How to Put Freelance Work on a Resume

Are you a freelancer trying to stand out in today’s competitive job market? Including freelance work on your resume can make all the difference. In this blog post, we’ll explore “how to put freelance work on resume” in a way that showcases your skills, versatility, and adaptability. You’ll learn strategies for selecting the right resume format, presenting your experience professionally, and tailoring your resume for specific job applications. Let’s dive in and discover how to make your freelance accomplishments shine on your resume!

• Including freelance work on your resume can showcase versatility and transferable skills.
• Choose the right format for presenting freelance experience, such as chronological or functional.
• Ensure accurate job titles, comprehensive descriptions of responsibilities, and notable results are emphasized to present your experience professionally.

With the rise of the gig economy, freelance work has become increasingly common. Your resume can become more compelling by incorporating your freelance experience, which proves your success beyond conventional job roles and emphasizes your pertinent skills and experience. It’s no secret that showcasing a successful freelance career can make your resume stand out from the crowd and catch the eye of hiring managers. To make the most of this opportunity, it’s essential to know how to effectively resume freelance work on your professional profile.

Not only does freelance work demonstrate your versatility and adaptability, but it can also provide potential employers with evidence of your transferable skills. For example, if you’re a freelance web developer and you’re applying for a full-time job in a similar role, including your previous freelance projects can showcase your abilities and achievements in that specific niche. In this case, adding freelance work to your resume is a no-brainer.

The effectiveness of your skills and accomplishments presentation heavily relies on the appropriateness of the resume format you choose for your freelance experience. There are two main resume formats suitable for listing freelance work: chronological and functional. Consulting with a certified professional resume writer can help you make the right choice for your unique situation.

We will go over the pros and cons of each format in the following sections, assisting you in determining the most efficient way to represent your freelance experience.

The chronological format lists your work experience in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent experience listed first. This format is appropriate when you have a consistent work history, as it highlights your career progression and demonstrates stability in your field.

However, if you have employment gaps or your freelance work isn’t directly related to the position you’re applying for, the chronological format might not be the best choice for you.

On the other hand, the functional format focuses on highlighting your skills and qualifications rather than your chronological work history. This format is advantageous for freelancers with diverse projects and abilities, as it allows you to showcase your most relevant skills for the job.

The functional format can also help you address employment gaps or career changes, making it a suitable choice for those with a less consistent work history.

Presenting your freelance experience professionally on your resume is vital to establish your credibility and expertise. This includes:

• Selecting accurate job titles
• Providing comprehensive descriptions of responsibilities
• Emphasizing notable results attained

Linking each project to the client’s objectives and reasons for hiring you. To achieve this, you can refer to some freelance resume examples for inspiration and guidance.

We will further explore these aspects in the subsequent sections and provide guidance on exhibiting your freelance experience in a professional manner.

It is essential to select precise job titles and accurately describe your freelance work responsibilities in the job description to prevent any misinterpretation of your skills. Be honest and specific about your role in each freelance job, ensuring that the job title and description accurately reflect your contributions. With the increasing demand for freelance jobs, it’s crucial to stand out by showcasing your expertise effectively.

For example, if you worked as a freelance web developer for various clients, use that job title and describe the specific tasks you performed, such as designing websites, coding, or troubleshooting issues. Remember, precision and clarity are key to showcasing your expertise and skills.

Beyond job titles and responsibilities, it’s equally important to highlight your achievements and quantifiable outcomes from your freelance projects. Quantifying your accomplishments can help demonstrate the impact of your work and provide potential employers with tangible evidence of your skills.

For instance, if you’re a freelance writer, you could mention the number of articles you’ve written for a client and the increase in their website traffic as a result of your work. Don’t shy away from highlighting the outcomes of your projects, as they can speak volumes about your capabilities.

With the knowledge of how to professionally present your freelance experience, it becomes paramount to arrange your projects on your resume for optimal impact and clarity. This includes creating a distinct “Projects” section and grouping smaller, related projects together.

We will further elaborate these strategies in the upcoming sections to assist you in effectively organizing your freelance projects.

A well-organized “Projects” section on your resume can help you highlight your key freelance work and skills. This section should only include projects that demonstrate your core competencies and can be accommodated within one or two pages.

Emphasize projects that have enabled you to acquire skills relevant to the position you’re seeking, and ensure that your accomplishments are clearly showcased.

In some cases, you may have numerous smaller freelance projects that you’d like to include on your resume. To maintain focus and relevance, it’s recommended to group related projects together. For example, if you’ve participated in multiple web design projects, you could consolidate them under a “Web Design” heading.

This allows you to exhibit your expertise in soft skills and other areas without taking up too much space on your resume, ensuring that your skills are effectively showcased.

Providing links to your portfolio and online presence in your resume is a fantastic approach to substantiate your skills and accomplishments. When listing freelance experience, provide a link to a portfolio website or another resource. This will help the hiring manager or client access more information about your work quickly and easily..

This can be particularly beneficial for those pursuing self employment as freelancers in creative fields, such as graphic design or web development, as it allows potential employers to view your work firsthand.

Tailoring your freelance resume to match the specific job requirements is a vital step in exhibiting your appropriateness and relevance for the role. Carefully review the job requirements and ensure that your resume highlights your relevant skills and accomplishments. This may involve emphasizing certain projects or skills over others, depending on the position you’re applying for.

By customizing your resume for each job application, you can showcase your qualifications and increase your chances of standing out during the hiring process.

Employment gaps and career shifts are prevalent for freelancers, however, they can be portrayed constructively when incorporating freelance work in your freelancing resume. Utilizing a functional resume format can help emphasize your skills and qualifications over your chronological work history, which can be particularly beneficial if you have substantial employment gaps or your work experience is not directly related to the position you’re applying for.

If necessary, you can also address the gap in your cover letter, providing a brief explanation of the reason for the gap and how you used the time to develop new skills or gain valuable experiences.

In conclusion, including freelance work on your resume is a powerful way to showcase your skills, versatility, and adaptability. By selecting the right resume format, presenting your experience professionally, organizing your projects effectively, and tailoring your resume for specific job applications, you can make your freelance accomplishments shine and stand out in the competitive job market. Remember, your resume is your personal marketing tool, so make sure to highlight your achievements and showcase your expertise with confidence.

When listing freelance work on your resume, be sure to include the start and end dates of the project, the company name, a job title that reflects the nature of your work, and a detailed description of what you did. Additionally, highlight your most recent work and don’t forget to include related industry experience.

Yes, freelancing is considered work experience and should be included on resumes and other application materials. It is important to list any freelance projects as it demonstrates professional skills and can be seen as an asset when looking for employment opportunities.

In an interview, you can mention your freelance work by highlighting how it taught you new skills and enabled you to grow your business. Emphasize how it was a better fit than full-time work, and describe your office set up to demonstrate that you are a legitimate business person.

Yes, you should include relevant freelance work in your work experience resume section. Self-employment and other forms of freelance work are great additions to your resume, and they can help to explain any employment gaps. Including freelance work on your resume can demonstrate your ability to work independently and manage your own projects. It can also show potential employers that you have the skills and experience

For freelance experience, the best resume format is either chronological or functional, depending on your work history and the position you’re applying for.