Writing a Job Proposal for a New Position
Freelancer Economyby Marta Kuzma , 6 October 2022
A new position at your company can be a win-win for you and your employer. You can fashion a role that better suits your skills and professional goals while your company benefits from your contributions and years of experience.
How do you convince your employer to create a new role for you? Write a persuasive, well-planned job proposal. Let us walk you through crafting a top-notch pitch.
Even if you’re not a current employee, you still can benefit from learning how to write a job proposal for potential employers.
Why You Need a Job Proposal
Pitching an idea for a new gig at your current company can:
Address an unmet need or promising opportunity for the organization
Move your professional career forward faster than waiting on a promotion, job postings, or job offer
Ensure your job description aligns with your skill set, interests, and setting
Allow you to position yourself as the best candidate for the role
Knowing these potential benefits can help you to write a convincing proposal for work.
Before You Begin
Here’s the first piece of advice for writing a great job proposal: Do plenty of research beforehand. You’re reading this article, so you’re already off to a great start!
Before diving into writing, take plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the process of proposal creation. Give yourself a generous timeline, with plenty of time to rework and fine-tune the report before you submit it.
Identify the Need
Your proposal won’t be persuasive if the new job isn’t addressing an urgent or profitable need for the company. Otherwise, how can you convince the employer to pay for the work you’d be doing?
All great job proposals must tackle a current problem or opportunity that plagues the organization. They may not even realize that the issue exists; it’s up to you to bring the need to light. This may involve enhancing marketing, sales, customer service, training, communication, recordkeeping, web design, SEO, or other facets of operations.
Do Your Homework
Identifying a need in your company is easier said than done! It takes plenty of research to get a solid grasp on how an organization can improve in performance and profitability. That comes with understanding key aspects like:
The internal workings of the organization
Context of the company in the larger industry or market
The company’s overarching business plan and strategic goals
Products and services the business sells
The company’s prior ventures
Spend time studying these before drafting your proposal. Have conversations with current and former employees, especially those who understand the shortcomings of the company’s operations and its products.
What are the steps to writing a proposal?
Step 1: Define the problem
Step 2: Research the situation
Step 3: Assess possible solutions
Step 4: Form your solution
Step 5: Project the impact
Step 6: Write the complete proposal
You can apply these steps whether you’re writing a job proposal, a bid proposal, or any other business pitch.
What Should Be Included in Your Proposal Letter
What does a new job proposal consist of? A new job proposal should include:
A cover letter introducing the proposal
A table of contents
A current challenge for the company
How the new job solves the issue
Financial costs and benefits analysis
A detailed job description
A recap of the proposal and summary of your recommendation
An appendix of the data supporting your proposal
Always begin with a cover letter. If it’s missing or written poorly, your supervisor may overlook your report.
What is a good cover letter for a job proposal? One that succinctly summarizes your relationship to the company, what you’re proposing, and why it’s worth hearing out.
Explanation of the Problem/Opportunity
Consider the employer’s perspective when you present the challenge their company faces. Define the current obstacle that is hindering the company’s growth, profits, or market viability. Use specific data and competitor analyses to support your claim.
Emphasize the situation in a way that makes it feel urgent. In other words, make them feel the hurt that you intend to heal.
Job Description of the New Position
Make sure the employer understands your vision for the role you’re proposing. This is a brand new job that doesn’t currently exist, so it’s important that you describe it thoroughly. This includes listing:
Daily duties
Overarching responsibilities
Managerial level
Performance objectives/goals
Be sure to specify if it will be a full-time or part-time role, if it’s in-office or remote, and what the official job title could be. Also discuss the implications of the position within the organization’s structure if it will affect the team.
Impacts of the New Position
Clearly demonstrate the value a new position would provide. Be as in-depth as possible by describing specific tasks you will complete and how they will directly resolve the obstacle you defined.
The most compelling way to do this is to project the job’s financial impact, though you can also identify efficiency improvements and operational value.
Your Qualifications
Now it’s time to sell yourself to your hiring manager. Why are you the best candidate for the role you defined? What makes you more qualified than other employees or freelancers on their roster?
