Landing a Job in 3 Months! How She Transitioned from Corporate Employee to Freelance PR and Gained Skills and Confidence at Marble

“I’ve gone independent as a freelancer, but I’m still anxious about my skills...”

Many budding freelancers likely share this same concern.

In this interview, we spoke with Saorin, a graduate of the 4th cohort of 'Marble,' an online school for learning 'Writing + α.' After working in HR for four and a half years as a corporate employee, she wanted to change her career to recruitment PR. However, she felt insecure about her skills when starting out as a freelancer.

Despite having no experience, she worked on assignments at the Marble school and even landed a job creating recruitment PR content during the course. By gaining confidence and skills, she carved out a new path as a freelance PR professional. What kind of learning led her from having no writing experience to landing real projects? If you are struggling with how to expand your skills or career, please read on.

Going freelance after four and a half years of corporate life. Enrolling in Marble to polish her 'writing skills'

―― Please tell us what motivated you to enroll in Marble.

I had been working in recruitment HR for four and a half years since graduating, but I started wanting to try new things like recruitment PR while still utilizing my previous work experience. So, I quit my company and went independent as a freelance PR professional, but I was still lacking the skills to land work on my own...

Since my time in recruitment HR, I had found fulfillment in creating articles for PR materials, so I decided to focus my freelance activities on 'writing' and chose to study at Marble.

Marble is a short-term, intensive program that lasts three months, and I felt that the style of 'setting a deadline and focusing intensely on learning' suited me well. When I looked at the curriculum, it clearly showed 'how long it would take' and 'how much skill I could acquire,' which made it easy to understand and felt right to me!

I tackled even difficult assignments with the theme of 'always submitting by the deadline.' An environment where even beginners can learn with peace of mind

―― Saorin, you enrolled in Marble with no experience as a writer. How was the difficulty level of the course?

Reporting, editing, and PR. I had no experience in any of these fields, so everything was new, and every lecture felt fresh. While I enjoyed the input phase, when it came to the output phase of assignments, I sometimes found myself wondering, 'What should I do?' I realized that listening and understanding is a different process from producing something from within yourself.

However, knowing that I was learning content that was a high hurdle for me, I made sure to focus on 'not aiming for perfection, but submitting by the deadline' when working on assignments.

In that regard, I was grateful that Marble was an environment that allowed for the challenge of 'trying within your capabilities' even for beginners. By proceeding through trial and error, I began to feel a sense of progress little by little.

―― Even though you were inexperienced, you were steadily doing what you could.

That's right. Also, I made sure not to shy away just because I was 'inexperienced' and instead raised my hand proactively. Thanks to that, I was able to build a track record despite being a beginner, such as receiving a recruitment PR interview job and an opportunity to write an event report during the course. I was able to apply what I learned in the course to real projects, and I often thought, 'Oh, I did this in the course!' (laughs).

It’s a school with high psychological safety, so the fact that I could think, 'Maybe I can challenge myself here!' was also a big draw.

Solidifying learning through my own output. Developing a 'habit of sharing' while surrounded by highly motivated peers

―― Through the course, what area do you feel you changed the most?

I developed the habit of posting on social media daily.

I really love note, but I tend to set the bar too high for myself, thinking, 'Since I'm publishing this, I have to write it perfectly!' While many of my peers were actively outputting what they learned on note and X from the beginning of the course, I found it hard to post. The instructors were so enthusiastic and passionate that it was also difficult for me to fully digest everything they taught us...!

The turning point for my mindset was the lecture by guest instructor and personal editor Keisuke Mizuno. He taught me that 'it's okay to post exactly what you're thinking,' which significantly reduced my resistance to outputting.

In fact, by increasing my note updates during the course, I received reactions from readers and it sparked communication, so I really felt the benefits of taking the plunge and posting.

When I was a corporate employee, I didn't have the habit of posting as an individual, so changing my mindset toward social media was a huge gain.

— It was also impressive that you started outputting via graphic recording (gra-reco) right after taking the course, Saorin!

Seeing my peers actively outputting what they learned in the course made me think, 'I want to post in a way that works for me, too!' That's when I started graphic recording.

My peers at Marble and the community members are so highly motivated to improve themselves! They do what they say they will, and they post about it when they do. Surrounded by people who are constantly updating themselves like that, I always thought, 'I don't want to be someone who doesn't follow through on their words.' Finding my own way to output was really great.

Landing a Job During the Course! About Future Dreams and Challenges

— In what ways are you applying the course content to actual projects?

I feel that I have acquired the ability to carry out work while incorporating the mindset of an editor and director.

In my recruitment PR interview work, I am in charge of interviewing and writing, but since there is no dedicated editor, I have to double as the editor to ensure the quality of the articles. Thanks to learning the points to check during editing in the editing course, I feel I can deliver articles with confidence.

At Marble, you can learn about interviewing, editing, and PR systematically, and I felt through actual projects that everything is connected.

— You have acquired various skills to work as a freelancer, Saorin. Please tell us your future goals.

I want to continue honing my skills, aiming for a state where I can work even more vibrantly than I do now. Our instructor, Yupi, uses the catchphrase 'Swimming through a difficult world in a good way,' and I feel that Marble is truly a place where you can gain the strength to 'swim' in a way that suits you.

I am still exploring my career, but I want to use the skills I gained at Marble as a foundation to develop the strength to achieve my ideal way of working.

— Thank you! Finally, please give a message to those who are considering taking the Marble course.

You will be able to spend an intense three months learning things that are truly important for building a career centered on 'writing,' such as interviewing, editing, and PR. It is up to you how you cook what you learn, but I think it is the perfect environment for those who want to work seriously. Please consider taking the course!

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Saorin took her first step as a freelancer through the Marble course. We look forward to her continued success!

The Marble curriculum is designed based not only on input but also on output through assignments. Since instructors provide feedback based on whether it 'actually works as a job,' you will acquire skills that can be immediately utilized in actual projects.

Marble is currently accepting applications for our 5th cohort. If you want to improve your writing skills or are thinking about taking on the challenge of freelancing through writing, please feel free to join one of our information sessions.

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\Now Accepting Applications for the 5th Cohort!/

■ Application Period: Monday, December 16, 2024 – Friday, January 31, 2025

■ Program Period: Saturday, February 8, 2025 – Saturday, May 17, 2025

■ Program Period (Sales & Planning Seminar): Tuesday, May 13, 2025 – Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Click here for applications and details 🔻

<Interview & Text = Nene (@neneko_youtube) / Editing = Marishun (@bubbly_free)>