Salary Stories: Salary Guide: Fashion Writer & Mortgage Broker

Name: Daniel B.
Job Title: Mortgage Broker & Men's Fashion Writer for About.com
Where: Seattle, WA
Works: 50% as a Mortgage Broker, 50% as a Fashion Writter
Years of Experience: 5 as a Mortgage Broker, 2 as a Fashion Writer
Salary: Mortgage Broker Salary: $50k - $70k/year based on performance. Fashion Writer Salary: about $60k/year also based on performance.
Education: BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Washington

What I do as Mortgage Broker/Fashion Writer...

I write about Men's Fashion for About.com and am a Mortgage Broker for a small company in Seattle. I love the fashion writing, of course, but both jobs allow me to work with lots of interesting people. The best part of being a mortgage broker is developing relationships with my customers and listening to their stories. The best part of my writing job: I go to New York Fashion week twice a year and report the latest fashion trends back to my readers.

I chose this line of work because...

I guess you could say that the work chose me. I was a brokers assistant for a few years before I started working on deals independently as a mortgage broker. The fashion writer gig came to me through a friend. I love writing for About.com because I don't have an editor, so I get to write about what I think is interesting and important to my readers.

My most popular column is...

You'll have to watch the movie to find out ;) Check out my latest - a budget style guide for Fall: Six Simple and Inexpensive Ways to Freshen Up Your Style.

My best advice for men interviewing for jobs is...

Suits are back - this time, dress them down. If you're dressing for an interview, pay close attention to the details like carrying your papers in a nice portfolio and matching the color of your shoes and belt. Choose black leather if your outfit is dark gray, navy, brown or black. Go with brown leather if you'll be wearing tans or medium tones. I hate to sound like your mother, but polish or clean your shoes before your interview. Scuff marks on your shoes make you look tattered, and we can't have that. Read more...