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How we write is the sum of our experience and our education. Like it or not, when we sit down to write each day we take these things–what we’ve experienced and what we’ve learned–with us.
For me, part of what I’ve learned was through my formal degree program, which included a degree in business.
While there’s no “right” combination of education and experience that automatically makes one a better writer, surprisingly I’ve found my business degree to be an invaluable asset to my freelancing business.
Here’s why:
- Business skills are timeless–Like good communication skills, understanding basic business principles is timeless. The specific details of how to do a particular business transaction may change, but the basic principles do not. I’ve used these principles over and over in my freelancing business.
- Knowledge of business language gives me a niche–Business has its own vocabulary and not everyone is fluent in it. Understanding business terms and writing about them so that a nonprofessional with no business training can understand is something that I do well.
- A business degree is flexible–Some degrees are very specific to a particular job. For example, if you get an engineering degree, you will most likely find what you learned applies to an engineering job. If you get a nursing degree, likewise. A business degree is applicable to many fields, including writing.
For years, I felt my business training might be less than an asset to my writing. I felt regret for the fact that I didn’t major in literature or journalism or something more obvious for a writer. However, in the past few years I’ve come to realize that my business knowledge is part of my unique selling proposition–that one thing that distinguishes me from other writers.
The morale of the story? If you are a writer with less conventional training, take a look at how your unique background might fit into your freelance writing business. What you discover may surprise you!
8 responses so far ↓
1 Twitter Trackbacks for How Having a Business Degree Has Helped Me as a Freelance Writer : WritingThoughts [writingthoughts.com] on Topsy.com // Jan 11, 2011 at
[…] How Having a Business Degree Has Helped Me as a Freelance Writer : WritingThoughts writingthoughts.com/?p=994 – view page – cached Freelance writing – what you need to know about good writing and more. […]
2 Johnny // Jan 12, 2011 at
Years back, I spent a summer selling books door to door working stricly on commissions. Although it was hard work and I’d never do it again, I learned everything I know about sales and managing a business which have helped me out incredibly. In fact, I don’t think I would still be freelancing if I hadn’t done it.
3 Laura Spencer // Jan 12, 2011 at
Thanks Johnny!
It sounds like you got your business experience through the “school of hard knocks” (which I understand is excellent). Since becoming a freelancer I’ve met so many people who left a 9 to 5 job without any real concept of what it really means to run a business. Often, the first year overwhelms them…
4 allena // Jan 14, 2011 at
In total agreement. My undergrad is English. I’m working on an MA in pro writing. I’ve always said my degrees have their advantages for me as a freelance writer, namely forcing me into this space and time to write in different genre, for a different audience…
5 Laura Spencer // Jan 15, 2011 at
Thanks Allena,
Good luck on your MA.:) I think every writer needs to use their own education and background to their best advantage. It sounds like you are doing that already.
6 Where Do Your Post Ideas Come from? : WritingThoughts // Mar 22, 2011 at
[…] likely learned different things. What you learn is always with you. I’ve found my own formal training in business to be surprisingly invaluable to my career as a professional freelance […]
7 Cheryl // Oct 30, 2011 at
Thank you for this article. I am hoping to get into technical writing, coming from an accounting work background with a business degree. This article is very insightful and encouraging to this future tech writer!
8 Laura Spencer // Nov 1, 2011 at
Thanks Cheryl! Best wishes to you in your new career.