Building Your Writing Portfolio when You Have No Experience

It's an age old dilemma. How do you get a freelance writing job if you have no experience? While it can be difficult to land your first professional writing assignment without a college degree or extensive internship experience, there are many techniques you can use to improve your portfolio.

Volunteer Your Time to a Worthy Cause

While I'm not a big fan of working for free, I do believe in giving back to the community. If you're an aspiring freelance writer, why not use volunteer work to beef up your resume? There are many wonderful non-profit organizations that could use someone to write websites, prepare brochures, publish newsletters, secure grants, etc. Whether you're interested in saving animals or helping children learn to read, you'll be able to build your portfolio while making a difference.

If you're having trouble finding a local group that interests you, you may want to consider becoming a virtual volunteer. Check out http://www.volunteermatch.org/virtual for details on hundreds of different ways you can use your computer to volunteer from the comfort of your own home.

One work of warning about using volunteer work to build a resume-you may want to stay away from groups that could be considered controversial. Some employers may look down upon projects done for organizations with definite religious or political undertones.

Enter Writing Contests

Another way to build your portfolio is to enter writing contests. While I've never been much of an athlete, I do have a serious competitive streak. When I was a teenager, I was addicted to entering writing contests. I amassed quite a collection of savings bonds, theater tickets, cash, trophies, and other miscellaneous prizes. Once I started applying to college, I used my contesting skills to win over $30,000 in various scholarships.
Now that I'm busy with my regular paying writing projects, I don't spend nearly as much time on contests. However, I highly recommend contesting to novice writers looking to improve their confidence and develop their communications skills.

To start your search for writing contests, check out http://www.freelancewriting.com/content/browse-writing_contests-137-1.html.

Turn Your Skills into Extra Cash at Associated Content

As a consumer-driven information source, Associated Content is committed to publishing useful information written by people from a variety of backgrounds. You don't need to be a professional writer to have your article published. In fact, Associated Content welcomes the input of stay at home moms as well as college students, retirees, and business executives.

To get started, just register online at http://www.associatedcontent.com/signup.cfm and begin submitting your articles for publication. Articles can be submitted for either exclusive or non-exclusive rights. Within approximately one week of your submission, an Associated Content editor will contact you with a payment offer based on your article's potential to earn advertising revenue. If you agree to the proposed terms, your payment will be sent via PayPal.

What types of articles should you submit to Associated Content? Inspiration can be found all around you. If you're a home schooling mom, you can submit an article that offers tips for parents who are interested in teaching their children at home. If you once worked as an accountant, try writing an informative article on do-it-yourself tax preparation. If your child suffers from a developmental disorder such as autism, share your parenting techniques with Associated Content readers. If you live in a large metropolitan area, Associated Content is interested in publishing your reviews of popular local attractions. Just remember that whatever you choose to write about should offer a unique perspective not found elsewhere on the web.