A year in the life of a recruitment content writer
I don’t know about you but I’ll be glad to see the end of 2023. It’s been a slog. Every writer, no, every freelancer I’ve spoken to has told me how hard this year has been for them. There’s just something in the water right now.
Work this year has felt hard. There are so many amazing content writers out there now and it feels slightly like that part in the Lion King where Scar has taken over Pride Rock and there’s no food left. Everyone’s on the hunt for any scrap of work they can find.
That’s not how I like to work.
But it’s not been all bad, there have been highs amongst the lows. That’s why it’s important to take a minute and reflect on the mixed bag that 2023 has been.
Looking back
2023 for me was always going to be a year of consolidation. My business has grown every year but it felt like that was luck for the most part. I went into 2023 intending to create a stronger business foundation that didn’t feel like I was making it up as I went along.
Yeah, that hasn’t happened.
If anything I’ve ended the year more in a state of flux than when I started. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been some brilliant things along the way. I don’t like being all doom and gloom so here are the best things that happened this year:
Worked with 34 amazing clients
Written countless blogs, articles, white papers, and web pages
Generated more income than before
Taken every school holiday off including the whole of August
Stuck to my schedule of only working Mon-Wed and Friday mornings (for the most part)
The focus for me has been on the way of working and creating a work/life balance (if such a thing exists). On that front, I’ve definitely won, and it’s something I’ll cling onto going into 2024.
Looking ahead
As we head into 2024 I’m surprisingly optimistic. I’ve spent the last few months researching, thinking and soul-searching about what it is I want to do and I’m starting to get some answers.
It’s been a year of reflection, of figuring out what I love to do, what I hate doing and what I want to do more of. The thing that’s come out of it has been my decision to move away from being a generalist content writer and instead focus on recruitment. Now I’ve resisted niching for years so no one is more surprised about this decision than me. The thing is when I looked at my client roster the majority were in recruitment and recruitment has so much variety within it. Working across different industries, levels and specialisms it brings the variety I love with the people focus I’m passionate about. It’s a win-win.
I’ve also made the decision to focus on long-form content. I love extended writing, if I’m being honest I always have. Every single one of my A-level subjects was essay-based - though I didn’t love the multiple exams in one day and handwriting pages and pages about Greek mythology at the time. I also think that in the time of content overwhelm that we’re in now we should be focusing on quality content rather than quick fixes. Think designer not fast fashion.
I start working with a coach in January and I’m super excited about all the possibilities.
2024 is our year. It’s our time to shine. It’s the time to make an impact and to start enjoying work and life.
We can do it.
