This past month on June 10, 2022 I had done the things I'm about to share with you when submitting for 2 freelance writing positions and had to turn down one of the offers (the only way they paid was through a specific payment system only that had tech. glitches, not great customer service based on my personal experience thus far, their one payment system wasn't rated that great through my own research, & there was a part of their "Terms & Conditions" that could basically screw you out of payment), but that's beside the point. My point is I was offered a job offer after doing these 2 things after applying for ONLY 2 freelance writing jobs so I would say 50% is a pretty good success rate, wouldn't you? Even though individual results may vary, surely it's gotta be worth a try if you've been submitting job after job for an extended period of time & getting no result, RIGHT?

Here are 3 things you can do to at least called in for an interview for the job (or receive a job offer like I did):

Thing #1): In addition to following the directions precisely for the job application process, if you have an email address that's provided for the job did you have letters of recommendation sent from others to that email address? In this day and age (even before Covid competition, getting the job interview was difficult) now it's even worse specifically for those remote and/or freelance positions that involve working from home. It's a given that many got used to staying and working at home (since Covid) that they don't want to ever return to the office. I even saw a woman post that she never wanted to return to the office on LinkedIn. 

And in case you don't know how fierce the competition is, within 8 hours of a freelance writer position being posted on LinkedIn there were already 234 applicants.

How are you going to stand out amongst over 234 applicants (by the time you apply that number can be many more)?

I asked myself, "What worked in the past?" Sometimes what worked "back in the day" still works today. I remembered how I got all the scholarships I got in college: The Herbert Goodman highest GPA scholarship 2 consecutive years in a row at my community college, a scholarship my summer quarter at my community college, and the Milgard Tribute scholarship the first year at my University's business school. My tuition and books (thousands of dollars per quarter) weren't just paid because of my great grades, leadership and extra-curricular activities, my awesome essays or applications it was also because of the letters of recommendation that I had written.

A letter of recommendation is a letter that talks about why you're an awesome candidate & what you're currently doing and did in the past. You'd want to have someone who can vouch for you whether it's a current or former professor, someone you worked/work with, etc. It's approximately a page to a page and a quarter. Here's a sample one that a client wrote for me that is tailored to the specific position:

Mary Lee Oliva, business owner, and client of mine

I am writing to highly recommend Carly Calabrese for your Content Writer position through your [Name of Department if applicable]. I hired Carly the first May of Covid to write a marketing letter for my business. She wrote a detailed 2-page letter that shared a little history about my skincare business (Rodan + Fields), and my dream of wanting to help women with their self-confidence by consulting with them about their hairstyle, clothing, or cosmetics. In her marketing letter, Carly also included an interesting fact about skincare and used a catchy tagline of, “Let’s ‘face it’ you want to put your best face forward” along with my contact information and a scripture from the Bible “Love your neighbor as yourself, I am the Lord.” –Leviticus 19:18 that I felt resonated with me since I was planning on distributing those letters to my neighbors. 

Although I didn’t end up using Carly’s awesome marketing letter because of my new business, I still wanted to discuss my project with Carly as she wrote a professional and engaging letter that I know would’ve grabbed the reader’s attention. That’s why I wanted to write this letter of recommendation for Carly as I know you are seeking skilled creative writers & wordsmith artists for marketing materials. 

I know that Carly would be the perfect fit for your Content Writer position as she has over 15 years of marketing experience. That combined with her over 12 years of direct writing experience (positions which required heavy writing) & the same amount of time (over 12 years) successfully working in a freelance/remote capacity, I feel that she would make a great addition for your company. 

Carly’s critical thinking skills are utilized daily as a business owner & marketer that founded and implemented Work Solutions, where she performs career coaching/career prep assistance, business marketing, writing, editing, and LinkedIn services for individuals and freelance opportunities. I met her when she led her 2 networking groups concurrently for job seekers and business professionals. At one of her networking groups, she used to put on a different career or marketing related seminar monthly using PowerPoint presentations that she created & taught us about in a classroom setting. She also helped us hone our 2-minute “commercials” also referred to as “elevator pitches.” 

Carly routinely writes newsletter copy for her business & also puts it on her social media accounts. I’ve always found her content to be very interesting, informative, engaging (unique and attractive images & videos), and even inspiring (her latest newsletter shared a recent Joel Osteen sermon about telling yourself the right story and having the right mindset and attitude). 

With Carly’s excellent organizational, multi-tasking, and high quality work including being published in various publications: Woman’s World Magazine (TWICE), Eatonville Dispatch Newspaper 6 months, SouthSoundTalk.com for over 3 years, Tacoma.com over 3 years, the Tacoma Art Group for 1 year, and have also written for contract projects for: the Federal Way Mirror, South Sound Magazine, Showcase Media Magazine, the Business Examiner, & the Puyallup Herald, I don’t see why you would look any further for a Content Writer for your organization. 

If you want an experienced, knowledgeable, fast-learner, and go-getter who will go the extra mile, Carly Calabrese is the one. 

Sincerely,

Mary Lee Oliva

Brand Partner Savvi Lifestyle Co.

To download the app & go shopping if you have an iPhone phone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/savvi-shop/id1531496489

After successfully downloading the app, put in your email address & verification code: MARYLEE

To download the app & go shopping if you have an Android phone: https://m.apkpure.com/savvi-shop/com.gsrsites.savvi

After successfully downloading the app, put in your email address & verification code: MARYLEE

Thing #2): Are you sending a follow up letter within a week of submitting for the position? This means you do the research to find out how you can send this letter to the hiring manager or recruiter for the position by finding them on LinkedIn so that you can send it to them as a message or to an email address that you can locate (with the hiring manager or recruiter's name if possible).

