By Jane Habley Lockwaldt
Introduction
Whether you’re freelancing in your career or just working side gigs, knowing how to include freelance jobs on your resume is essential. If you’re working as a freelancer, you need to showcase your skills to potential clients. And if you’re between jobs or working side gigs alongside your full-time job, your resume needs to reflect your efforts and new learnings.
How to Include Freelance Jobs on Your Resume
The good news is that organizing your freelance jobs is simple once you know how to do it. Essentially, you’re writing a functional resume, focused on your skills and achievements, instead of a chronological resume, which presents your work history in chronological order, starting with your most recent position.
Tailoring Your Resume for the Client or Target Job
Writing a freelance resume can be liberating because the focus is on what you have done and what you can do, not on where you learned it or whether your career path has been linear. Your clients or employers are hiring you to achieve something; your goal is to show them you can do that and, if possible, do it as quickly as possible.
According to an eye-tracking study conducted by The Ladders, hiring managers spend about six seconds looking at a resume before they categorize it as “yes” or “no.” You want to make those six seconds count. This means tailoring your resume for the client or company you hope to impress, removing anything that doesn’t relate to the target job.
Is it cumbersome to create multiple resumes for multiple jobs? Absolutely. But it’s worth it. Producing a targeted resume shows the hiring manager only what you want them to see. You’ll make a better impression if you take the time to craft a version that speaks to their needs.
Include a Separate Skills Section
The main thing you’re trying to convey is what you can do for the client or employer. It makes sense to include a separate section for skills and certifications. If you know a program or programming language that’s in demand, or have a prestigious certification in the field, or years of experience doing something that takes time to learn, this is the section where you can brag a little.
The usual rules apply: don’t claim knowledge that almost everyone has, like internet literacy or Microsoft Office, and don’t claim to know something technical at an expert level if you don’t know how to do it.
Use Action Words, Keywords, and Dollar Signs
Go back to elementary school and use those action verbs. Action words, from absorb and adjudicate to utilize and harvest and win, show that you’re a person who gets things done. Keywords in your resume are important as well, especially if you’re applying online.
Many companies rely on applicant tracking systems to sort and scan resumes before they reach a real person. Using keywords will help you get past the robots and into the hands of a real person. Analyzing the job listing will help you figure out which keywords to target.
Finally, remember that it’s all about the money, even if you’re a creative type who doesn’t even talk to sales or accounting. If you can demonstrate that you’ve increased the client or employer’s profits, even indirectly, you’re more likely to get that first call.
Organizing Your Experience with Subheadings
It’s not uncommon for freelancers to have diverse experiences. While it’s important to weed out unrelated jobs, your streamlined resume may likely show that you’re capable of wearing many hats. This can be a positive if presented correctly.
Employers love
employers to see that you are capable of handling multiple tasks and viewing things from a different perspective, as long as you don’t seem unsuitable for the role or prone to jump to something else at the first opportunity. The best way to showcase your diverse talents while maintaining a tidy narrative is to break down your experience with subheadings. For example, as a freelance writer and editor, your resume should include headings for writing, text editing, and editorial management.
Example of How to Include Freelance Jobs on Your Resume
With all this in mind, let’s take a look at how to present your jobs in your resume so that clients and hiring managers can see why you are the right person for the job, whether that’s for a contract position or a permanent role.
Here’s a resume with freelance jobs listed. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online).
©TheBalance 2018
Example of a Freelance Resume (Text)
Carly Applicant
999 Main Street, New York 10003
(123) 555-1234
carly.applicant@email.com
Career Objective
Successful independent contractor/project manager with a diverse range of professional experiences from launching a tech blog to leading an award-winning real estate office team, seeking a contract or permanent position with a leading company.
Core Qualifications
Developed a successful social media campaign that contributed to double-digit sales growth for a food company.
Organized and led a real estate sales team that achieved more than a doubling of client base.
Established a tech blog and managed a team of 20 freelancers.
Possesses strong interpersonal communication skills; able to coordinate and manage employees in a variety of business environments, both online and in-person.
Professional Experience
ABC MARKETING, Stamford, Connecticut
Social Media Campaign Manager [https://twitter.com/ABCMarketing] September 2012-Present
Achieved verification badge for the agency’s Twitter feed by creating funny, targeted tweets that could be retweeted to support its popular advertising campaign “Who is Bob?” Clients included Crunchy Chips, Alpha Office Furniture, and E-Z Loans.
JONES REAL ESTATE, Trenton, New Jersey
Sales Manager [https://www.realproperties.com] May 2007-September 2012
Led a team of five agents to achieve record sales every year for five consecutive years. Launched new campaigns that helped increase client base by 15% in the first year, 20% in the second year, 35% in the third year, and 50% in the fourth and fifth years. Named “Agent of the Year” in 2011 and 2012.
NERDLETS MAGAZINE, New York, New York
Founder/Writer/Editor of Blog [https://www.bestdarnblog.com] May 2007-Present
Founded an award-winning tech blog, recognized as “Blog of the Year” by The Blog Alliance. Manages a team of up to 20 contributors, handling editing, budgeting, reviewing, and optimizing a variety of columns and articles, from high-tech to whimsically quirky.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in English (May 2005); GPA: 3.9
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
Dean’s List; Graduated with Highest Honors
Tips for Writing a Cover Letter
Review these tips for writing a cover letter for freelance work to send along with your resume.
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©TheBalance 2018
Example of a Freelance Resume (Text)
Carly Applicant
999 Main Street, New York 10003
(123) 555-1234
carly.applicant@email.com
Career Objective
Successful independent contractor/project manager with a diverse range of professional experiences from launching a tech blog to leading an award-winning real estate office team, seeking a contract or permanent position with a leading company.
Core Qualifications
Developed a successful social media campaign that contributed to double-digit sales growth for a food company.
Organized and led a real estate sales team that achieved more than a doubling of client base.
Established a tech blog and managed a team of 20 freelancers.
Possesses strong
Strong interpersonal communication skills; capable of coordinating and managing workers in a variety of business environments, both online and in-person.
Professional Experience
ABC MARKETING, Stamford, Connecticut
Social Media Campaign Manager [https://twitter.com/ABCMarketing] September 2012-Present
Achieved blue verification badge for the agency’s Twitter feed by creating funny and targeted tweets that could be retweeted to support its well-known advertising campaign “Who is Bob?”. Clients included Crunchy Chips, Alpha Office Furniture, and E-Z Loans.
JONES REAL ESTATE, Trenton, New Jersey
Sales Manager [https://www.realproperties.com] May 2007-September 2012
Led a team of five agents to achieve record sales every year for five consecutive years. Implemented new campaigns that helped increase the client base by 15% in the first year, 20% in the second year, 35% in the third year, and 50% in the fourth and fifth years. Named “Agent of the Year” in 2011 and 2012.
NERDLETS MAGAZINE, New York, New York
Founder/Writer/Editor of Blog [https://www.bestdarnblog.com] May 2007-Present
Established an award-winning tech blog that was named “Blog of the Year” by The Blog Alliance. Manages a team of up to 20 contributors, editing and planning budget, proofreading, and optimizing a variety of columns and articles, from high-tech to whimsically quirky.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in English (May 2005); GPA 3.9
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
Dean’s List; Graduated with High Honors
Tips for Writing a Cover Letter
Review these tips for writing a freelance cover letter to send along with your resume.
Was this page helpful?
Thank you for your feedback! Let us know why?
Other
Submit
©TheBalance 2018
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/how-to-list-freelance-jobs-on-a-resume-with-examples-3962844
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