DOES BEING A WRITER = BEING POOR?
- Thread starter NickIandolo
- Start date
CV Stuff:
You say your CV is all over the place? From the short (incomplete) description you've given, IMO, your CV is nothing of the sort. In fact, if you can see it from another angle: it's all writing-related. It's scope is its strength. Essentially, you're multidisciplinary writer -- which makes you a valuable asset. Granted, the right company needs to be hiring.
Also, consider fine-combing your CV for anything that might look anomalous. Example: you're going for a tech writing job in the electronics industry. CV states that preferred industries are: "entertainment, electronics, movies, publishing, radio, and IT". As an interviewer specialising in the electronics market (which I was for a long while, at one point), I'll be asking: "Why do entertainment, movies, radio, and publishing require a tech writer? And exactly what would a tech writer do in those sectors? Doesn't make sense." If the answer provided makes no sense to me, I'll be leaning towards rejecting the candidate. (This is based on experience; I've changed the industries and job title 'cos of confidentiality, etc.)
I wonder, too, how the CV is presented? Is there a logical flow of progression? Has each position / contract elaborated on, and enhanced, the previous one? Or is it more of the same? Did the candidate use different descriptions, or was it all copy & paste then add a bit (this last is also based on experience)? How has the candidate progressed from one job to the next, how have they improved themselves along the way?
You see, what I'd be looking for here, regardless of age, is how has this multidisciplinary writing experience contributed to your career in writing? Oh, not the "apprentice to director" thing. IME, it's more a, "how does this cumulative experience show how you've continued to move forward regardless of the path you took?" Example: my own CV is very multidisciplinary. But I landed my current position because of this diversity: I'm very fortunate to have end-user experience and manufacturing experience, which are essential for my role (I'm a "translator / mediator" of sorts). And I'm closer to 50 than 20-something.
Attitude and presentation:
From experience (lots of interviewing experience here from both sides of the table), I can say that anyone who presents a persona when they interview comes across as false, regardless of how much it's hidden. OTOH, you're expected to embellish a tiny bit. Yes, interview experts say you should emphasize to the potential employer the traits that fit their ideal employee. But that can backfire if not done in moderation and at the right time, e.g., if you get to the point where you feel the next words you say are going to be too much, then they're going to be too much. Stop and let the interviewer fill in the silence.
The other thing here, obviously, is culture. Not how you think you'll fit into the corporate culture ('cos you will), but from the interviewer's perspective: do they believe you can fit in? Can you aclimmatise immediately (aka, within a month), or at least faster than the younger candidate? Can you beat the younger candidate on energy, passion, etc.? Energy, perhaps not, but can you show you have that drive to go beyond what's asked of you, to take on responsibility that doesn't necessarily fit your job description? Are you willing to do that? And can you take criticism? (The writing world, especially AW, is very kind, and go for "critique", but the rest of the world? Not at all. Not saying you can't take it, but, how do you deal with it? Because that will come across in the interview.)
And the one fear that interviewers always have which they'll never share: if they hire you, are they hiring their replacement? If they believe they are, they will fail your interview -- nothing to do with you; it's all about them.
A big question that an interviewer has is: just how flexible is your mentality and attitude? Something not many people realise: Just because they use a certain persona in the interview, there are so many little giveaways that tell the interviewer exactly how untractable or not they are, ow how much the candidate will dig their heels in or not, etc. Is that something you might want to take a look at? Nothing to do with your experience, or wealth of knowledge. It's all in the verbal and non-verbal presentation.
You could be the world's greatest writer, but if you can't express yourself appropriately verbally and non-verbally, the interviewer won't hire you.
Non-verbal communication? Body language. What's your body language when you go in? What's your facial expression when you greet the receptionist? What's your attitude / vibe when you greet the HR person? Or anyone else for that matter? The interviewer also interviews everyone you've interacted with. What's your online profile, LinkedIn? Seriously, I've done the LinkedIn search, social media search, forum search, etc., on candidates -- I wanted to know who I was interviewing and wanted a sense of who they are in a casual setting (one I certainly wouldn't be guaranteed to get in the interview).
Presenting examples / work:
You might want to check how you're presenting examples / your portfolio. Straight to the point? Too much waffle, or too much information? Directly relevant? Distantly related?
Caveats:
Just because you say the right thing, present everything perfectly, and give the right vibes / attitude, ultimately the interviewer calls the shots on whether you passed or not. And it has everything to do with whether or not the company is the right environment for you.
Last piece of advice:
I'm sure the pros have already mentioned this to you, but it's worth emphasising: interview yourself in the mirror, or video-tape yourself. You'll be able to pick up the things that would potentially prejudice the interviewer against you (age notwithstanding).
