Rules of Professionalism: A Guide for Student Freelancers

Freelance writing is an ideal job for college students, because it can be done on almost any schedule, and it allows you to be your own boss when it comes to choosing when to work, which projects to take on, and even how much money you make. However, that level of self-management may be unfamiliar to you. Let’s face it: As a student, your resume is still very much in-progress. But your clients do not have to know that you’re completely new to this. Even as a student, you can wow your clients from the start with some professional etiquette that will set the tone for success as a freelance writer.

Communication is one of the areas budding freelancers need to spend time mastering in order to make a professional impression. And, unfortunately, many college students aren’t used to the methods of communication that will be best for professional clients in the digital marketplace. Even if your writing skills are well above par, you might struggle to land writing gigs if you are not effectively communicating with potential and existing clients. Follow the tips below to bring your professional communication to the next level so that freelancing can help support you through your college career and beyond.

Know how your clients prefer to be reached.

Modern freelance writing means taking on remote gigs for clients who aren’t necessarily in the same city, state, or even country as you. That means that there may be several potential lines of communication between you and your clients, so you should know from the get-go how each one prefers to be contacted. While many clients will stick to email communication, some may prefer to be reached by phone, and others might want periodic updates through video calls with Skype or Google Hangouts.

No matter what the client prefers, make a clear note of it and stay consistent with every message and with your content delivery, so your client always sees any vital updates or inquiries you may have. On your end, make sure that you are always checking any lines of communication that your client has to reach you. This may include your email inbox, social media messages, and your voicemail—your clients should never have to work hard to contact you.

Brush up on email etiquette.

As a freelancer, you will need to read and send a high volume of emails. While email creates a more casual setting than a phone call or in-person interaction, it does still demand a level of professionalism. For example, it is not an acceptable practice to communicate with a client using emojis or all lower-case typing. Here are some other email etiquette tips to remember.

Create a professional email address.

As a college student, you should have a professional sounding email address, such as [email protected]. If you are still using a fun or silly email handle from your younger days, create a new email account before you start working with clients. It’s best to avoid using your student email address provided by your school; it may have a more professional tone, but it will already be full of emails from classmates and professors, so it is easier to stay organized with a dedicated email account for your freelance work.

Always include a subject line.

No matter who your client is, they probably have a few dozen emails to sift through each day, so you want to make sure that yours remain visible with a clear, to-the-point subject line. You might also add “urgent” to the subject line for matters that need to be addressed right away, but don’t overuse this in your emails.

Include an email signature.

Your email signature ensures that your clients are always able to reach you, because it should showcase your name, phone number, and email address, and it can also include links to your website, social pages, or blog. It’s easy to make an email signature that you can automatically add to every email, so you’ll always have a professional signoff.

Proofread every email.

Misspelled words, missing punctuation, and poor word choice look unprofessional for anyone, but if you are a freelance writer, these mistakes can be detrimental in client emails. Consider every email an opportunity to demonstrate your writing skills and never hit send without proofreading.

Be straightforward.

Even if humor is part of your brand as a writer, email is not the place to use it. Humor rarely translates well in an email, and it could convolute your message, so be straightforward to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings.

Include project details.

Remember—your clients have more on the table than the projects you are working on together, so they may need to be brought up to speed when you check in with project updates or follow-up questions. Especially if it has been a week or more since your last email, don’t hesitate to offer a brief update in the message.

Reply to emails quickly.

Though email does give you the flexibility to not reply immediately after you see a message, you should not wait more than 24 hours before responding to a client’s email.

Organize your schedule so projects are always on time.

As a student and a freelance writer, you will probably be juggling multiple projects each day. That means you will want to know exactly when you should be doing homework, when you should be meeting for group projects, and when to work on your writing gigs. Keep a monthly calendar on display in your workspace so that due dates are clearly marked and add a time estimate for each new project as they come up.

Be prepared to express your needs as a contractor.

One thing that may catch you off-guard when you first start working with clients is when they ask for your terms on a project. This may include your pricing, a contract to begin work, or procedures for submitting content. Be sure to have answers prepared and be ready to be flexible to accommodate your clients’ needs—for example, by using their content organization system over your own.

Know how to turn down a project.

It’s okay if you don’t have the time or interest to take on a new project from a client, but it’s not okay to simply ghost the client instead of simply turning down the project. Always be clear and communicate, even if you have to say no from time to time.

Know how to retain a client.

Just as you should learn to say no, you will also want to learn how to ask for more work. Once you finish up a project with a client, ask them to keep you in mind for future work or reach out within the next month to see if they have any new projects in the pipeline where your services might be needed again. Even if the client doesn’t need you again right away, don’t consider the relationship severed and keep the client’s name on your contact list.

Writers Work can make your life as a student freelancer easier, because we provide a suite of organization tools and a wealth of educational tutorials to help you get started with a solid foundation. To check out everything we have to offer for your growing career, visit our website and watch our welcome video.