would you call me a writer

How do you answer the dreaded “what do you do for a living” question?

There’s a 95% chance this question jumps out of the shadows and hits you when you meet someone new.

If you know how to respond to the question, congrats. But if you’re like me, it puts you under the spotlight. You feel trapped in an interrogation room—blinding lights tick, tick, tick, like a bomb.

I hate when people ask me this question because I don’t know how to answer.

I could tell them that I’m a writer. Or if I’m feeling snappy, “I’m a wordsmith, crafting words like a sculptor to engage and entertain.”

But more often than not, I say, “I’m still figuring things out.”

Imposter syndrome puppets me. But that doesn’t mean I’ll give up.

Last Monday, I applied for a few marketing jobs that would allow me to combine my writing and storytelling passions with helping companies elevate their brands and make lots of $$$.

I sent my applications at one o’clock in the afternoon. Then, I checked my inbox at 1:15. My unrealistic ego assumed a hiring manager dropped what they were doing, looked at my resume and portfolio, then sent me an email to schedule an interview.

All within 15 minutes.

And at that moment, I realized how absurd it sounded. So, I did what a more open-minded person would do…

I waited 15 more minutes before rechecking my inbox.

Guess how many hiring managers replied to me this time…

Big. FAT. ZERO.

I spent my entire day opening and closing my emails, praying for a silver lining to emerge from my inbox…

At five, my prayers were answered. A Gmail notification popped up on my phone, and I opened the app quicker than the Flash.

Excitement battled anxiety inside me. I didn’t know whether to be thrilled about an opportunity or terrified of rejection.

When the app opened, I clicked on the life-altering email and…

It was a promotional email about American Eagle jeans.

My high expectations crushed me. They beat me. They teased me (and not in a good way).

I never heard back from anyone on Monday. Tuesday through Friday proved no different.

But my loneliness didn’t leave me empty-handed.

It made me realize that I can’t rely on job postings to propel me into a lucrative writing career. Having no marketing or English degree gives me a disadvantage in the job market.

Applying passively through job postings won’t work. I need to be more active. I must adopt a relentless mentality to reach out to employers and find a job my way.

I’m now testing the waters of cold emailing.

Cold emailing is like cold calling.

No one wants to hear from you, and almost no one will respond to you.

But those exclusive few who give you a chance make the journey worth the struggle.

The best part about the cold emailing method is the risk behind it. Success is not guaranteed. But after months and years of letting imposter syndrome prevent me from saying that I’m a writer, this is a risk I need to take.

We’ll find out together whether I succeed or fail soon enough, and I’ll update you on my adventure. Maybe soon you’ll ask me, “what do you do for a living, Mike?”

And I won’t hesitate or doubt myself when I say…

“I’m a writer.”