Many personal finance bloggers don’t consider blogging to be a job, mostly because they enjoy blogging so much (that’s what they say). But considering the amount of work that goes into blogging, I think it is fair to say, it could be considered a job for some! (Check out Who Said Blogging Was Easy?) In my opinion, someone who is FI (Financially Independent) and blogs is no different from someone who is FI and keeps working (at their non-blog job), assuming they both enjoy what they are doing of course. How about you, would you consider them to be FI, FIRE or FIRO (Financial Independence Retirement Optional)? Not convinced blogging is a job? Here is my best attempt at what a job posting for a Personal Finance blogger’s position would look like. Sure sounds like a job to me. I hope you will appreciate the humor. Personal Finance Bloggers Wanted!
Job Title: Personal Finance Blogger.
Employment type: Part-time
Working Hours: 168 hrs/week
Number of Vacancies: Unlimited
We empower bloggers all over the world. We are looking for hard-working, knowledgeable and passionate people to help us educate others about personal finance.
Job Description:
Seeking individuals willing to share their knowledge on various personal finance topics and interested in setting up their own blog. Candidates must have excellent good writing skills . They will deliver friendly, SEO-optimized and engaging posts on a consistent basis and share on all social networking websites. The candidate must should be willing to commit to a one year “blogging” contract.
Job Responsibilities:
- Sign up with a web hosting provider for one to two years
(Click HERE to sign up). - Willing to purchase additional blogging services, as required, to improve performance (Tailwind, Canva, ConverKit…).
- Write SEO-optimized posts.
- Produce quality articles two to three times a week at least.
- Establish a posting schedule and stick to it.
- Share all posts on Social Media.
- Share other bloggers’s posts on Social Media
(and hope they do the same) - Respond to all comments on your blog in a timely manner.
- Read
ALLother PF blogger’s posts and leave comments as often as possible. - Network, network, network!
- Be active on social media, ideally 24/7.
- Create and publish podcasts.
- Identify opportunities to guest blog and invite guest bloggers to participate on your own blog.
- Join relevant forums such as Rockstar Finance Forums and contribute regularly.
- Attend meet-ups and one conference a year (FinCon).
- Find ways to differentiate yourself from other bloggers.
- Manage the analysis of monthly, quarterly and annual data from Goggle Analytics.
- Prepare and share monthly personal financial performance reports (optional).
- Perform and manage ad hoc projects, analysis and reporting as requested by your readers.
- Market products and services, including blogging.
- Train, coach and assist new bloggers as needed.
- Consistently improve your Alexa ranking.
General Requirements:
- Be FI or in pursuit of FI.
- Be financially literate.
- Willingness to share personal experiences.
ExcellentGood writing skills.- Ability to convey
highly technical financial information, in an easy to understand format, to a wide variety of readers. - Solid analytical skills and strategic thinking ability.
- Ability to work with and build relationships with a diverse group of PF bloggers.
- Ability to effectively organize time for work, blog, spouse, kids, exercise and life in general!
- Persistent.
- Ability to handle rejection and negative feedback.
- Available 24/7.
- Ability to work in a deadline and results-driven environment.
- Maintain a positive and happy attitude.
Qualification:
Technical Skills –
- Basic knowledge about programming language such as HTML, CSS or PHP is an asset.
- Ability to read and understand Google Analytics reports to analyze your website traffic.
- Knowledge on how to set up a blog (i.e.: WordPress) and required plugins.
- Proficient in the use of social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn…
- Experience with photo editing or graphic design, ability to work with images for cropping, resizing, adding text.
- Familiar with Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Marketing/Sales Skills:
- Know-how to sell products and/or services.
- Ability to identify target audience for specific products and/or services.
- Persuasive.
- Experience in advertising and/or affiliates’ programs a plus.
People Skills:
- Good “listening” skills.
- Ability to communicate and relate to others.
- Genuine interest in others.
- Ability to persuade others.
- Strong communications skills.
- Ability to learn to know your audience.
- Honest.
- A sense of humor and a touch of “readers’ psychology” are optional but both are considered assets.
Benefits:
- Retirement Program: None needed. You should be FI or on your way there!
- Vacation Leave and Personal Day: Unlimited as long as you take your laptop!
- Health plan: Self insured. Authorized to post regularly about bloggers’ burnout or blog addiction, commonly referred to as “self-therapy”.
- Flexible work hours.
- Work from home.
- Superior work environment to allow you to reach your full potential.
Compensation: 0 to $1.5M+
- Commission based compensation.
