Why Hire Me

Why hire me? 

A strategic thinker, planner, and doer, I take pride in my work. I stand behind what I do and say. And I offer experience and educational credentials in a crowded field of freelancers and job applicants.

My experience includes:

• Travel writer
• Health content writer – dermatology, physical therapy, hearing loss, mental health, women’s health, bladder issues, chronic illness, functional medicine, essential oils, holistic health 
• Feature writer
• Nonprofit writer
• Business reporter
• Education reporter
• Report writer
• Grant and proposal writer
• Researcher and reviewer
• Editor and proofreader
• Blogger and photographer
• SEO and digital marketing 
• Professional tutor
• Adjunct instructor
• Human resources and hiring
• Administrative support 

After I graduated with my master’s degree, I started my own business as a professional writer. In actuality, I did it out of necessity. I struggled to find a job, and I don’t have a rich husband, trust fund, or money tree in the backyard.    

Sure, my dream is to have my toes in the sand on a beach somewhere writing about my latest tropical adventure. But I live in reality, and I would like to bring my unique skill set to the right organization.  

Transferable skills

Yes, I am a veteran journalist looking to switch careers. That means I am trained to:

• Interview people
• Listen with empathy
• Find and tell great stories
• Take notes
• Transcribe interviews
• Take initiative
• Track down tips and leads
• Generate and execute ideas
• Build relationships 
• Talk to strangers 
• Promote businesses, nonprofits, and events
• Verify sources and information
• Read reports and share the key points
• Research and analyze information
• Mine for and decipher data
• Substantiate facts
• Condense complex information
• Write for a sixth-grade reading level
• Plan ahead
• Prioritize projects
• Stay organized 
• Come through in a pinch
• Double-check details
• Remain neutral
• Keep myself out of a story
• Get the facts right
• Uphold the First Amendment
• Maintain ethics and integrity
• Serve the public good
• Pay attention to details
• Stay curious
• See all sides of a situation
• Tolerate ambiguity
• Follow directions
• Follow up and follow through
• Solve problems
• Serve as a watchdog for corruption
• Multitask and work in a busy newsroom
• Adapt to changing priorities
• Deliver on deadline

I know I can bring value to any organization or client I work with, and I offer a unique skill set that is hard to find. Ideally, I am looking to transfer and apply my writing, research, and interpersonal skills to a new career in the nonprofit, public or private sector: Marketing & Communications, Editing, Proofreading, Grant & Report Writing, Proposal Development and Writing, Project Management, Records Management, Administrative Support, Policy & Advocacy or Community Outreach.   

Core Values

• Authenticity – I am real and my actions align with my values
• Autonomy – I appreciate independence and don’t need micromanaged
• Creativity – I bring a creative flair and originality to my work
• Curiosity – I have a wonder for the world and enjoy learning new things
• Empathy – I understand other people’s struggles and feelings
• Flexibility – I go with the flow and adapt as needed
• Honesty – I tell the truth and act with good intentions
• Integrity – I have strong moral and ethical principles and values
• Reciprocity – I live by the Golden Rule
• Sincerity – I am kind and genuine

Career highlights

• 10+ years as a reporter covering health, education, and nonprofits averaging 4-6 stories per week
• 10+ years as a business owner and professional writer
• Won numerous awards for feature writing, business reporting, and community service journalism
• Maintain and update my own WordPress website
• Write social media captions and travel blogs
• Received $15K in grants from area community foundations to support nonprofit programs during my master’s degree internship
• Served as interim managing editor of Michigan BLUE magazine (2016)
• Compiled magazine’s Make a Date with the State calendar of events (2017-2020)
• Assisted with interviews, articles, and final edits for MOKA’s annual report (2018-2023)
• Transcribed video footage of interviews for captions for the documentary “What is Philanthropy?”
• Developed longform SEO-focused blogs using topic and keyword list (no outline)
• Wrote 6-8 blogs per month on dermatology, physical therapy, and captioning for agency client

Key skills

Writing & Editing

• Write well-crafted, concise and compelling articles, features, and reports
• Familiarity with digital platforms, multimedia journalism, photography, and SEO practices
• Deliver high-quality content in line with brand voice, style, clarity, language, and formatting
• Strong research and news judgment, attention to detail, and commitment to accuracy
• Deadline reporting skills, plus enterprise, longform, and investigative journalism
• AP Style and Chicago Style experience (NOTE: I use the Oxford comma on my website, but I can follow either style)
• Create material for blogs, articles, product descriptions, and social media
• Create SEO-optimized blogs and other content for marketing agencies and online companies
• Perform research and analysis, cold pitches, and email outreach
• Collaborate with clients to develop content for annual reports, website content, and newsletters
• Apply SEO best practices using keyword research to boost website traffic and SEO rankings
• Edit content for grammatical and style issues and refine information to make it easier to read
• Write and edit content for annual reports, press releases, newsletters, custom publications
• Grant writing, business and report writing, social media and website content, email newsletters
• Project management experience and ability to work with internal and external stakeholders

What else do I offer?

Teaching & Tutoring

• Serve students on drop-in and virtual basis to improve essays, papers, and resumes at Muskegon Community College’s Writing Center
• Taught English 114, a refresher grammar, style, and composition course for students enrolled in English 101 (face-to-face and online) from 2018-2020
• Served as College Success Seminar instructor for three semesters. Worked independently to plan classes and grade, facilitate class discussions, and meet course requirements (2017-19)
• Served as Total Control program coordinator (2016-18), leading exercise and education classes on women’s pelvic health and bladder control
• Wrote marketing copy and attended health expos to promote Total Control program
• Recruited and trained second instructor; expanded program to community-based sites
• Worked as part-time clerical assistant with a variety of office and front-desk duties

Auditing & Human Resources

• Created workpapers, report templates, and draft reports summarizing audit findings
• Edited and proofread draft and final reports and proposals, took meeting minutes
• Assisted with hiring and onboarding of 20+ people for several government contracts
• Scheduled and conducted interviews and served as human resources contact for applicants
• Reviewed financial statements, documents, and spreadsheets for reviews and audits
• Coordinated virtual meetings, composed emails, and provided other HR support
• Supported project manager with multiple FTA ECHO Reviews in summer 2022
• Supported project manager with billing audits and Indirect Cost Rate proposal reviews 

Authentic and empathetic

Why hire me? I’m an authentic and empathetic human. I trust my gut and intuition. I try to be adaptable, humble, and a good team player. That means I won’t leave you hanging or disappear or make excuses. I take initiative, follow up, and follow through.    

• Willingness to learn and try new things
• Compassion and creativity
• Funny and friendly
• Reliable and relatable
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and juggle different projects
• Service-oriented, entrepreneurial professional
• Critical and analytical thinker
• Flexible and adaptable
• Accurate and organized
• Humble yet I can hustle
• Inquisitive and open-minded
• Thorough and detail-oriented
• High standards of excellence
• Commitment to get it right
• When in doubt, I ask questions and do the next right thing

I want to work for and with positive, supportive, kind, creative, respectful, and ethical people. To learn more about my skills and background, visit my Writing Services or Get to Know Marla. Contact me at 231-286-4946 or marlarmillerwrites@gmail.com.