20/03/2020
Posting this not to brag, but just to show how powerful social media can be.
Early last year, I started searching for part-time, home-based work. I wanted to earn income while at the same time looking after my little one.
Facebook itself has a lot of groups and communities you can join in. So, a friend of mine invited me to this group training newbie writers.
For several months, I was just a silent reader in the group as I was busy searching for other āmore manageableā jobs. I tried taking a couple of exams online as a transcriptionist, but I never passed. Again, I needed something not full-time and unfortunately, a job as a home-based architect just wasnāt possible at the time and opportunities were limited.
In turn, I joined more groups for aspiring freelancers. And yes, a lot of people who are part of those communities are just like me: a stay-at-home parent or mom who wants extra cash. Basically, a group member will be able to get from other members tips, resources for training (free and paid), as well as job posts and sites you can apply to as a freelancer.
Most of the work and motivation will still come from you, though. Group members will not spoonfeed you every single information. However, they are there to empower you and others; you just need to act like an adult and read, then read again, and again.
Fast forward to December 2019, I finally took the writing gig seriously. I studied the required platform and submitted a sample article. It wasnāt easy, it took me a week just to finish one random 400-word article. I havenāt been a pro writer in my life and I almost thought I couldn't be as I was never a wide reader.
But what do you know, my sample article was okayed and I could already take on paid writing assignments. The first-ever task assigned to me didnāt get approval from the client. Yes, a bit too disappointing but hey, I am not a writer by profession so it wasnāt that hard to accept.
The second client though was very much satisfied with the two articles I wrote for her blog. I was elated! The third client felt the same way about my work that I was able to write three more service pages for him. And so on and so forth.
Most of the time, I honestly still struggle to write because the topics given are out of this world. But whenever I finish copies, I gain 4 things: a sense of accomplishment, self-confidence, knowledge about that topic and $.
You see, hadnāt been to social media, I would have never known there are still golden hearts reaching out to share their knowledge with people and empower others. With the humble amount I have earned from a quarter-year of writing part-time, I am still happy because I have learned that I could always do more.
Social media, if utilized properly and optimally, can really be a great tool for everyone. While most of the world is stopping due to COVID-19, why not try to learn new skills for free?
https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/