Also, record yourself and play it back -- this one is a huge one. It'll reveal any tone / pitch / inflection / etc., that may be putting off the interviewer.
Possible job options to consider:
I keep asking this, but it's still relevant: Can you work for overseas companies? You don't have to travel -- long distance freelancing can be profitable and the hours may suit you better, too. Pay? Caveats apply.
How about an English language tutor, especially for non-native speakers of English -- ESL. Tutoring, if you're in the right area or have the right contacts (think six degrees), may or may not need a qualification. Obviously, check that out before you start tutoring. Also, if tutoring young kids, you may need to a certification from the police to just certify you're an upstanding, law-abiding citizen -- this mayn't apply, but again, research is needed.
Guest lecturer / tutor at a university? College? High school? Junior school?
Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
You say your CV is all over the place? From the short (incomplete) description you've given, IMO, your CV is nothing of the sort. In fact, if you can see it from another angle: it's all writing-related. It's scope is its strength. Essentially, you're multidisciplinary writer -- which makes you a valuable asset. Granted, the right company needs to be hiring.
Also, consider fine-combing your CV for anything that might look anomalous. Example: you're going for a tech writing job in the electronics industry. CV states that preferred industries are: "entertainment, electronics, movies, publishing, radio, and IT". As an interviewer specialising in the electronics market (which I was for a long while, at one point), I'll be asking: "Why do entertainment, movies, radio, and publishing require a tech writer? And exactly what would a tech writer do in those sectors? Doesn't make sense." If the answer provided makes no sense to me, I'll be leaning towards rejecting the candidate. (This is based on experience; I've changed the industries and job title 'cos of confidentiality, etc.)
I wonder, too, how the CV is presented? Is there a logical flow of progression? Has each position / contract elaborated on, and enhanced, the previous one? Or is it more of the same? Did the candidate use different descriptions, or was it all copy & paste then add a bit (this last is also based on experience)? How has the candidate progressed from one job to the next, how have they improved themselves along the way?
You see, what I'd be looking for here, regardless of age, is how has this multidisciplinary writing experience contributed to your career in writing? Oh, not the "apprentice to director" thing. IME, it's more a, "how does this cumulative experience show how you've continued to move forward regardless of the path you took?" Example: my own CV is very multidisciplinary. But I landed my current position because of this diversity: I'm very fortunate to have end-user experience and manufacturing experience, which are essential for my role (I'm a "translator / mediator" of sorts). And I'm closer to 50 than 20-something.
Attitude and presentation:
From experience (lots of interviewing experience here from both sides of the table), I can say that anyone who presents a persona when they interview comes across as false, regardless of how much it's hidden. OTOH, you're expected to embellish a tiny bit. Yes, interview experts say you should emphasize to the potential employer the traits that fit their ideal employee. But that can backfire if not done in moderation and at the right time, e.g., if you get to the point where you feel the next words you say are going to be too much, then they're going to be too much. Stop and let the interviewer fill in the silence.
The other thing here, obviously, is culture. Not how you think you'll fit into the corporate culture ('cos you will), but from the interviewer's perspective: do they believe you can fit in? Can you aclimmatise immediately (aka, within a month), or at least faster than the younger candidate? Can you beat the younger candidate on energy, passion, etc.? Energy, perhaps not, but can you show you have that drive to go beyond what's asked of you, to take on responsibility that doesn't necessarily fit your job description? Are you willing to do that? And can you take criticism? (The writing world, especially AW, is very kind, and go for "critique", but the rest of the world? Not at all. Not saying you can't take it, but, how do you deal with it? Because that will come across in the interview.)
And the one fear that interviewers always have which they'll never share: if they hire you, are they hiring their replacement? If they believe they are, they will fail your interview -- nothing to do with you; it's all about them.
A big question that an interviewer has is: just how flexible is your mentality and attitude? Something not many people realise: Just because they use a certain persona in the interview, there are so many little giveaways that tell the interviewer exactly how untractable or not they are, ow how much the candidate will dig their heels in or not, etc. Is that something you might want to take a look at? Nothing to do with your experience, or wealth of knowledge. It's all in the verbal and non-verbal presentation.
You could be the world's greatest writer, but if you can't express yourself appropriately verbally and non-verbally, the interviewer won't hire you.
Non-verbal communication? Body language. What's your body language when you go in? What's your facial expression when you greet the receptionist? What's your attitude / vibe when you greet the HR person? Or anyone else for that matter? The interviewer also interviews everyone you've interacted with. What's your online profile, LinkedIn? Seriously, I've done the LinkedIn search, social media search, forum search, etc., on candidates -- I wanted to know who I was interviewing and wanted a sense of who they are in a casual setting (one I certainly wouldn't be guaranteed to get in the interview).
