4 Tips on how to use and diversify your prior knowledge & skills into your writing career
Tyrone Rodriguez
Last updated: May 4, 2026
Throughout my prior work experience, I’ve gotten my feet wet as a “Safety Point Leader”- at a multi-billion-dollar corporation. This included several years of operating P.I.T.S (Powered Industrial Trucks) – as well as good communication skills. Little did I know at the time, I had quite a few warehouse niches under my belt – which I’m currently involved in today.
So, this is where we get to this question: what exactly is a niche? And don’t worry if you’ve never heard of this term – like I stated earlier, little did I know at the time. Now a niche is a business market, industry, or field (not a writing service or specialty) – such as blogging. AWAI (American Writers & Artists Industry) Learning Chief Pam Foster elaborates on niches like someone who has a solid knowledge of different types of wines – and creating great copy for those clients.
Now, that doesn’t mean that person must be a wine guru but having that knowledge of being a wine enthusiast is what clients in that industry prefer. On the flipside, this is a bonus if you’re very well-rounded in different types of niches – like my very own work experiences I’ve mentioned earlier. However, Pam cautioned about the complexness (shiny object syndrome) of having too many interesting options – if you choose to go that route. And if you do choose to go that route, that’s fine – but this is where learning how to diversify your niches is recommended.
So how about we shoot towards these 4 directions right now – then go from there:
- Start with the niche you know best
- Improve it further
- Repeat the same process for the second one
- Move on to the next one – when ready
Start with the niche you know best
Going back to my warehouse worker experience, it took me some time to learn each niche within that area. A P.I.T/cherry picker for example isn’t for everyone. This is because it requires more than just driving and lifting materials – being aware of your surroundings (such as incoming traffic) is equally & critically important. However, these two (as well as order-picking) are three easy niches to learn – in which I’m good at. The problem that I see daily is that some of my co-workers were not trained properly with these three skills. No lie – two right hands to God!
I lost count as to how many times I’ve had to re-pick mis-picked/mis-counted items from past (and present) co-workers. This also included dealing with them not stopping & honking – while exiting aisles. And let me not start with them exiting an aisle while way above height limit – again, no lie. Also, Pam speaks about starting with what you know the most – and enjoying it well enough. Simple right? Well, not if you really hate your job – especially if its “dead end”. But hold up, wait – the key here is enjoying it well enough.
Just to play “Devil’s advocate” for a sec, I don’t enjoy my current warehouse job – regarding living paycheck to paycheck – while making someone else rich. However, showing my new co-workers how to efficiently pick items & safely operate the very same machine(s) I operate is enjoyable to me – because to reiterate, those are three niches I know best. Therefore, start with the niche you’re good at – and you’ll stand out as a great asset to your clients.
Improve it further
A niche such as order-picking can always be improved – especially if you’re working in a fast-paced environment. Lucky for me, my work environment is moderate to slow –nevertheless, I try to find different ways to pick more efficiently. Because as I’ve mentioned countless times to my co-workers: the speed will come – accuracy is way more important to keep the flow going. Likewise, there’s always room for improvement – regardless of what niche you have. Make the most out of your chosen niche(s) – keep finding more ways to skin that cat!
Repeat the same process for the second one
And speaking of finding extra ways of skinning that cat, the same goes for “number two”. Me writing helpful “how to blogs” on topics I have experience in is my fourth niche – in which I’m currently finding more ways to improve upon.
Move on to the next one – when ready
And just for the record, you don’t have to rush through any niche to upgrade to the next one. Improvement should ALWAYS be in the forefront of any career you embark on. So don’t rush the process – only execute when you know for sure the time is right. And remember, start with what you know the most – and enjoy well enough – as Pam so eloquently put it.
From our naked eye, the moon seems very close to earth. Yet it takes around 3 days (or more) to safely land upon – by a highly skilled crew. This is why having multiple niches you’re very familiar with SHOULD be more than just the standard. Therefore, aim high and niche for the moon – but if you miss it, you’ll land on the countless stars of opportunities!
Resources:
AWAI: HOW TO CHOOSE A COPYWRITING NICHE [And Attract Paying Clients]
Aug 12, 2021