I have three degrees, two are in accounting and the other is a MSM degree. Needless to say, I had to write many papers and give presentations on my work. The biggest challenge was the business plan I wrote for my final project for my MSM degree. I created an outline and table of contents and stuck to a schedule. My business plan was 62 pages and had many appendixes — no presentation was required. My hard work paid off because I received an “A” and a high GPA. I didn’t realize my degrees would teach me about freelance writing but they did.
7 things my business degree taught me
- Research skills are necessary and mine were reinforced. You must know where to find the information you seek. You must know how to narrow down your search. You may begin with a broad search but that could return too much information. Know how to “drill down” what you’re looking for.
- Create an outline and table of contents to keep you focused on your subject.
- You can’t get away from presentations. You’ll want to learn PowerPoint or some other presentation platform. Make sure you keep the slides short and to the point.
- Make sure you proofread your writing and have someone else proofread it.
- You’ll need to abide by writers guidelines and not go over pages and word count.
- You’ll edit your work many times.
- Deadlines don’t go away. As a freelance writer, you’ll have deadlines and sometimes they’ll change. Flexibility is the key when dealing with deadline changes.
Bonus!
- Organization isn’t a bad idea. Whether you’re organizing your thoughts or your desk, implement a system that works for you. You may want to purchase a recorder to record your ideas and a filing cabinet to keep track of client contracts.
As a freelance writer, I pay attention to word and page counts, even character counts. I proofread my writing many times to ensure all typos are corrected and sentences make sense. Sometimes I have another proofreader read my work to make sure all mistakes are found and corrected. I use an outline and table of contents when necessary. I don’t freak out about deadlines; I’m an accounting major who’s used to deadlines. Yes, my business degrees did teach me many things about freelance writing.
Rebecca
How have your degrees helped you with your writing? Share.
You are very correct. I don’t have a degree, heck, I don’t even have a high school diploma, but each of these lessons are something every freelance writer must learn if they plan to make a successful freelance writing career.
Of all those tips, I would drown if I didn’t learn to become organized. I absolutly LOVE deadlines. Nothing brings on a sense of accomplishment like meeting a tight deadline. I love the research involved too because you learn so many interesting things. Basically, I love everything about freelance writing. You totally nailed it Rebecca. Great post!
Thanks!
I love organization!
Some people “freak out” when it comes to deadlines. When I worked in corporate, our deadlines always increased by one week. I made sure my month-end entries were complete before the “scheduled” deadline. I knew my controller would ask me if all of my month-end work was complete because the deadline changed.