Presenting examples / work:
You might want to check how you're presenting examples / your portfolio. Straight to the point? Too much waffle, or too much information? Directly relevant? Distantly related?
Caveats:
Just because you say the right thing, present everything perfectly, and give the right vibes / attitude, ultimately the interviewer calls the shots on whether you passed or not. And it has everything to do with whether or not the company is the right environment for you.
Last piece of advice:
I'm sure the pros have already mentioned this to you, but it's worth emphasising: interview yourself in the mirror, or video-tape yourself. You'll be able to pick up the things that would potentially prejudice the interviewer against you (age notwithstanding).
Also, record yourself and play it back -- this one is a huge one. It'll reveal any tone / pitch / inflection / etc., that may be putting off the interviewer.
Possible job options to consider:
I keep asking this, but it's still relevant: Can you work for overseas companies? You don't have to travel -- long distance freelancing can be profitable and the hours may suit you better, too. Pay? Caveats apply.
How about an English language tutor, especially for non-native speakers of English -- ESL. Tutoring, if you're in the right area or have the right contacts (think six degrees), may or may not need a qualification. Obviously, check that out before you start tutoring. Also, if tutoring young kids, you may need to a certification from the police to just certify you're an upstanding, law-abiding citizen -- this mayn't apply, but again, research is needed.
Guest lecturer / tutor at a university? College? High school? Junior school?
Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
I'm in a similar situation to you (a few years behind in age, feeling frustration with lack of achievement). Previous posters have given you a lot of practical advice, so I'm not going to do that. Instead I'm going to get a bit philosophical and share with you an article that helped me understand and place my feelings in context:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/12/the-real-roots-of-midlife-crisis/382235/
Basically, the 40s are a tough decade. They're where expectations meet reality. Hey, wasn't I supposed to have achieved more at this stage of my life? What happened to the fame, respect, successful career, happy marriage, healthy children, tidy house, travel to cool places, (insert unfulfilled ambition here) that were supposed to happen? Why is my body slowing down, where did this weight around my midriff come from, what happened to my dewy skin? Psychologists have found that happiness over the lifespan follows a "U-shaped curve", with high levels in youth and old adulthood but "bottoming out" around middle age. Obviously this pattern doesn't follow for everyone, but it's very common.
But now for the good news. As Dan Savage said to LGBT kids, "it gets better". Or as Donald Richie said in the linked article “Midlife crisis begins sometime in your 40s, when you look at your life and think, Is this all? And it ends about 10 years later, when you look at your life again and think, Actually, this is pretty good.” People in their 50s are just as happy as those in their 30s; 60-somethings match 20-somethings for happiness; and those that make it to 80 are positively ecstatic (although there may be some selection bias there!)
Anyway, hope this helps. Love from a fellow Gen-Xer (at least we had better music that they do now, grumble grumble, get off my lawn)
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/12/the-real-roots-of-midlife-crisis/382235/
Basically, the 40s are a tough decade. They're where expectations meet reality. Hey, wasn't I supposed to have achieved more at this stage of my life? What happened to the fame, respect, successful career, happy marriage, healthy children, tidy house, travel to cool places, (insert unfulfilled ambition here) that were supposed to happen? Why is my body slowing down, where did this weight around my midriff come from, what happened to my dewy skin? Psychologists have found that happiness over the lifespan follows a "U-shaped curve", with high levels in youth and old adulthood but "bottoming out" around middle age. Obviously this pattern doesn't follow for everyone, but it's very common.
But now for the good news. As Dan Savage said to LGBT kids, "it gets better". Or as Donald Richie said in the linked article “Midlife crisis begins sometime in your 40s, when you look at your life and think, Is this all? And it ends about 10 years later, when you look at your life again and think, Actually, this is pretty good.” People in their 50s are just as happy as those in their 30s; 60-somethings match 20-somethings for happiness; and those that make it to 80 are positively ecstatic (although there may be some selection bias there!)
Anyway, hope this helps. Love from a fellow Gen-Xer (at least we had better music that they do now, grumble grumble, get off my lawn)
Hey Nick,
I am 52 and in a similar situation as you. I am looking for a full time job with benefits at this time. Two things are helping me:
1. I'm re-reading the book 'The Happiness Advantage' by Shawn Achor. This book looks into the research and science behind happiness. It is based on the premise that success follows happiness and not the other way around, as we have been taught.
