People who hold a 9-5 job know the drill when creating or updating their resumes. However, if you’ve had enough of loyalty and look at freelancing for a while, work from home, or travel, it may seem a difficult and overwhelming process to create a strong resume to find the right job.

• How do I list freelance work on my resume?
• What format should I choose?

These are some questions that may trouble your mind. If you’ve been struggling to create a stellar freelance resume that truly showcases your skills and experience, follow our tips and enjoy the flow of call-backs!

Keep It Simple

Just because you don’t have a traditional work history doesn’t mean you should not build a  resume of extravagant and “screaming” outlook. When choosing your style, resume simplicity is key, and the basic rules of resume-writing still apply to you as a freelancer.

• First things first, don’t write in the first person.
• Your freelance resume should emphasize your skills and accomplishments, not your persona.
• Be concise and keep your resume one or two pages long.
• Longer CVs are usually swept under the carpet unless you are applying for high-level positions in healthcare, law, or academia.
• Adding key points to your CV is the way to go if you want to secure the job you’re applying for.

You need to craft an eye-catching freelance resume.

What To Include In Your Freelance Resume

If you sent out a dozen resumes and didn’t hear back from potential employers, worry not. The reason may not be that you are underqualified, but because your freelance resume doesn’t resonate with your experience and skills.

Reading on and learn what to include in your resume and how to list your freelance work in a way that catches the eye of nowadays hiring managers.

We recommend you implement these seven key steps to get started:

1. Contact Information
2. Portfolio
3. Template
4. Education
5. Experience
6. Skills
7. Accomplishments

Starting with,

Include Your Portfolio And Contact Information

Ideally, your contact information should be placed at the top of your resume, so it’s easy for potential employers to find.

Add your name, address, phone number, and email address. Be sure to use relevant information and ditch the unprofessional email address (i.e.cool_guy673@yahoo.com)!

It bodes well to include networking platforms or websites with samples of your work as a freelancer. This will showcase your experience and skills and give you the opportunity to convince recruiters you are a perfect fit for the job.

Use A Proper Template

Traditional CVs usually list work experience in chronological order, but this format isn’t necessarily applicable to a freelance resume.

For example, you may have carried out projects that overlapped in the past or done small contracts over a period of time. If that’s the case, it is optimal to go with a functional format for your resume.

This means to list your experience and skills by theme instead of chronological order.

List Only Relevant To The Job Education

Here also applies the rule of thumb – be concise and straight to the point. Include education or courses you’ve taken that are relevant to the position you aim to secure.

Keep in mind, your educational background does not play as big a role as your work experience and accomplishments unless first-class education is a company policy.

Still, it makes a good impression that you’ve put effort and have expertise in the niche of question.

For example, if you are applying for a position linked to the mental health field, a degree or college diploma in Psychology or Counselling applies to the job and will increase your chances of landing an interview.

Alternatively, a degree in Nutrition is relevant to the health niche but not to the specific position.

How To List Your Professional Background

Think of this section as the crown jewel of your resume and the most important metric for displaying your career path to recruiters.

• Add work history only relevant to the position you apply for, and list it in reverse order.
• Be sure to include employer names, positions, and primary responsibilities.
• If you have a scattered job history, worry not!

Bouncing from position to position is more common and accepted these days, especially among the younger workforce.

Even if you don’t have a lot of work experience, include short part-time jobs or side projects, especially if they are relevant to the positions you want or feature skills that overlap with it.

Skills And Accomplishments

Having a skills section makes it easy for recruiters to determine whether you have what it takes to become a part of the team, so to speak.

Most hiring managers use automated applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan through CVs. These systems rely on specific keywords. Hence, the more “matches” you have, the higher the chance of your resume winding up in the hands of a recruiter.

The skills section of your freelance resume is your chance to shine. Don’t be shy and feel free to brag a little. Mention being aware of general office ethics, etiquette, and showcase your experience with virtual assistant tasks, organization of remote work, and daily communication.

However, remember the rule of thumb – be straight to the point and share only relevant to the position information.

For instance, a financial tech company in London probably won’t care all that much about your keen interest in sailing or the home cooking course you took 7 years ago.

Another important thing to remember is to add quantities to your achievements. Include figures and percentages to display the importance of your work and why you will be a valuable asset to your potential employer.

Slow Periods and Gaps

We know freelancing for its trials. One day, business is booming, and the next it simply isn’t.

Whether the pauses in your career were because you were unemployed, taking care of a sick family member, or you were on maternity leave, whatever the reason, remember to be honest. There is nothing worse than trying to patch the gaps up with nonexistent jobs or projects.

You specify the reason behind the gaps in your professional background, get ready to talk about it in an interview.

Proofread Your Resume

Another simple, yet useful tip:

Go through your resume for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Reading your resume out loud is an excellent strategy to catch errors you might miss otherwise.

Also, ask a friend or a family member to review your resume. They’ll give you a fresh perspective and help you identify mistakes or other details that may have slipped your gaze.

Final Words

When it comes to crafting the perfect resume, freelancers have it harder. However, with a few tweaks here and there, you’ll have a strong resume in no time. We hope this guide was informative and helps you get the positions you desire.

Have you faced any difficulties creating your freelance resume? If you feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below.

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Christy Bella

Blogger by Passion | Contributor to many Business Blogs in the United Kingdom | Fascinated to Write Blogs in Business & Startup Niches

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