A follow up letter has an introduction about the details of the position you applied for & date submitted along with why you're interested in the position and how you're a perfect fit. You should also list what you like about the position (outside of why you're a perfect fit) and then mention how your resume is attached and include it. Conclude the letter with thanking them, showing gratitude, and conclude.

Click here to view a sample follow up letter

Thing #3):  Are you sending thank you letters NOT just when you receive an interview, but when you receive a rejection letter? This means you do the research to find out how you can send this letter to the hiring manager or recruiter for the position (if it's not obvious in the letter that you receive) by finding them on LinkedIn so that you can send it to them as a message or to an email address that you can locate (with the hiring manager or recruiter's name if possible).

It's really a thing now. Here are screenshots of the article on LinkedIn as recent ast May 12, 2022:

Click here to view a sample thank you letter after you receive the rejection letter from the company

Service #1: Letter of Recommendation for your job

You know the perfect person/people who can vouch for your skills, experience, character, and more but they may not have the time, interest, or skill to write an impactful and truthful letter. That's where I come in. I can ask the right questions to capture the right details that need to be included in your letter at a remote interview session where we'd meet on the computer, phone, or tablet and hear & see each other as if we were sitting across the table from one another. I would ask you the questions that you would've already received so that you can prepare before we meet remotely. I will then listen back to our recorded remote meeting and write your first draft and provide to you for any applicable edits. I make any applicable edits and then provide to you the final formatted draft (defined as font type, font size, bolds, italicizes, highlights, links where applicable) via email along with a subject title for your email so that you can forward to that person who will send your letter of recommendation for the job you're applying on your behalf.

You also may need another person to send a letter of recommendation on your behalf (you should aim for at least 3 per job that you can send them, too if an email address is present). I could write one on your behalf as another reference to you being the perfect fit for the position. (This would be available if it made sense. If I know you and feel comfortable doing).

These letters of recommendation need to be submitted as soon as possible after you've applied for the position, as it's more material the hiring manager/recruiter will have a chance to review besides your application materials.

A letter of recommendation that's approximately a page to a page and a quarter are ideal, along with the interview to write your letter of recommendation along with the one set of edits (if applicable), and pre-formatted finalized draft via email (defined as the: font type, font size, bolds, italicizes, highlights, links where applicable) to you (or sent from me on behalf of you if I'm the one recommending you) is all for $264.30 which includes the fee I'm charged to process your debit/credit card so I can net my $250 rate. **If you want to pay without a debit/credit card, contact me ASAP as the same deadline applies.**$250 is the non-debit/credit card rate.**

Service #2: Follow up letter approximately a week after you submit for the position 

You're too busy looking for jobs in your field, preparing & submitting your applications for those jobs, writing, editing, and/or facilitating the process to get letters of recommendation for the jobs you're applying for that can send them for, etc. that's when you'd have me write your follow up letter for the positions you've applied for (approximately a week from when you've submitted them).

OR maybe you're not too busy to write your follow up letters, you just want the help, want the expertise, whatever your reason I'm here to do it!

A follow up letter that's approximately a page to no more than a page & a half are ideal, along with the quick interview to write your follow up letter along with the one set of edits (if applicable), and pre-formatted finalized draft via email (defined as the: font type, font size, bolds, italicizes, highlights, links where applicable) to you along with a subject title for your email so that you can forward from your own email account OR copy to a LinkedIn message is all for $211.60 which includes the fee I'm charged to process your debit/credit card so I can net my $200 rate. **If you want to pay without a debit/credit card, contact me ASAP as the same deadline applies.**$200 is the non-debit/credit card rate.**

Service #3: Thank you letter for the rejection note/letter that you received after applying for a job

Don't want another letter to have to send? Don't think you'd write a good enough one? Want to make your life easier by delegating, but still being in control of it? That's where I come in.

I can write your thank you for the rejection letter, letter that's approximately a page to a page & a half are ideal to communicate back to your potential employer as they made the effort to communicate to you that they weren't moving forward with you for the position. I will thank them for providing you an update on the status of your application that you applied for including details of the position and when. I will include sincere gratitude and credit for them communicating to you the status of your application when they could've been like the many companies out there that don't but in your words! I will include a few bullet points on why you really liked the position (a quick interview to get something interesting & not just how you'd be great at the position other substantial relevant details where applicable such as perhaps you recently attended a financial seminar related to the financial position you're applying, why you're in the field/trying to get into the field, etc.) you were just rejected for, wish them the best in whoever they do hire while also letting them know you'd like to be considered for the opportunity should it not work out with who they choose and/or if another position becomes available. I will include in the letter that you'd like to keep in touch and propose how you'd do so (if you're a business owner who has an email newsletter you can discuss the purpose of your newsletter & why they'd want to be on it and ask for their email address OR you can let them know you'd like to keep in touch and how they'd propose doing so (some people like to message on LinkedIn or via phone or email). I will be sure to add a light line (that sounds like you as well) along the lines of, "Either way, have an awesome rest of your week!" before concluding. You'll be able to have one set of edits prior to the finished product. All for $211.60 which includes the fee I'm charged to process your debit/credit card so I can net my $200 rate. **If you want to pay without a debit/credit card, contact me ASAP as the same deadline applies.**$200 is the non-debit/credit card rate.**

Thank you,

Carly Calabrese

Career Coach/Business Marketing Consultant/Writer/Editor/LinkedIn Consultant

Email me: [email protected]

Work Solutions - "Providing career assistance/coaching/prep, business marketing, writing, editing, and LinkedIn services for individuals and freelance opportunities."

“Independence is happiness.”—Susan B. Anthony