Created by CakeYou'll learn:
Step 1: Pick the best layout for your freelance
resume.
Step 2: Adopt the right freelance
resume format.
Step 3: Start with personal details and contact information.
Step 4: Create an intriguing freelance
resume title.
Step 5: Craft a freelance
resume summary.Step 6: Include key skills relevant to the freelance job.
Step 7: Highlight your best experience and accomplishments.
Step 8: List educational background.
Step 9: Add an extra section to highlight your qualifications.
Step 10: Craft a convincing cover letter for the freelance job.
Freelance
resume sampleFreelancers are considered “contractors" as they take on contract work for companies and organizations instead of being employed as company staff. It’s common for them to work on multiple jobs or projects at one time, but some may be restricted to one certain project. The fields that hire the most freelancers may include computer IT, writing editing, translation, design, marketing, etc.
As a freelancer, you get to be your own boss and set your own hours. No wonder the idea of becoming a freelancer is very appealing and makes this job type highly competitive in recent years.
The key to landing your desired freelance job is to build a winning freelance
resume that showcases your core competencies, experience, and skills.Step 1: Pick the best layout for your freelance
resume.Regardless of what field of freelance work you're in, e.g. you're preparing a freelance photographer
resume, a freelance translator
resume, or a freelance video editor
resume, the top priority is conciseness and readability.
5 standards you might consider to secure a great layout for your freelance
resume:1.
Resume length:Ideally, the
resume for freelance work should be one page long, especially for fresh graduates and freelancers with below 10 years of experience. Note that if you’re required to submit a freelance CV, the length can range from 2 to 8 pages.🔎Read about the key differences between a CV and a
resume to make sure you don't mix up these two terms.2. Letter font size:You may find it confusing to determine the best font for your freelance
resume among a lot of options. Some of the best fonts for
resumes recommended by
resume experts and recruiters include Arial, Cambria, Calibri, Times New Roman, and Helvetica. It'd be fine to adopt any font or style that you think can make your freelance
resume and your personality traits light up if you’re working in a creative field.Just keep in mind to use a professional and easy-to-read font with the standard size of 11-12pt, and use bold font styles to highlight section headings.3.
Resume margin:Don't overlook this standard because setting the margins correctly can determine whether your freelance
resume looks professional or not. Most employers prefer ½”–1″ margins, depending on the amount of information you include on your
resume.4.
Resume spacing:The proper spacing for a freelance
resume is 1.0 or 1.15 between text and double lines after subheadings. Feel free to adjust this accordingly based on the white space of your
resume as well as the freelance
resume format and the letter size you adopt.5. Freelance
resume format:Sending a
resume as a Word file may have been the best practice of earlier years. However, with many advantages, PDF is being commonly opted for by both applicants and recruiters nowadays. We don't have to worry about formatting errors, optimization for ATS, or edit permission.🔎ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is a software application that provides recruiting and hiring tools for companies, such as collecting, screening, and filtering job applications.
👍Note: If you're seeking a creative freelancing career, exhibit your creativity and uniqueness in your freelance fashion designer
resume or freelance
musician resume to get you noticed by the reviewer.Step 2: Adopt the right freelance
resume format.Here comes the next important and challenging step - opting for the right freelance
resume format among 3 types of
resume formats to best fit your professional level.
Now you may find your own answer below.🏷️ Chronological
resume formatFor this
resume format, work experience is greatly emphasized and arranged chronologically, starting with the most recent job and then gradually dating back to the earliest one.
Who should use this?-Professionals with considerable freelancing experience- Freelancers without career gaps
Example:-02/2019 - Present: Freelance copywriter | NHA Books- 11/2010 - 10/2018: Freelance copywriter | Copify Blog
🏷️ Functional
resume formatThe main focus is your skills and achievements rather than each work experience.
Who should use this?-New grads (Entry-level freelance
resume or freelance
resume with no experience)- Freelancers with employment gaps or in the middle of a career transition
🏷️ Combinational
resume formatWith this format, you can showcase both your skills and freelancing experience in reverse chronological order.
Who should use this?-Career changers (from office staff toward a freelancer)- Professionals with some freelancing experience
Example: Check out the freelance graphic designer
resume in the last part of this article.
No matter if you're a seasoned professional or a fresher, you can create a powerful freelance
resume using Cakeand get your dream job with ease!Try It Now
Step 3: Start with personal details and contact information.Obviously, the personal information (or
resume profile) section is your first opportunity to introduce yourself. Get it wrong at this early stage and you can miss the chance of getting an interview.
So, what personal details should or should not be included in your freelance
resume?✅ ShouldFull nameEmailPhone numberPersonal website (optional)LinkedIn (optional)❌ Shouldn'tDate of BirthIdentifying information (weight, height, gender, ID number)ReligionMarital status
Further reading:10+ Personal Details in
Resume SamplesStep 4: Create an intriguing freelance
resume title.Labeling yourself with a well-branded title can mark you as a strong candidate.
How? By stating your professional level and expertise in the field. This way, you are starting on the right foot and properly introducing yourself to the client/employer.
