The story started
About Tamara's Experience!
Hi! When writing this (February 2022), I have just finished my 6th month as a content writer at Pearl Lemon, and I am now starting the next part of the journey here.
To be completely honest, I’m not even sure how to start describing my experience here, and writing is what I am best at. I don’t think there are enough words to articulate how much I love and value this company and team. But I’ll try my best.
The Process
I want to start by focusing on the application process, which maybe you are considering. If you are, then I have one thing to say to you- go for it!
I spent months applying for different writing-styled roles after graduating, and without a doubt, this is the best application process I have experienced. Pearl Lemon is a company that values your attitude just as much, if not more, than any previous experience you have. I loved that although I did not have extensive experience, my eagerness to learn and improve was valued just as much as if I had pages and pages of a portfolio (something I now have thanks to Pearl Lemon).
I also loved that I got to trial as a writer for the first week because the team could see if I was a good fit for them. It also allowed me to see if this was the role for me. And within the first day, I knew.
I got my first taste of professional writing during my trial, and I’ve been hungry for it ever since.
The First Month
My first month was chaos. The best kind of chaos.
During my entire six months here, I have also had a full-time job, so my first month of adding Pearl Lemon into my routine took adjusting. But I loved every second of it. The team was so friendly and helpful, and so accomodating. I never needed to feel overwhelmed or stressed because I knew I had a support network that wanted me to succeed.
During my first month, my tasks included:
- Writing guest posts for a variety of clients.
- Writing service pages for internal sites.
- I even got my first taste of some copywriting!
The Next 5 Months
The following five months gave me many opportunities to improve as a writer and just a person in general. I have grown so much during this experience and I am so proud of myself.
As I mentioned, I worked full-time during this whole experience, so if this is something you are worried about, let me give you an idea of what this looked like for me.
My shifts primarily start in the morning/early afternoon, and I don’t finish until 7 or 8 on Thursdays (once a month, I also have a shift until 11 pm). Occasionally I would be blessed with an early finish which allowed for some extra Pearl Lemon time, but typically my work would be done pre-shift, post-shift, and even on my lunch break. It was often very intense, but knowing I could do both at a high standard was rewarding. I realized I could achieve more than I give myself credit for.
During this time, my workload included:
- Writing guest posts.
- Writing content for internal sites (these varied each month to provide different opportunities).
- Some copywriting opportunities.
- Occasional PR writing.
The Team
I think the most important thing during the past six months is being able to work alongside this team. The Pearl Lemon team is the most talented, innovative, and welcoming team, and I count my blessings every day that I get to be a part of it.
I have learned so much from working with or observing different team members and the skills they possess, from Lydia, who I genuinely think is a superhero, to Celeste, who has been the best head-of-content I could have worked with, and Pearl, who has provided me with different, unfamiliar tasks and guided me through them even when they seem tough.
But I learned the most by far from our founder, Deepak. I don’t think he knows this, but coming into this team, I was somewhat intimidated by him because he runs at 100mph, and I think he is a genius. But he is the most approachable and fascinating individual, and to have him as my boss for the last six months and moving forward is one of the things I will brag about for years to come. He doesn’t care who you are. If you have a positive attitude and want to learn, he will ensure this experience gives you everything you could want.
What I Had To Work On
- To be honest, when I was struggling.
- To give myself time off to avoid burning out.
- Asking for tasks that I would like to try out.
- Learn different techniques to optimize productivity.
What I Have Learned
- I deserve more credit for how hard I work.
- I can achieve a lot more than I think I can.
- I have the skills to write for various clients and niches with an adaptable style of writing.
- I can adapt well to change- whether it is a process that is changing or software.
And last but not least,
5. Pearl Lemon is the best!
My Next Steps
Over the next six months, I hope to continue improving my skills as a writer and hopefully gain some editorial experience! I have also recently been allowed to do some more copywriting, which I hope continues over the rest of my journey here.
Ultimately, I am not done with Pearl Lemon yet, and I am so excited to see what unfolds for me during the rest of my time here.