- Unlimited earning potential, depending on your skills and commitment
You may not earn any income for the first few months or years or EVER! But your income could possibly, eventually, potentially exceed $1.5M/year at some point in the distant future! Michelle Schroeder-Gardner did it!
Why work with us?
- We are a collaborative and creative team that values experience, experimentation and learning.
- We are genuinely committed to educating others about personal finance and anything related to it.
- You will have an opportunity to build new relationships.
- We will provide an environment where you will interact with like-minded people.
- It
shouldwill be a lot of fun!
We wish to thank all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for this position. However, we will only contact candidates who have been selected for an interview.
To start your blog To submit your resume click HERE!
So here you have it, did I miss anything? Do you still think blogging is not a job? Should someone who is financially independent but keeps working or blogging, because they enjoy it, be considered FI? FIRE? FIRO? Or just lucky?
Lol. You nailed it! When I first started blogging two months ago, I had no idea it would require so much work. It has been a fun learning experience so far!
Yes it is a lot more work than I expected! But I agree a fun experience SO FAR!
Oh my gosh, we basically blogged about the same thing yesterday! I read your post on WordPress last night, and I was dying!! Yes, this Is a J-O-B without P-A-Y. And I do think that you are calling it like it is – the early retirement crowd that is now blogging has traded a conventional job for another demanding job known as blogging. I might just want to be laying on a beach someday looking at cloud patterns, instead trying to create an eye-catching Pin for Pinterest!
Yes blogging is very demanding! As long as you know what you are getting into and enjoy it , it’s great. But laying on the beach sounds pretty good right now!…with a laptop?
Haha, if you let it… blogging will take over your life! I’m 8 months in and definitly need to brush up on or learn more than half of these qualifications 😉
Somehow I have a feeling there is always more to learn???
Very creative and funny Caroline. What about personal characteristics? Half crazy, I don’t know. I like FIRO, did you come up with that? Tom
Just half crazy ? I did come up with FIRO and pretty proud of it too:) But I don’t read every single post out there so I may not be as original as I would like to be:)
Caroline,
This post is so cool, I love lit. I have been laughing all the way to the end of the post. Blogging seems a job to me, I love it, and I hate it. This is the 2nd time I’m thinking about quit, and my blog is only 10 weeks old. Have a great weekend!
Thanks Helen, I had fun writing it too:) Don’t quit yet, apparently the first year is the toughest. As long as you still have things to say…keep it up!
You nailed it!
If I had read this a couple of months back, I wouldn’t have started. I love this “job”, though!
That’s the problem, it is addictive!!!
I was clicking but couldn’t submit!!!!
Loved this post (not as much as I love blogging though 😉 )
I couldn’t think of anything clever enough for the link!
If you love it, it’s awesome:)
You nailed it. Sounds like a horrible job. But a great resume builder. Thanks for the laugh.
Imagine seeing the job opening and the pay rate??? We would all run…but here we are:)
Wonderful post – got to doublecheck if all boxes are checked before I apply though! FI – yes, willing to travel to Fincon – done. Haha. Happy though that this can be done without a reporting line 😜 Happy FriYay to y’all!!!
Thank you FI:)
Hahaha this is hilarious! I’m feeling the “168 hours a week” thing lately and the $0 side of the compensation range. Ah well, good thing it’s fun!
Although I don’t have some of these qualifications so maybe I should work on beefing up my resume 😉
Maybe you should! Lots of competition out there:)
I think most of us keep at it because it is fun (most of the time):)
Oh, Caroline! You made me laugh reading this post!
According to the job posting, I’m not even 10% qualified… boo hooo :'(
Looks like I’m gonna have to brush up on my skills before applying……. but then again, I don’t think I’ll ever be as aggressive as the job posting.
“Network, network, network! Be active on social media, ideally 24/7. Create and publish podcasts.” But I’m such an introvert!! What to do?? ahhh *pulls hair* LOL!
You look like your blog is doing just fine:) Just keep it up…and brush up on your skills!:)
Wait a second… this is a job!?! People make money doing this? 🙂
That’s crazy! I do it for free!
What you don’t make money at it?? Who is crazy now???
Caroline.
You missed the BIGGEST THING in this post.
THE BLUE HOST AFFILIATE LINK!
Or the Personal Capital Link!
What were you thinking?!!?!?!
Hahah….
This is an awesome post! Love it. Yes good for you for calling it out for what it is. When you are “retired” you shouldn’t be working at a lap top because that’s still working. I think it’s a fun challenge anyway.
