Whether you are thinking about getting started in your first career or you are interested in making a switch and starting a second or third career, you no doubt are feeling a bit of trepidation and anxiety about what it will take to be successful in this career. This is, after all, not a career known for turning people into millionaires or even for providing most with a six figure annual income either. If you don’t have a degree in English, journalism, or another related field, or a degree at all for that matter, your fears may be heightened as you ponder whether you can actually support yourself financially through writing.

No Degree Required

The good news is that you actually do not need a degree at all to get started as a freelance writer. A degree in some field would help to show potential clients that you are educated, and a lengthy list of professional and personal accomplishments would showcase the different experiences that you can draw from when working on new assignments. However, very few clients who want to use your services actually will require a degree at all, whether in a related field or not.

Building a Resume

So if you don’t need a degree, what exactly do you need? Perhaps the most important thing that you need when applying for new assignments is a resume. In many cases, this will be a list of other clients you have worked for, or in the case of a new freelance writer, it may include your real-world business experience if you have any.

The Importance of a Portfolio

While a resume is important when you apply to work on new assignments, perhaps the most important thing to include is a portfolio of your work. If you are a new freelance writer, you can consider including works that you may have had published professionally or on your own. Otherwise, you will want to take some time to write a few pieces purely to include in your resume. It’s a good idea to include a variety of different writing samples so that potential clients can see the full range of your abilities and the writing styles you are most comfortable with. Keep in mind that most potential clients will be sorting through a number of portfolios submitted to them, and so you do want to consider including smaller pieces and put them in an easy to read format, too. Presentation certainly matters.

Once you have a resume developed and a portfolio of work samples prepared, you can then start looking for new clients to look for. It sounds like this may be too easy of a way to start a new career, but the fact is that if you have the talent and skills necessary, these are really the only other tools you need to start making money as a freelance writer. You can use your resume and portfolio on bid sites as well as when applying directly with new clients, too.