Talk yourself up by listing your
Professional experience
Certifications
Performance history
Achievements
Expertise in the industry
Soft skills
Consider this the job application portion of your proposal. Don’t forget to mention any leadership traits you have.
Your History with the Company
Use your history with the company to your advantage. Go in-depth on what you’ve already done for the company and how well-versed you are in their vision, policies, and operations.
Leverage your employment history to make a better case for why it’s in the manager’s best interest to appoint you. It’s something you offer that they won’t find in a new hire.
Summary & Recommendations
Conclude the proposal by summarizing the problem and your solution again briefly to ensure they’re firmly planted in the reader’s mind. Instead of ending on a passive note, inspire urgency in the reader by including a call to action with next-step recommendations that will galvanize the decision-making process.
Mention ways the decision-maker can follow up with you face-to-face, such as a meeting or phone screen interview.
Copies of Relevant Metrics
Your job proposal should include plenty of data to strengthen your case. If these details are too extensive to fit within the body of the proposal, include them at the end in an appendix. You can include full reports, charts, analyses, and other relevant metrics that illustrate the company’s deficiencies and projected profits.
Don’t be afraid to get creative here. If you know of other companies that have benefited from the kinds of changes you hope to make, include their information as case studies.
Best Practices for Writing a Business Proposal
A great job proposal isn’t just what you write; it’s also how you write it. Follow these recommendations to perfect your report for busy readers.
Sell Yourself
Don’t be afraid to paint yourself in an outstanding light. This is your opportunity to shine, so don’t be modest about your strengths and competencies. If you struggle with being too humble, ask some coworkers or friends to help talk you up. This position is your idea, and you want to ensure the company knows you’re ideal candidate.
Be Concise
It’s easy to be too wordy in a job proposal if you’re excited about the possibilities. Strive to be concise in your writing. Edit your draft repeatedly, removing all text that isn’t necessary.
Remember, if the manager is intrigued by your proposal, you can wrestle over the finer points in greater detail later. For now, respect the reader’s time and only make the pitch long enough to hook them.
Format for Clarity
Make it easy for the reader to follow your line of thought, even if they’re skimming — and you should assume they’ll skim. Use formatting tools like bold text, bullet points, headers, and visual aids to emphasize key points of the proposal.
End with a Thank You
If your reader made it to the end of your proposal, they deserve your thanks. Express your appreciation for the time they spent reviewing your documents and for considering your suggestion. This shows that you value their time and recognize their generosity in hearing you out.
New Job Proposal Example
Here is a sample job proposal letter to help you get started. Due to its short length, it forgoes a cover letter, table of contents, and appendix.
Dear [Name],
Because of the recent increase in written tasks that our marketing manager has been given, I believe a dedicated content writer would benefit our company.
A content writer could provide higher-quality marketing copy at a faster rate. I believe I am the best candidate to fulfill this new position for the company.
[Company] currently employs only one marketing specialist, and they have been saddled with an increasing load of duties to complete every week. This is resulting in rushed, inadequate text on our public-facing channels well after they’re needed.
Our marketing manager does not have the time to dedicate to creating satisfactory, quality text for our website, print advertising, and social media channels by the necessary deadlines. However, appointing a skilled employee to write this time-sensitive text can solve the problem.
My research has found that recent sub-par content and a growing backlog of copywriting needs are causing us to miss as much as 25% additional leads every month. Plus, quality content will better represent our company’s competency and professionalism in our industry.
I am more than qualified to serve as our company’s content writer because I have
served the company for over 6 years
been closely involved in recent advertising projects
formed a close working relationship with our marketing manager
majored in English and business in college
developed expertise on SEO and content marketing best practices
Thank you for taking the time to consider my proposal for creating a new content editor position in our company. I believe my qualifications make me the top candidate for the role, and I would love to serve our company in a new capacity to help us better achieve our business goals.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or to discuss a content writer role in more detail.
Sincerely,
[Name]
Looking for a New Challenge?
Now your ready to write a new job proposal and move into a job that fits your skillset. If you’re looking for new ways to put your skills to work and grow your career, don’t forget there are plenty of options outside your current company. MVP Match can help job seekers like you achieve professional fulfillment by connecting freelancers with potential clients.
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