Hey GYM, I was so tempted to do it…
I think when you retire, as long as you enjoy whatever you are doing, then it’s ok! No rules:)
Hahaha this is awesome and captured what PF blogging is about.
Thanks Bob:)
Haha great post… reading and commenting on everyones else blogs…… i havent finished a book in awhile, im always doing this =)
Cheers
I know:) Thanks for dropping by and sorry for late reply, for some reason a few comments went to SPAM!
Seriously too funny and sorta made me sad haha. I read it when you first posted and wanted to comment but the link was dead. I figured you published it by accident before?
Lol I did:) I am trying the scheduling but hit the wrong button! And now I just discovered you were in my SPAM!!!
Great post Caroline, Good thing blogging fun !
Yes most of the time. Welcome back from Mexico:)
HAHAHAHAHA! I’m dying! You got this EXACTLY right!
You should add a link to the final “click HERE” that leads to a post on a faux monthly income report (secret link) that shows hours worked (168+) and income (-$50,000)!
Lol, that is a good suggestion! I couldn’t come up with anything that good:) Thanks for dropping by
Haha yep that sounds about right! I am not in it for the money that is for sure. I use it as a way to stay motivated and engage with other passionate people. Hard to talk to most people about financial independence in every day life without sounding like an A-hole! Most people get freaked out.
I know, I keep trying to talk about financial independence with people around me, but they look at me like if I was from another planet most of the time!!!
I have been blogging for 10 years or so – the only thing you missed is that you have to be willing to work without ANY encouragement and still love it! I have seen a lot of bloggers fail when the monetization didn’t work out the way they thought.
Hi Evan, 10 years!!! I am just trying to make it to one:) Good point on the encouragement. I know most bloggers stop within the first year but it would be interesting to get more data on the subject. Thanks for dropping by.
I actually abhor greeting cards and have no use for cut flowers, so I guess it doesn’t come as a surprise that I’m not one to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I’m all for showing each other we care, but with meaningful actions – and occasionally gifts – not just consumerist junk that ends up in the landfill in no time flat.
Not sure what happened with your comments, I am so sorry! A couple of them went to SPAM and I just noticed:( and this one seem to belong to Valentine’s Day! Not sure how to switch it. I 100% agree with you:)
How weird – it totally belongs on the Valentine’s Day post. I’m certain I understand WP even less than you do, so no idea how to fix it 😉
We will just have to live with it!:)
[…] Money Scrap also posts about blogging, and they are hiring personal finance bloggers, don’t you know? The total compensation package is $0 to $1.5 million (with latter compensation being about a 1:1,000,000 likelihood of happening), a decreased family time, decreased sleep, and variable feelings of self worth which are dependent on the number of page views per day. See the post by the human resources department here, on Personal Finance Bloggers Wanted. […]
Pfff is that all?! 🙂
Awesome post!
I did miss a few requirements!:)
OH wow. This was an amazing, and hilarious post! Yes, it accurately describes ALL the unpaid, sleep deprived hours that go into blogging, marketing, social media…yikes! I think I miss a lot of those technical/programming expertise skills so I don’t think I qualify…haha! But, will keep working on it.
Recently, my husband and I talked about taking a +week vacation….to focus on all our to-do lists of the blog! I think we could get it done in about 168 hours for sure…
A week vacation to focus on blogging?? I thought I was crazy thinking I should take a day off! I feel better now, we are all addicts:)
Haha, where can I submit my resume? Sounds like a great position!! XD
This is spot on for a PF blogger! Hilarious and awesome post!!
Thanks Kris!
Great post, Caroline! I think you are spot on with your assessment of blogging, and I got a few laughs from the parts you crossed out as well lol. I definitely think blogging is a job. In fact, the work involved is similar to my real job, which makes it challenging to put in extra blogging hours in the evenings. But I want to make it a personal goal this year to improve at commenting/consistency. I think an FI person that keeps blogging should be considered FI. My goal to be FI has never been based on doing nothing. I think you have to plan for FI or you won’t enjoy it as much as you think. Thanks for the excellent read!
I agree with you on the FI as long as the blogger doesn’t rely on the blogging income.
Compensation can be negative. : )
Very well written and accurate from my first three months.
Haha good point! I did spend close to $200 to get my blog set up!
As a new blogger I love this list! It chimes with things I think I should be doing (but don’t have time for) and introduces new things I’d never considered!
I am glad it can be helpful too, blogging entails so many different things! Thanks Ms Zi You
[…] found the term FIRO from this entertaining blog post by my friend Caroline over at Money Scrap. Be sure to check it […]