Do freelance writers need certifications, courses, and coaches?
Today we’re talking about courses, certificates, and coaches.
Who needs them? Are they worth the investment? What should you bear in mind when taking them?
The marvelous world of self-education
When it comes to freelance writer courses, there’s a lot out there. There are hundreds of courses, certificates, and top-notch coaching available with some of the best in the industry.
But before you start buying courses left right and center, there’s a couple of things you should ask yourself first:
How often will I get asked about these kinds of credentials?
Most of the time you’re talking to a client, they’re assessing to see if you can do the job they’re considering hiring you for. Whether you have the Hubspot Certification in Marketing or not isn’t something they’re going to be too interested in.
Are you actually going to finish the course?
One thing common in the freelancing world is people buying courses and never completing them. We recommend you think carefully about your motivation and learning style. If you’re the type of person to sit down, listen to every episode, make the notes, and do the homework, then a self-directed course might be for you. There are a lot of people out there who’ve told us they sold 50,000 courses…but their completion rate is 2%.
Does it fit your learning style?
You should resonate with the teacher so their course or training is something you’ll want to finish. And if it’s a live class, make sure you like that. Does it have a community element? Or is it offline videos? There’s no right or wrong answer here, you just have to know what works for you.
Know yourself
What areas do you struggle with the most? Is it finding clients? Onboarding? Accounting?
We recommend you buy a resource focused on that specific problem. And the answer isn’t always a specific course. There are lots of general groups out there that can help solve your problems. Joining a community for freelancers or business owners can be a great way to work through your weak points. One great example of this is the Wise Women’s Council.
How to improve your writing skills
We don’t think you need a formal education in writing to be a good freelance writer. So don’t worry about going back to university and signing up for a degree in Creative Writing anytime soon. You’d be much better served by reading lots of books.
“There are lots of freelance writers out there who aren’t great writers...I wonder if they actually read a book before bed. If you’re not a good reader, it’s hard to be a good writer. Your brain is a muscle; you’ve got to exercise it.”
Writing is like thinking. If you can think clearly about a problem, then you can write clearly and effectively. This ability to articulate well doesn’t come easy, it takes a lot of practice. But this is something that you can work on yourself without splashing out for coaching or certifications.
Working with coaches
Do you work well with coaches? Some people do and some people don’t…and that’s OK. Just make sure whatever type of education you pursue is compatible with your personality. For some, people that’s coaching. For others, that’s a course, a podcast, or a book.
For Kaleigh, coaches aren’t ideal:
“I don’t do well with directed learning. Aversion to authority, maybe? I’m skeptical of working with a coach, I prefer self-directed learning.”
However, some people love coaching. Having a dedicated time every week or so where a coach can come in and talk you through a problem can be amazing. Sure, a lot of the time coaching can be pricey. We think it comes down to perceived value at the end of the day.
If you have a clear pain point in your business and someone fixes it that’s great. We suggest setting an annual budget for your self-education: conferences, courses, coaches, etc. That can help you keep it affordable.
“What did you make in profit last year? If you made whatever this product cost less this year, would it affect your life? If no, do it. If yes, don’t.”
And don’t forget to:
Soak up all the free content first. There’s so much out there!
Ask yourself if this product is going to make a meaningful impact on your life?
Ask yourself if the ROI high enough for this to make financial sense for you right now?
Most importantly, be careful when you’re deciding which course to take. You could end up on a super-famous writer’s course with millions of follows, but it might not be what resonates with you. You could just be dumped into a huge slack channel without the type of structured learning you were seeking.
Our main takeaway is: don’t follow the buzz. Trust your gut and know yourself.