How to List Freelance Work on a Resume: Step by Step Tips

Are you a freelancer who's been looking for some help with figuring out how to list freelance work on your resume? If so, this article is just what you just need!

There are a lot of different ways to list freelance work on your resume, and it can be confusing especially if you've only been freelancing for a short time.

That's why we're going to go through all the steps one by one in order to get you back up and running as soon as possible.

Why you should list Freelance work in your resume?

Listing your freelancing work on your resume can help you show that you are not out of the job for a long time.

It shows that during the gap, they weren't unemployed but were still building up their skills and experience through freelancing. So basically it's showing them that they're hiring someone who is always looking to improve themselves.

It can also show the type of skills you have to offer. For example, if someone is looking for a creative person, having an extra section that has all the projects you've worked on in detail will show them that they are hiring someone who understands what it takes to build up their brand through marketing and PR.

It helps you get your foot in the door for other job opportunities, sure it might not be a full time one but if they see that you're looking to grow then maybe there will be other positions available for them or at least an opportunity where you could prove yourself and gain more experience through extra projects.

Where to list the freelancing works?

First thing's first, let's start with your resume. The very first part of the work experience section is where you should list all your past job positions and companies that you've worked for.

So underneath this line, you can list all your freelance work. It is only for the freelancing that you did on a consistent basis, if it was just one-off jobs or projects then this would be better suited in another section of your resume called 'hobbies' or something along those lines.

If you've decided to do so and added anything that you've done in the past then you should list all of your previous jobs first and work backwards.

This way, it's showing that you're trying to go back to full time employment instead of just freelancing where anyone could see this section.

I know this might sound a little confusing but it's really not that hard. I've written the steps for you to follow along with, so let's get started!

How to list Freelance Work on Your Resume- Step by step guide

1. Chronological Order

Mention your freelancing works according to the  order of your resume. Do not forget to highlight the contract works as it is going to show that you are a hard-working person and have been looking for full time employment all this while instead of being unemployed.

If someone wants to hire creative people, they will see from your freelance projects what type of skills you bring in along with a sense of creativity.

2. Skillset

Freelancing is a great way to gain some experience and also earn while you are getting settled into the new environment.

You can easily get more new projects if someone likes your work- this means that they will be willing to pay you higher than normal rates for your services because of all the hard work you put in!

You can further divide your skills into sub-sections with bullets, which will give you the chance to be specific about what it is that you can do.

For example, if someone wants a writer for their blog they might not want to see freelancing experience in advertising or PR because this means nothing to them.

If there are different types of writing, such as copywriting and writing for social media then you can specify what it is that you know how to do.

Your ability to self manage and self discipline is also a key factor, so if you can show that yourself and manage your time and work then it will be an added advantage.

3. Mention the Clients and Companies You've worked for

The client details shows the weightage of your work, so it is very important to list your clients on your resume. If some of them are well known then this can be a plus point while applying for other jobs.

If someone asks about more details- provide with full information in an email or during interview time where they ask questions related to freelancing work experience.

Mention the companies you worked for, whether it was a start-up or established company. If you've been working with someone who is well known in the market then this will be an added advantage.

While applying to jobs at different places because they might have seen your work already and know that you are capable of doing great things.

4. Project Accomplishments

List all your projects, tasks and work you did to make these freelancing works happen.

Give a brief overview of the project so that reader could get an idea about what it is exactly they are looking for.

Highlight key skills used during this process as well- further shows how proficient you are in different areas/skillsets which will make it easy for the employer to see if you would be a good fit.

You can mention all the details of your contract work as well if you have completed a project successfully.

If there were any problems faced while completing this task, then highlight what those issues were and how you tried to solve it- whether individually or with some help from someone else.

This way they will get an idea about your problem solving skills as well. Listing your freelance experience on resume makes it easier for them to contact and hire you in future.

This way, they get an idea about what kind of work you can do which helps them draw their conclusions faster because there is less guesswork involved!

5. Professional Outlook

You can mention the way you've been working on different projects and tasks- whether it was full time or part time, what all skills did you use to make this happen etc.

This ensures that they get a clear idea about who you are as an individual along with what kind of work you can do.

If they find anything on your resume which is not up to their mark and what exactly they are looking for, then it would be better if you could explain this in an interview or via email.

Because that way the employer doesn't have to take a risk with someone who might be good at creative work but has no idea about managing themselves.

6. Keep Higher Standards

Don't include any work that you did for free, or at lower rates just to get your foot in the door.

This is not what they are looking for- if anything it devalues your experience so be sure to leave this out of your resume because all they want to see is how good a freelancer you truly are!

Be serious about what you  are applying for and only list freelancing work you are proud of. This is your chance to prove that not only can you do the job but also excel at it with all your experience!

7. Impactful Structure

Traditional plug  and play structure doesn't work here- you've got to make sure that the way your resume is laid out makes it easy for them to read.

What exactly are they looking for? Mention all the key points related to freelancing on one page, this will ensure that everything is coherent and there's no confusion about what kind of information they want.

Make sure that you list your freelance work in a way which is impactful to the reader. Don't just put all your freelancing experience under one section- it will look like an afterthought and not be as effective.

Instead, break up different sections of your resume so that each area can have its own focus depending on what kind of work it is.

8. Add metrics to your accomplishments

Adding metrics to  your resume is always a good way to show people what you've achieved.

If your work included sales, then mention the number of sales made during that time period or how much money was earned by this particular client because it will give them an idea about how proficient you are in different areas- all within one section!

This can be done with any other form of work as well- such as the amount of video views, conversions etc.

Make sure that you mention figures and percentages to show how big your accomplishment was during each time period!

Conclusion

The  way you present your freelance work on a resume will show the employer what kind of person you are and how good you would be for their job. Each section should have its own focus so that it can stand out as unique!

When writing about freelancing experience, make sure to include all the details such as who this was done for and what kind of task was completed. Try to keep the resume impactful and avoid including any work that is not up to par.