2. Remember that any job is fodder for your writing. Just observing how personalities come together, mesh, clash or maybe implode is interesting and helps you create well-rounded characters. My other job hack is, I try to work at a place where I either can use the employee discount to my advantage, or the job will teach me a subject that I want to learn about. Like that time I worked for a jeweler and learned how to solder.
Best wishes, Nick.
I am 52 and in a similar situation as you. I am looking for a full time job with benefits at this time. Two things are helping me:
1. I'm re-reading the book 'The Happiness Advantage' by Shawn Achor. This book looks into the research and science behind happiness. It is based on the premise that success follows happiness and not the other way around, as we have been taught.
2. Remember that any job is fodder for your writing. Just observing how personalities come together, mesh, clash or maybe implode is interesting and helps you create well-rounded characters. My other job hack is, I try to work at a place where I either can use the employee discount to my advantage, or the job will teach me a subject that I want to learn about. Like that time I worked for a jeweler and learned how to solder.
Best wishes, Nick.
Voice acting, and acting in general, is a very competitive scene. I've been a VA for over eight months now and have only been cast for a fraction of the roles I auditioned for. If your friends have succeeded in that area, then that's quite fortunate.
As far as money issues go, its a competitive market and a lot of bigger names are going to overshadow us. Writing is a hobby, and if you end up making bundles of cash off of it, that's great! But in my opinion, money should not be what motivates a writer. Passion for the craft and a determination to create something memorable is what should motivate a creator.
Hang in there. I hope everything works out for you.
As far as money issues go, its a competitive market and a lot of bigger names are going to overshadow us. Writing is a hobby, and if you end up making bundles of cash off of it, that's great! But in my opinion, money should not be what motivates a writer. Passion for the craft and a determination to create something memorable is what should motivate a creator.
Hang in there. I hope everything works out for you.
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Stop focusing on shoulda, woulda, coulda. We could every single one of us pretend our lives would all be peaches and cream if only we'd done that other thing twenty years ago. Here you have this wonderful wife who has supported you for sixteen years, and instead of moving forward and finding ways to help her, you are buried in your past. Change your "If only I" to "I need to." Sixteen years and the writing hasn't panned out. Accept it. Find a day job. A non-writing day job. Instead of wishing your life was like your fancy friends, start doing something to make it better. Stop avoiding the issue.
I worked in professional theatre for nearly thirty years. The theatre I worked in closed it's tech department, and my fiance had a job he loved so I wasn't willing to move to a new city. I got a job teaching at risk kids at a home. It was dangerous and difficult work, but it paid better than other jobs I could get with few qualifications outside what I'd done all my life. I was 48 years old.
Three years ago, we had to move to take care of my father. My sweet man left his job and got a job at an Amazon warehouse. Hard work, but you do what you have to for your family. He's excelling there now. Promoted and making good money. He started working in that warehouse when he was 50.
My best advice to you, stop living in the past, bite the bullet, and get a job. Write in your free time.
I worked in professional theatre for nearly thirty years. The theatre I worked in closed it's tech department, and my fiance had a job he loved so I wasn't willing to move to a new city. I got a job teaching at risk kids at a home. It was dangerous and difficult work, but it paid better than other jobs I could get with few qualifications outside what I'd done all my life. I was 48 years old.
Three years ago, we had to move to take care of my father. My sweet man left his job and got a job at an Amazon warehouse. Hard work, but you do what you have to for your family. He's excelling there now. Promoted and making good money. He started working in that warehouse when he was 50.
My best advice to you, stop living in the past, bite the bullet, and get a job. Write in your free time.
I don't have any advice about writing to offer, but I will say that I have spent my life essentially learning one lesson.
The world is never going to love you. Not one bit.
You have to love the world. And you have to love it exactly as it is. Not how you might want it to be.
It sounds like you have a lot of stuff going for you. You have a wife that loves you, a child, a house, you're obviously a smart guy, you don't mention any health problems, and you live in the US, there are worse places to be.
Maybe you won't make a living as a writer, but the world doesn't owe you a living as a writer. You can certainly do something though, and if writing is your passion then you can always do that in the evenings, and you never know if a break will come along.
The world is never going to love you. Not one bit.
You have to love the world. And you have to love it exactly as it is. Not how you might want it to be.
It sounds like you have a lot of stuff going for you. You have a wife that loves you, a child, a house, you're obviously a smart guy, you don't mention any health problems, and you live in the US, there are worse places to be.
Maybe you won't make a living as a writer, but the world doesn't owe you a living as a writer. You can certainly do something though, and if writing is your passion then you can always do that in the evenings, and you never know if a break will come along.