Folks, this post is going to take on a different style. I’m just going to write my thoughts as they come while I reflect on the last two months.
For those who don’t know, I made the move 2 months ago to leave my clinical job as a Physical Therapist and move to freelance content writing. Now I do still treat telehealth part-time :). Let’s be real, there are still bills to be paid!
I knew the move was bold and it would likely leave me without a steady paycheck for awhile—but my mental health was being tested and I wanted more flexibility.
Well, 2 months later, I’m happy to say I’m enjoying the flexibility of being my own boss as much as I did on day one. I’d be lying; however, if I didn’t say I still have moments of doubt creep in.
I want to share some of things I’ve learned along the way, the good and not so good.
Taking The First Step
When I left the clinic full time in October 2021, it was something I had been thinking about for awhile. Like many of us, the pandemic was taking a major tole on my work and mental health. I enjoyed writing and creating content in previous jobs and decided to pursue it more formally. Clinical care; however, was all I knew, leaving would not be easy. I can’t restate that enough.
The uncertainty of it all, the idea of failing. The thought of leaving a clinical career that I invested so much time and money into was scary. Perhaps colleagues of mine would think I was a failure, or question my motives for making the switch. And I don’t blame anyone for thinking that! I questioned it myself…. But I want to make something very clear and I’m going to go back to two of my favorite quotes. The first, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” (thank you Great One). The second, “success is sometimes the outcome of a whole string of failures” (thank you Van Gogh).
I didn’t go into freelance for the money. I took one job for money and it was the most miserable time of my life. I told myself never again. I went into freelance because I enjoy writing. I enjoy educating and helping as many people as I can. I enjoy the flexibility and the part where I can be my own boss. I enjoy the uncertainty and the part where I’m following my heart and dreams.
What I’ve Learned
I’m happy to report I’ve been able to land a few jobs using sites like Upwork and Fiverr. While it took awhile to build enough projects for a portfolio, I am starting to see some results. It’s been really exciting to feel that joy of getting that first job and nailing it! The excitement hasn’t left either. With each job I submit a proposal to, I’m just as excited to receive each subsequent offer as I was for that first offer. This makes me very happy and reassures me I made the right decision.
With each successful proposal comes A LOT of unsuccessful proposals. I’ve definitely learned the art of persistence, and the reality of rejection. I knew I was going to receive a handful of no’s; however, it wasn’t something I was used to. Looking for clinical jobs was easy, mostly because my resume read like a clinical one. I had no idea I needed to rewrite my resume to showcase my non-clinical skills. To do this, I looked to Meredith Castin’s, The Non-Clinical PT. This is a great resource for those looking to make a similar transition.
I also read some articles and blogs on how to write a winning proposal on Upwork. I enveloped myself with as much knowledge as I could to learn how to write SEO tailored blogs/articles. In order to do all of this, I needed to be realistic with myself. I needed to be OK with doing all of this work for free. Because I knew it would all pay off some day. Maybe not today like we all want, but eventually I knew my hard work would generate results, and it has.
My Suggestions
My suggestions for those looking to make a similar transition:
- Make a profile on Fiverr and Upwork
- Rewrite Your Resume To Read Non-Clinical
- Take Meredith Castin’s The Non-Clinical PT
- Use Udemy and Backlinko to learn as much as you can on SEO
- Don’t Be Afraid To Fail (I promise you will, A ALOT :))
Take a leap of faith, and go for it. I promise, even in failure, you will not be disappointed.