Examples of
resume titles/headlines for freelance jobs:Freelance marketing
resume: Content Marketing Freelancer adept at strategic marketing planning and digital marketing on social mediaFreelance architect
resume: Freelance Architect skilled in both residential and industrial constructionFreelance interpreter
resume: Experienced Remote Spanish and French Interpreter
Step 5: Craft a freelance
resume summary.This part is well-worth your time and effort as the reader can find it more convincing to dive into your freelance
resume after reading the summary statement.What to put in a professional freelance
resume summary:The summary of freelancing experience you've obtainedOutstanding accomplishmentsFreelancing skillsRelevant certifications
Examples of well-written
resume summary for maintenance jobs:Freelance translator
resume: Freelance Translator with a track record of success in translating documents and spoken words. Converses efficiently in Chinese, Korean, and English.Freelance video editor
resume: Creative and detail-oriented Video Editor with 8 years of hands-on experience in editing videos for business and individual clients. Adept at pre- and post-production editing and visual effects application with excellent time management and writing skills.Freelance
musician resume: Freelance
Musician Composer with a strong love and working-knowledge of music and music theory. 10+ years of extensive experience in orchestra, band, and theater settings, as well as teaching all age groups and ability levels.
💡If you are writing a freelance
resume with no experience and not sure what to write in the summary statement,this comprehensive
resume summary guide will help you out!Step 6: Include key skills relevant to the freelance job.Your freelancing core skills are divided into three basic types:Hard skills are technical knowledge or training that can be taught and measured, such as how to use certain software or tool.Soft skills are personal traits that make you a good member and colleague in the workplace, such as behaviors, communication, leadership, etc.Others: They can be any linguistic ability, knowledge, and hobbies you have.
Below are key skills to put in a freelance software developer
resume:Hard skillsJavaScriptHTMLCSSAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopSoft skillsAttention to detailActive listenerCommunicationResult-drivenCritical thinkingLanguagesEnglish (native)French (professional)
👍Reminder: Only list the skills that are beneficial for the freelance job you're targeting.Step 7: Highlight your best experience and accomplishments.When listing freelance work on a
resume, note the following things:Provide an accurate but brief description of what projects you worked on (job title, client name, date of starting and ending, and job duties).Quantify the results that you've achieved in your last jobs.Mention and tailor relevant work experience to the specific job.Use action verbs and keywords from the job description.Include references or testimonials to gain trust from the clients/recruiters.
Example of writing freelance work and accomplishments on freelance content creator
resume:Produced 5 SEO-friendly articles on Ragic blog on a weekly basis, generating approximately 130 new readers per month.Managed the daily content creation on Ragic Instagram, gaining 3000 followers after 2 years.
Step 8: List educational background.Does your freelance
resume need an education section? Of course, it does! But don't panic if your educational background is irrelevant to the freelance job you're applying for. You can also add any relevant training and online courses.Your education section in a freelance
resume should include:School/university nameDegree typeMajors minorsGraduation yearStep 9: Add an extra section to highlight your qualifications.Go the extra mile to make your freelance
resume stand out from the competition by adding any of the extras:
Linguistic abilitiesCertificationsHobbies and interestsVolunteer workAwardsSide projectsReferences
📝Reminder:Remember to only feature what is related to the job you're applying for.Step 10: Craft a convincing cover letter for the freelance job.At its most basic, the cover letter for freelance work is no different from a generic one.You will need to cover the following information in your freelance cover letter:Contact information: Full name, email, personal website (if any)Introduction: Who you are and what freelance job you're seekingMotivation: Why you intend to apply for this freelance workQualification: What skills and work experience you have that make you qualified for this jobClosing: Express an appreciation for the reader's time.
Further reading:Dos Don’ts of Writing a Cover Letter
Freelance
resume sampleKaylie HanesFreelance Graphic Designer with Extensive Experience in Print Design, Multimedia, and Photography.
[email protected](+890)-890-8900Upwork: Kaylie Hanes
Professional Summary
Highly creative and performance-driven Freelance Graphic Designer with 5+ years of work experience in a variety of industries, including education, fashion, cosmetics, tourism, and automobiles. Able to set up unique trends and visual strategies that revolutionize corporate branding. Committed to delivering the most satisfactory performance in deadline-driven and fast-paced environments.
Work Experience
Freelance Graphic Designer Photographer2/2015 - PresentClients: Fashion Nova, Merzy Beauty, Gopedia, Vinfast Group
Created logo and business cardDesigned printed and non-printed materials for company eventsDeveloped websites on different CMS platformsCreated and increased social media channelsHandled product photography and edited 6000+ raw photographs and videos
Key achievement: Rated 4.8/5* by clients on Upwork.
Web Graphic DesignerUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County09/2012 - 12/2014
Redesigned web design standards for 5 departments within the campus; achieving 87% overall satisfaction from students and ProfessorsAssisted with the modification of the UMBC logoDesigned web interface and printed materials for 20+ events such as Opening Convocation, TEDxUMBC, Summer Camp, etc
Education
BA in Graphic DesignUniversity of Maryland Baltimore CountyClass of 2010
Skill setPrint designBusiness cardCompany logoPoster flyerBrochuresMultimediaSocial media postVideo editingVideo photomontagesWebsite designPhotographyProduct photoshootBW photographyRetouchingPhotographic storytelling
Certifications
Graphic Design Certification by Cal Arts (Coursera), 2015
--- Originally written by May Luong ---