www.inkthinkerblog.com — Q: I’ve been charged with finding a freelance editor to review some procedure manuals for my company. I posted an ad on Craigslist and got more than 50 e-mails in the first hour (and then I deleted the posting). How do I weed through these to find a good editor? I don’t even know what I’m looking for.
A: Ahh, there’s the rub. Craigslist is great, but the volume of responses may make finding a freelancer pretty time consuming. Here’s a quick three-step guide for narrowing down the selection:
1. As soon as you get to a misspelling, hit the delete button.
2. As soon as you start to think you’ve received a form letter, hit the delete button.
3. The moment you question whether the respondent has the skills or professionalism to get the job done, hit the delete button.
The remaining e-mails are your hiring pool. In reviewing these folks, look well-written resumes (and websites, if they provide any), similar or relevant past experience, and an overall sense of professionalism. When you find a few people you’re comfortable with, get in touch with them to negotiate for timeline and pay, and hopefully you’ll find your perfect match.
Good luck!
– Kristen
Do you have a question you’d like Kristen King to answer in her Notes in the Margin newsletter or award-winning Inkthinker blog? Send an e-mail to kristen@kristenkingfreelancing.com!
Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King
Follow Kristen