1.？ How to get this job?
The study abroad agent, no stranger to everyone, is responsible for providing study abroad consultation, writing application materials, and even applying for scholarships and defending offer on behalf of others. Practitioners are divided into two categories: one is full-time consultants, who are responsible for directly facing customers; The other is an outsourcing writer. It should be noted that not all intermediaries have outsourcing, but outsourcing is very common in the industry. Outsourcing writers are generally paid by piece, and there is no guaranteed salary and five insurances and one gold.
How to enter the business? Strictly speaking, ghostwriting is a bit of a "gray area" and generally does not look on the bright side, so it is best to know the people in the intermediary and push them over. It is not difficult to know. If you are in a first-and second-tier city, it is easy to find local study abroad exhibitions. Exhibitors are intermediaries, and they are here to attract customers. You can boldly go forward and ask if there is any demand for clerical writing. As long as you meet the basic requirements, most intermediaries are happy to accept outsourced writers. After all, there is no upfront investment.
There are three basic requirements: first, the English writing level is good, usually the English level of international students is above average (personally, TOEFL 100+ is more appropriate). The second is to be familiar with the application process for studying abroad. The best case is of course that you have studied abroad. If you have no experience in studying abroad, you can also learn about the application process and requirements by studying the enrollment pages of foreign universities. Third, there is professional ethics, and the application for studying abroad has a strong timeliness. Writers should cooperate with students to distribute materials within the specified time and keep sensitive information confidential, so professionalism is very important.
2.？ Main work content
First of all, full-time consultants will interview students, understand their backgrounds and target schools, and draw up application plans and schemes. Then, the full-time consultant will convey the student information and paperwork requirements to the outsourcing writer (sometimes the writer can also attend the student interview, but it is not mandatory)
The writer's main job is to help students write application materials. A set of commonly used materials includes three kinds: personal statement, essay and resume (some schools require multiple essays, which may have a heavy workload). In terms of the number of words, each school has different requirements. The common ps is about 800- 1000 words, the essay is about 300-500 words, and the resume does not exceed one page.
The writer understands the students' background through their Chinese resumes and interview records, and creates the first draft according to the requirements of the proposed school. Most intermediaries will provide document samples to standardize the writer's writing ideas, and you can also find a large number of document samples on the Internet for reference. However, it should be noted that a good document must be tailored according to personal characteristics, which will test the writer's creative understanding.
After the writer completes the first draft, he gives it to a full-time consultant to check, polish and finalize it, and then gives it back to the students.
3.？ Working hours and treatment
The peak season for studying abroad varies from country to country. Take the United States as an example The annual application season is 10 to February of the following year. During this period, the tasks are relatively concentrated. Full-time consultants will coordinate tasks, and writers can arrange according to their own time. If you are busy, don't be embarrassed to refuse, because you are an outsourcing person and have no guaranteed salary.
The time required to write a set of materials varies from person to person. It takes 3-4 days to start off and on, and it can be completed in 1-2 days after proficiency.
The manuscript fee is paid piece by piece, which is related to the quality of the document. For quality control, intermediaries usually have a set of internal audit standards (which can be known in advance), and excellent documents can get a manuscript fee of about 3-5k (much higher than the Chinese manuscript fee)
4.？ My own work experience
In line with the original intention of making money while practicing English, I accidentally entered this industry, and the biggest feeling is that the intermediary really earned a lot of difference. Ha ha! A student's signing fee is 3-5w, and the writer only gets110, but the writer is outsourced after all, and is not responsible for the application result, and it is understandable to take less. Enterprises earn excess returns.
5.？ Give some advice to people who are curious or want to enter this industry.
To tell the truth, the study abroad market has weakened in recent years, and it is not recommended to do this business full-time. Friends who have leisure and good English can experience part-time jobs and earn some extra money by the way. With the orderly opening up, I believe that the study abroad market will pick up just around the corner, and its growth and potential are still huge.
Studying abroad is a major event in life. Because of the asymmetry of information, most students will choose the study agent. As an invisible "behind-the-scenes hero", outsourcing writers also participate in students' "life events" invisibly. The significance of this part-time job can be big or small, from making money to practicing English to helping another young man realize his dream of studying abroad. I think either way is an unforgettable experience:) If you are interested, don't try!