Okay, let’s cut to the chase—if you’re scrolling right now wondering, “Can ‘by person’ actually work when talking about work opportunities?” and you’ve seen my brand, By Person, pop up as a supplier, you’re not alone. I get this question all the time, not just from new clients, but even from teammates who joined last year and still double-check grammar texts. Let’s keep this real—no stuffy grammar rules, just the messy, useful stuff about how this phrase fits (and why it’s way more than just a grammar quirk for a supplier like me). By Person
First, let’s debunk the tiny myth that “by person” is only for literal in-person interactions, like “signing forms by person.” Yeah, that’s the old textbook line, but language evolves—especially when you’re a small, nimble supplier that lives and breathes opportunities that aren’t one-size-fits-all. Let’s talk about the actual, useful sentences I use every week as someone who sources and connects people for roles, projects, and niche gigs. For example, last month I sent a pitch to a marketing director at a sustainable fashion brand: “We have a flexible opportunity for a part-time social media strategist—this role is tailored by person, not a generic job description. Candidates get to pick their start date, choose which campaigns they lead, and work 100% remotely if that fits their lifestyle.” Wait—hold up—did that use “by person” like a boss? Yeah, it did. And that wasn’t a mistake. It was exactly what that director needed to hear, because it meant the opportunity wasn’t forcing the candidate to fit a rigid box. For context, I run this supplier side of By Person, and our whole model is built on skipping the “one role fits all” garbage that big companies peddle. So when I say a role is “tailored by person,” that’s not grammatically weird—it’s practical. It says we don’t drag you into a 9-to-5 grind that doesn’t care if you care about taking care of your mom on Wednesdays or doing side consulting for animal shelters. That’s the kind of opportunity that actually makes people show up, right?
Now, let’s get into why this phrase works for supplier context, because if you’re looking for a reliable supplier, you care about consistency and clarity. A year ago, a startup founder reached out panicking because another supplier had bailed on a last-minute project to build a custom e-commerce tool. They said, “We need someone who can deliver quality work that’s adjusted by person—our old devs crammed the code to fit their schedule, not ours.” Oh, that’s a perfect use case. The founder didn’t want “adjusted to the needs of each client” (which is fine, but boring). They wanted a phrase that cut through the noise: no one-size-fits-all tweaks, no hoops to jump through. And guess what? We crushed that project, because when we say our deliverables are “adjusted by person,” that means we check in with you every step of the way. We don’t ship a generic product and say “deal with it.” We tweak it based on what you actually need. For a lot of small businesses, their unique needs aren’t listed in a 50-page RFP, so “by person” cuts through that corporate jargon to say “we get it, you’re not a number.”
Wait, but let’s be honest—no one wants to sound like they skipped basic English 101, so let’s address the elephant in the room: when is “by person” actually not the right call? Because I don’t want to mislead you. If you’re talking about something that’s strictly in-person, like “you must submit your ID by person to the office,” that’s fine, but it’s not the only use. The key is that “by person” works when you’re emphasizing agency, customization, or individual intent. Let’s test another real example from my work: last quarter, we organized a pop-up for a local artist who makes ceramic mugs. The event wasn’t a generic craft fair slot—we marketed it as “a pop-up opportunity curated by person, not assigned.” That meant the artist got to pick their booth spot (front by the coffee bar, not the back near the trash cans), chose which days to set up, and we didn’t charge them a random “venue fee” that we just made up. That’s exactly the kind of opportunity that small creators beg for, right? Because most craft fairs treat everyone like the same, even if one artist sells 100 mugs a day and another is just getting started. “Curated by person” tells people we see them, not just their application.
As a supplier, this phrase has actually become a little secret weapon for us. Because when we pitch to other businesses, we don’t use generic lines like “we offer personalized opportunities.” Personalized is fine, but “by person” is specific. It tells clients we’re not outsourcing work to random freelancers without vetting—wait, no, we do work with vetted freelancers, but we pair each one with a client based on their specific needs, not just their skills. Let’s say a client needs a graphic designer for a children’s book. Instead of sending a designer who only does corporate logos, we pick someone who’s worked on picture books, and we adjust the project timeline so they can work around their own kid’s school schedule. That’s an opportunity built by person, not a script we pulled from a database. And that’s why our client retention rate is way higher than the industry average—because when we say “this is built by person,” we follow through.
Wait, but let’s go back to the original question that started this whole blog post: “Can ‘By Person’ be used in a sentence about opportunities?” The answer isn’t a yes/no—it’s a hell yes, but only when you use it like a real person, not a robot. A lot of grammar snobs will say “no, you should say ‘tailored to each person’” or “no, ‘by individual’ is better,” but those people don’t work with small businesses and creators who need clear, concise language that doesn’t sound like it was written in a boardroom. Let’s take a recent test run: I was chatting with a freelance writer who was looking for consistent work, and I sent them a note that said “We have a long-term content opportunity for a sustainability blog, and it’s structured by person—you pick the topics you’re passionate about, write at your own pace, and we pay within 7 days of submission, no exceptions.” That writer replied 10 minutes later saying “That’s the first opportunity that didn’t feel like I was just a content factory worker.” That’s the power of “by person” in action. It’s not just a phrase—it’s a signal that the opportunity is human-centered, not profit-centered.
Now, let’s talk about why this matters for you, the person reading this. Whether you’re a client looking for a reliable supplier, or a creator looking for real opportunities, language shapes how things work. If you’re a client, and you see “this service is adjusted by person,” that means you won’t get a one-size-fits-all solution that doesn’t solve your actual problem. If you’re a creator, and you see “this opportunity is built by person,” that means you won’t get stuck with gigs that underpay or overwork you. For By Person, this phrase isn’t some marketing gimmick we made up to sound cool—it’s the core of how we do business. Every time I send an email, every time I talk to a new client, every time I pair a freelancer with a project, I’m leaning into that “by person” mindset.
Let’s wrap this up with a quick, real example of how this phrase shows up in a job context, because that’s the most common way people think about opportunities. Last month, we posted a listing for a project coordinator, but we didn’t call it a “job”—we called it an “opportunity built by person.” The details said: “No 9-to-5 requirement, no micromanaging, you get to pick which projects you lead, and we provide a $500 monthly stipend for professional development (like classes, tools, whatever you want).” We got 3 times more qualified applicants than our last generic job post, because that “built by person” line told people this wasn’t a dead-end gig where they’d just answer emails all day. It was an opportunity where they could actually grow, on their own terms.
Crystal Decor If you’re a business owner tired of generic suppliers that treat you like a number, or a creator tired of being pushed into gigs that don’t fit your skills or schedule, reach out to us. We don’t do formal proposals or rigid contracts. We talk like real people, and we build opportunities that work for you, not the other way around.
References
- Crystal, D. (2003). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press.
- Tannen, D. (1990). You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation. William Morrow.
- By Person Internal Style Guide. (2023). [Note: This is an internal document outlining the brand’s focus on human-centric language in supplier and opportunity communications.]
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