Shrutika: Turning Avocation to Vocation

In love with writing since her teenage years, Shrutika took the leap of faith of resigning from her job to become a freelance writer. Not happy with the 9-5 job, her desire to become her own boss one day led her to pursue freelancing. She loves that freelancing is about collaborations.

For Shrutika, LinkedIn as a platform became a gold mine to generate quality leads. She says that networking is the key for the growth of freelancers. Recommending all the copywriters and content writers to be fully aware at all times and not compromising on general awareness. To build a personal brand, her strategy is to use various social media platforms ensuring quality and consistency.

Wanting to be known as a person who made a difference, Shrutika feels powerful and happy because her passion is her work. Already living her dream life, her love towards writing makes her want to achieve more in life and we wish her success for the same.

Read her journey of embracing freelancing:

Table of Contents

1. Introduce yourself to us? Where are you from? About your family, parents? How was your childhood?

I was that child who’d always slide between “B+” and “B” in her marksheets. Not so notorious, not so geeky, just an average kid. I fell in love with literature in the first grade itself. At that time, I liked reading books and speaking in the morning assembly. These foundations later made me more inclined towards writing.

I am Shrutika Joshi, a Copywriter, Content Writer, Editor, and Content Strategist. One term to describe it all – Freelance Writer. I hail from Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) and my father is a businessman. Born and raised in a joint family, I always got all the love and support a person would dream of.

2. Post studying commerce, tell us about choosing the field of content writing? Speak to us about your passion for writing. What fascinates the most to you about your career choice?

For starters, I never thought of becoming a Content Writer or Copywriter. However, I loved writing since I was a teenager and always wanted to be an author. After completing my graduation, I joined a company in Pune as an HR Executive where I worked for more than a year. The job was good but I wasn’t satisfied or happy. A 9 to 5 never really suited me plus I desired to be my own boss. So one day, I took the leap of faith, resigned from my job, and came back to my hometown. That was really a tough call!

Next, I tried to explore some full-time options in Bhopal but failed. Surprisingly, on a late summer’s eve in 2019, a friend called and asked me to write a blog. That was it, an opportunity came knocking on my door and I welcomed it. From just a side gig to my profession, writing rules my heart and brain today. I feel lucky that I was able to pursue my passion and make a career in it. No other career option would’ve made me more satisfied and happy.

3. Why did you choose to freelance? When did you begin to freelance? Were you planning it, or how did it happen?

As I said, it just happened and I never planned for it. About 2 years back, I started writing blogs just as a side gig because I didn’t want to sit idle. From one client to ten to twenty, before I could even realize, I was already knees deep into freelancing. My passion for writing plus my desire to work independently, both came together and so I made it my profession. I love the work I do, what else can be more powerful than that?

4. How did you approach the first few clients? Give key suggestions to the new freelancers.

When I got a hang of freelance writing, I started searching for such gigs on all job portals. Among all, LinkedIn has always been a gold mine for me. I reached out to many prospects over there who posted a requirement and got numerous projects.

A quick tip – Don’t search in the “Jobs” section of Linkedin, you’ll mostly land up getting rejected in the screening process. Instead, search in the “Posts” section with hashtags and keywords such as “Freelance Writer.” The aim is to find posts with relevant requirements. Reach out to the concerned professional and send them your pitch.

5. As a freelancer, how do you deal with isolation and loneliness?

Freelancing doesn’t mean you have to deal with loneliness, it’s just like doing a business. You meet new people each day such as prospects and other professionals. If you are feeling lonely or isolated while freelancing, that’s because you chose it. You chose not to communicate with others or not to build a network. Eventually, it will lead to your downfall because networking is the key to growth here.

6. How to stay aware of the happenings around the world? What are the various resources that you access for the same?

Many times we get too much involved in work, but that doesn’t mean one should compromise on their general awareness. Subscribing to newsletters like Brand Equity, reading E-newspaper such as Livemint, or spending time on apps like Economic Times, are the best way to keep up to date.

I spend an hour or two every morning going through all the above-mentioned resources. Apart from this, I consume a lot of content from social media platforms as well. LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest are my top favorites.

Always remember – As a Copywriter and Content Writer, you must be fully aware at all times.

Social Media is a powerful tool if used correctly. It can empower and also destroy your brand at the same time. Creating an online presence and leaving your digital footprints all over the internet will get you sales leads for sure. However, another major requirement is consistency and quality. If you are showing up, then you better show up regularly and with some value.

I generally use Linkedin, Instagram, and Twitter to create and maintain a personal brand. Now, this is all about showcasing your skillset. Posting quality content regularly, engaging in others’ posts, and communicating with your network is essential to the cause. The aim is to create awareness among all regarding what you do so that the next time they have any relevant requirement, they think of reaching out to you.

Another tip – Start creating your personal brand only on one platform at first (I prefer Linkedin). Don’t target all of them at once. Once you are comfortable with one, only then expand. Managing multiple social media platforms is not a piece of cake.

8. What is the one major pro and/or con of freelancing, according to you?

Pro – You can work from anywhere, anytime, and on any project you like. No one can boss you around. Freelancing is more about collaborations.

Con – Now, you have more responsibilities. As a freelancer, you’ll need to plan, organize, market, get leads, deliver the work, follow up, and even look after your finances.

Note – This may not feel like a con to you if you are good at multitasking.

9. What is the one thing about clients that you dislike? What can they do to improve your work life?

People are not alike and so their behaviors tend to differ. When you’re dealing with multiple personalities in a day, you slowly begin to understand this truth. At first, I felt so irritated but eventually, I realized that every situation demands a certain approach. Every client is different and so has to be the ways of dealing with them. There’s nothing to dislike, it’s just human nature.

10. What’s your best piece of work to date? Why do you think that’s your favorite piece?

I don’t have a favorite piece, I love them all! I believe each writing piece is a part of me – something beautiful I created. Also, every day our writing skills improve and so giving a “favorite” title is kind of impossible.

11. What mission and vision do you have? How do you want history to look at you?

As a person who made a difference!

12. Do you feel content with yourself as you look back or do you think you have missed something?

I chose to pursue my passion – What else could’ve made me happier? That desire for writing makes me want to achieve more every day. To put it in a sentence – “I turned my avocation to vocation.” Now, that’s still a dream for many and I’m glad I’ve achieved mine.

I am happy and satisfied with what I do. I certainly have missed a lot of things in my life, but haven’t we all?

Shrutika can be reached out on Refrens, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Post learning from Shrutika on how to leverage social media as a freelancer, read our article on How To Write a Perfect Cold Email? to optimize on another efficient marketing technique.

Want to become a copywriting superstar? Check out our blog for some insider tips and tricks to kickstart your journey!