My first gig paid only Rs. 1.50 per word

Yet I earned in millions from that very gig!

My first writing gig paid me Rs. 1.50 per word.

However, it paid me MORE than what I was looking for at that time.

Here's why:

The year is 2018.
I had a full-time job back then, as a auditor.
While it paid me well, I knew writing was my thing.

So I started reaching out to people.

Using my daily blog as a sample.
Writing cold emails that told them how they “needed” their services.
Also got some in-person meetings in Noida (remember this is pre-Covid era).

After several attempts, someone was gracious enough to refer me to one of their clients, for writing a weekly blog for their website.

The blog would be:

- 1000-2000 words (based on the brief)
- Brief would be provided in advance
- I would deliver them every week
- On a predefined day
- And would get paid at the end of every month

The best part, you ask?

A tiny increment in your salary.
Doing what you love.
Without having a formal degree!

I was on cloud 9.

While money was peanuts, I still believe the gig gave me so many valuable lessons that most people pay thousands of dollars for:

1. I understood how to manage a full-time job AND a side gig.
And how to not let one affect the other.

2. Got my writing assignment without a degree in writing. Wohoo!!
Those Rs. 1.50 per word were worth lacs.

3. Got real-world experience of interacting with international clients.
(The client was based out of Singapore).
For those thinking, yes the payment was made in INR, as per our contract.

4. Related to 3 above, I sometimes got mentored by her.
Imagine, being paid and being mentored!
The contract I shared above also became the basis of how I drafted my all other contracts after that.

5. Became more grateful for my job, that even if it was not what I wanted, it gave me what I needed - money to pay my bills.

The very fact that I had money coming in from my job while I was starting out, so that I could focus and learn on my side gig (which later became full-time) gig was a bed of roses.

The point I want to drive home, my friend, for anyone in their job who do not like it, is this:

1. Every job makes you adept at finding yourself.

2. If you do not like your corporate job, it forces you to have two jobs.
The second one, is the one of navigating a second gig or finding new job.

3. The most important, which I have learnt from Rhonda Byrne's teachings:
You may be dissatisfied where you are. However if you are not grateful for what you have NOW, it may never get you what you truly want.

…

I understand corporate life gets tough for a lot of people.
Sometimes a never ending maze you don’t know how you ended up into.
I know I have been there.

However, what I know for sure is that the first step is not to become rich overnight just because you got out of your first corporate job and need to match that income from the job you “love”.

I made the same mistake after my first job.
I ran out of savings in 3 months (I know, I was naive).
And went back to another corporate job I didn’t enjoy but was similar to the first one.

I spent the free time of job 2 to build my portfolio (leveraging work like above), and then got some skin in the game to get a writing job (that eventually translated into a full-time Content Manager job) and multiple freelance gigs as well.

Use the corporate job you hate to pay your bills.
As you find another job to stay away from pills.

The current one will make you grateful.
As the new one will eventually make you joyful.

And now I put this to an end.
So you can decide how is the weekend to be spent.

Question to you: What was the cheapest that you have been paid for a gig? Press “Reply” and I’d love to know :)