As an avid shopper and self confessed eBay addict I spend far too much of my free time browsing internet shops and searching for bargains on eBay. But it isn’t all about frivolous shopping, as a freelance writer there are a number of important lessons eBay has taught me that can be applied to writing.
1. Making time crucial decisions – As an auction ends you are forced to make a decision about how much you really want something. How much are you willing to pay? Is it worth it? How disappointed will I be if I don’t win the bid?
Weighing cost versus reward is an important factor when looking for and applying for writing jobs. With so many low paying jobs out there and sites encouraging you to low ball your fee to under bid other writers, you have to make a decision about if it is worth the time and money they are offering? How much do you want the job and at what cost?
2. Narrow your search – When searching for a certain item it can be helpful to filter it down to the most specific information so you can find just what you want, even if this means there is only one matching result.
It is great to be an expert in a certain field, to have a niche interest that you are proficient at writing about, this talent can open a lot of doors for you allowing you to write pieces that others could not.
Nurture your interests and maybe you will be able to turn those interests into a profitable career or sideline. Having expertise in any field from fashion to technology to cooking can be utilized into great article pitches.
3. Cast your net wide – Sometimes it can be limiting to narrow your search and by being too specific about what you are looking for many great options can be filtered out. Sometimes it is worth trawling through pages of search results to pick up on some gems that would otherwise have been missed.
True for eBay searches, true for job boards.
4. You have to spend money to make money – on occasion I will bid a little higher on an item I really want and know that I couldn’t find anywhere else. If I really want the item I have to be willing to put a bit of money behind it.
The same can be said for a business, to become a successful business you have to be willing to spend a bit of money, whether it is on resources such as stationary or technology or further training or education in a specific area. Putting your own hard earned money into an endeavor can be a daunting prospect but also can give you the boost and encouragement you need to strive for success.
5. You don’t always get what you want – There will be many times someone will outbid you at the last second. Such is life, we don’t always get what we want. Don’t dwell on it, move on to the next thing and don’t be discouraged.
Getting a rejection or not hearing anything at all, while it can be frustrating, isn’t the end of the world. It doesn’t mean you can’t pitch another great idea to the same place or that everywhere is going to reject your writing. In a lot of ways it is numbers game, the more people you contact the more likely it is someone will hire you.
6. There are plenty more fish in the sea – While it can be annoying to miss out on something great on eBay chances are something very similar will come up soon.
Just like writing jobs, you may think you have missed out on the perfect job you believe you are super qualified for and would have enjoyed putting all your efforts into making it great. Just remember that it is their loss for not hiring you and an even better job is probably waiting just around the corner, you just have to keep an eye out.
This guest post was brought to you by Cait over at Sailing to Nowhere. Check out her blog for more great posts!
