In all the years that I’ve served as IWOC’s President – and there’ve been many (in terms of terms, I’ve way surpassed FDR!) – there is one thing that keeps on surprising me about our members. No, it’s not the depth and breadth of talent and diverse specialties that IWOC’s roster represents. That doesn’t surprise me at all. Neither does the willingness to help each other and offer great writing and career advice. Nor is it the love of camaraderie so many of us enjoy (and that will be celebrated when we at last get together for August’s IWOCFest!). Sorry, it isn’t any of the above. It’s this....

How the majority of members still don’t take advantage of what IWOC offers in the way of jobs, self-promotion and resources. Let’s start with Jobs:

Writers’ Line Job Board: Are you subscribed? If not, you don’t receive alerts when jobs are posted. I will say, I wish we were always flooded with postings, but on the occasions that jobs are posted, they’ve presented some good (and often great) opportunities. I can personally vouch for that. So if you wish to get a jump on the jobs as they’re posted, go to your profile (you must be logged in), click “view profile” >“email subscriptions” > “edit profile.” Check “Writers’ Line Job Board” and the frequency you’d like to be notified. Then “save.”  You can always unsubscribe. (But why would you?)

Job Sites for Writers: This is a benefit we’ve added this last year. Have you seen it? No??? Go to the pull-down menu on the “For Members” tab and click “Job Sites for Writers.” On one page, you’ll find a compilation of over 40 reputable sites that post jobs for writers – many of which are exclusively for freelancers. And we keep adding to them. I’ve received feedback from numerous people who have had positive experiences with these. Most (if not all) of the sites listed will send you automatic notices of open positions tailored to your qualifications once you sign up with them and fill out your profile. Certainly beats pounding the pavement (virtual or otherwise) in search of work.

Profile need a facelift? How does your profile look – that is, the one you’ve posted on the IWOC Online Directory? Does it need updating? Does it convey your writing services, personality, business style, etc., in a way that will attract clients? The Directory is another one of the easiest ways to get jobs – where the clients come to you. The way it operates is, a client will do a search for “freelance writers in Chicago.” Whether they searched on DuckDuckGo, Google or Yahoo, IWOC will pop up on the first page. The client will then go to the IWOC website, click on “Find a Writer” and ferret out writers who fit their requirements. And that is how they’ll find you. So make sure your profile works for you.

But let’s say the job isn’t quite right for you. Consider recommending another IWOC writer who might be a better fit. Or suggest to the client that they go to the pull-down menu on the “For Employers” tab at www.iwoc.org, and post the job on our Writers’ Line Job Board. See how we’ve come full circle here?

Maybe you’re aware of all these job-getting features. Maybe not. But in any case, they are there for you. I urge you to take full advantage of them.

Be on the lookout for future blogs, where I’ll reveal other career-enhancing IWOC attractions you might unwittingly be missing.

-- Laura Stigler