Sometimes when we are examining our own skills, we tend to focus on the negative or what we don’t do well. Today, I thought it would be a good idea to think about a positive skill. For me one positive skill is that I love to write, and I’ve been a competent writer since college.
Recently when talking with a friend, I made the remark that, even if I have to return to working for someone else, I will still find fulfillment in my writing. Now working for someone else will just be a job, and that’s okay. Writing consistently has made a difference in my outlook on life and work. Until that moment, I hadn’t fully realized just what writing meant to me.
As I work to become a full-time freelance writer, I reflect on all the times previous employers have asked me to utilize my writing skills as part of my job. I have created marketing materials and redesigned out-of-date forms. I have created instructions for multiple job positions because I didn’t want to leave my replacement in a tough spot. I have updated resumes, written cover letters, designed basic websites, written blog posts and short newspaper articles, and even written funny lyrics and poems to amuse coworkers.
Outside of the work setting, I have created Sunday School lessons for a teen class by combining multiple resources into one lesson. I have written poetry for family and friends. (None of the poetry would have been considered “professional,” but my family and friends appreciated it.) I have designed and printed church bulletins, and I have written out recipes that I have created during my kitchen experiments.
Looking back, I realize that I’m not lacking in writing experience, but looking forward, I need to learn marketing to show off that writing experience. I need to brush up on my professional writing skills, and I need to keep reading to become an even better writer. Keep learning, keep writing, and keep growing.
One of my strengths is that I love to write. It’s an essential part of who I am, and it’s a skill that I love sharing with others. Moving forward, whether I’m working for someone else or myself, writing is a non-negotiable element of my career even if it’s only part of my freelancing. I can still bring this skill to a job for someone else anytime they need me to.
What is something that you LOVE to do? What is a MUST when you move into a new career field? It’s okay to bring a skill like that with you on your search because it makes you a better employee even if you are working for yourself.
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Inspirational Verse for the Day:
Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. (Proverbs 3:3, CSB)
All Things Subject to Change 