It’s Time

A New Career Path / Plan

I have been thinking about this for a while now. There is no way around it. I must stop procrastinating, get off my arse, and do something about it.

I want to try and make a career out of this blog or work in an area that allows me to write for a living. I have been looking around the web to find out how to improve myself. My first natural step was to install Grammarly onto my browser and computer so I can increase my writing ability. I also installed it on my Android devices.

The next step is to work out what it is I want to do. It turns out, that there are many different fields that a writer can go into. I like the idea of being a freelance writer. But even that is a tricky one as there are still several fields to go into with that as well. But I can help myself narrow it down to what I do, at the moment. As I am a blogger the route that seems right to me is a content writer. But still, there are many areas within being a content writer. I believe I have one area already sorted by writing a blog and having my own website. But there are other levels that I have to learn to get the full benefits in maybe making a full career out of this.

So what is a content writer?

Content Writers create written material for online and offline publications. They focus on writing clear and actionable copy that is easily understood by the public. They follow established style guides and company requirements, including assignment brief guidelines. Researching their topics carefully helps Content Writers create factually accurate content. Including keywords in their online content, this boosts search engine optimisation for more web traffic and sales. Content Writers proofread all their content to make sure it’s free of errors. Some Content Writers create a range of content while others specialise in areas such as fashion and technology.

indeed.com

So, from what I understand so far. Research is an essential part of the job. I believe I could be good at this as I enjoy finding out the truth about things. There may be other things I need to learn. But generally, I think this is pretty much self-explanatory.

I have to start reading more than I have been at the moment. Help improve my writing skills. I do enjoy reading. But. I must admit I have not been doing this for a long time. I have a stack of books that I haven’t started yet. So I will have to get my kindle out and start it up again.

I need to work out what my niche is. This is any subject you have a decent understanding and or passion for. It could be anything you like: Sports, technology, cars, movies, anything you enjoy and or have knowledge of. This one is a bit tricky as I enjoy lots of different things. So I will leave that down to the natural evolution of my career as it progresses.

I will need to start writing more content. I have some things coming up in the next few weeks that I will be writing about. But I have to find other things and keep up the pace.

I will need to take some courses to help with things I am unsure about. A big thing seems to be SEO (search engine optimisation). My basic knowledge is that this helps with how you are seen on the internet.

Search engine optimization is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. SEO targets unpaid traffic rather than direct traffic or paid traffic.

Wikipedia

Proofreading and editing also seem to be a factor as well. I will probably be okay with this as I proofread and edit my work. I also have my wife go over it once. Then I would go over it a couple more times. Viewing on my WordPress creator page and also my website as a preview. But I will still search for courses if they are available.

I must say I am, sort of, enjoying this Grammarly app. I am currently using the free version. It does seem to enjoy telling me that I have made some mistakes. It tells me when I have some grammar and spelling problems. But on other things, it isn’t telling me what I have done wrong, except for placing a line under where the problem is. I will need to purchase the full version. I have to work it out on my own to fix it. I have also realised some of the mistakes. Aren’t.

I do have a request. If you enjoy my content and feel someone you know or yourself may benefit from some of my work. Please let them know. I need to get experience. My email address is on my Contact / About page.

So, my next step is to find some free courses that I can learn from and improve my skills as a writer.

I’ll write about that when I get started.