Answers to Your Resume Questions Part II (Freelancers take note)
Ok, so as you all may know, we have a lot of freelancers visiting DailyTelecommuter.com. Today’s remaining questions on resumes pertain to those of freelancers specifically.
1.) I used to freelance write and take pictures in addition to my full time jobs. I worked a temporary assignment as a copy editor. Is it acceptable to put this at the top of my resume as most recent position? Or is there a new heading I should be using instead of the general Professional Experience?
Really, it is up to you on how you want to portray freelance assignments in your resume. The key question to ask yourself here is: Is this particular freelance assignment related/relevant to the jobs for which you are applying? If so, by all means list it. Freelance jobs are legitimate as employment entries on your resume.
A couple ideas:
* Within the “Professional Work Experience” list your significant freelance assignments under one category of “Freelance Work.” Be sure to mention the company or client for each assignment.
* You can also list your freelance work under the job title of “Self Employed,” and do the same thing - list all relevant, important work experience by company or client.
Basically, the person that hires you is looking for experience related to the position at hand, whether obtained from a full time OR freelance job.
And remember, relevance is key. While you may include positions that are unrelated to the job for which you are applying, just be sure to keep the descriptions brief. You really only want to emphasize responsibilities and achievements related directly to the job(s) you seek.
2.) The publications in which my writing has appeared in the past are currently listed under “Additional Experience.” Is this suffice?
If you are a writer looking to take on more work, you should tailor your resume specifically to writing, which means including a separate “List of Publications.” It is advisable to include work that was actually published, but less experienced writers may include unpublished work here as well. If you have a lot of published work, be sure to separate the publications into different categories based on the genre for which you wrote.
In summary, writing freelance resumes is nothing other than self-promotion. You are encouraged to market yourself as a capable, intelligent freelance worker by demonstrating both personality and demeanor. Your resume is the perfect chance to advertise YOU as the best person the company/client can truly hope to get, making sure not to include any dishonesty.
Feel free to ask me any other questions relating to resume writing, or from working from home in general! I thrive with your feedback, remember! :o) Have a great weekend, all!
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Karissa, your articles have been really helpful lately! The series on taxes was particularly good. Thanks for all the info & keep it up!
Hi Jamie! Thank you so much. I’m glad to hear the articles have been helpful! :o)