writing style as well. Most in-house jobs have a set standard and style they will expect you to adhere to, which can = boring!

      Freelancing lets you bounce around a bit more, and you actually have more say in the quality of the finished product. I'm not for, or against, but in-house work can get really boring if the management is too set in their ways.
      Originally Posted by Jake Dennert View Post

      Hey Eric,

      Lots of things to consider here, and hopefully I'm not just repeating what was said in the thread Joe posted.

      Two things would make an in-house, on-staff position over freelancing from home "worth it" for me:

      1) Pay

      2) Commute

      If the place was close-by (like, VERY close) to where I lived... and they were offering to pay me just as much--if not more--than what I was currently making from various freelance jobs...

      ...I'd seriously consider it.

      Why?

      If an in-house position covered everything for me financially, I wouldn't have to continue marketing myself.

      So if you're not at a point where you're getting enough repeat business from your current clients... think about the trade off:

      Would you rather work from home and continue marketing yourself heavily to get more and more jobs (until you've got enough repeat biz to keep yourself happy--if you're not there already, that is...), or take the position...

      ...and not have to wonder where that "next job" is going to come from?

      Anyway, that's how I'd go after it.

      Congrats on picking up that job offer, and I hope it works out great for you.


      Jake
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Warriors
    Honestly, it depends on what you're looking for. If you're still at the "experience-getting" part of your career, having a job can help you a lot, and won't necessarily harm your long term plans of being a freelancer, provided you, y'know, aren't too tempted by the perks.
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    • Profile picture of the author JakeDaly
      Why not both? After I further develop my own copywriting business, I plan on applying for a Jr. copywriting position at _X_ major company. I think it was ewen or Alex who posted about indeed.com and copywriting positions in Florida a month or so back. I used the same site to search for copywriting positions in my own area and was surprised to see a half dozen companies were hiring copywriters at that time, from Amazon and Blue Cross to a couple small advertising agencies.

      Of course, the trick is working for a major company within a single industry so you can continue to write copy as a side business without any conflicts of interest. If you want to keep your copywriting side business going, you can't really work for an advertising firm. And to be honest, I have to assume the corporate culture, pay & benefits would probably be better at a major company anyways.
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  • Profile picture of the author Daniel Scott
    Keep in mind that most times as an agency or "in house" copywriter you won't be doing direct-response pieces, unless you work for someone like Agora.

    Your main job description will consist of dressing like a hipster, coming up with "clever" ads and licking your employer's backside.

    There's nothing wrong with that, if it's what you want. Just be aware it's not usually tied to results in any meaningful way, so getting ahead means kissing a lot of ass.

    -Daniel
    Signature

    Always looking for badass direct-response copywriters. PM me if we don't know each other and you're looking for work.

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  • Profile picture of the author RyanLB
    Both sides have their benefits. The best thing to do in this situation is to put a price on your time. Be sure to weigh in any benefits you would receive from the job such as health care. Figure out how much you pull in per hour of work as a freelancer and figure out what you will be making for the company.

    Then look at the personal fulfillment and decide if you are ready to make that move
    Signature

    I'm a Freelance Copywriter that helps Agencies, Startups and Businesses Educate Their Audience and Grow Sales
    Skype Me: r.boze
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  • Profile picture of the author Increase Media
    It really depends upon what you want for yourself. If you're really interested in the position, but want to work as a freelance or contract person, then just ask if they would consider it.

    The worst they can say is NO...and you'll still be where you would have been had you not asked, which is working for yourself as a freelancer. If they say yes, then that's great.

    What I'm saying is you have nothing to lose by asking. If they say no then look elsewhere because it's all about how YOU want to live your life.
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  • Profile picture of the author noneedtowork
    Make it apparent that you are a wanted commodity.
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