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If someone told me when I created my first resume at age 22 that I could never, ever, ever change the format, I wouldn’t have used Comic Sans.
Of course, you can change the format of a resume—but it always feels like a massive overhaul. It’s far easier to just make slight tweaks to your first one, until the formatting is so wonky that you have to add a bunch of extra spaces to get it to render normally as a PDF. Are you getting the impression that I hate editing my resume? You are correct.
One of my favorite parts of self-employment is that my resume isn’t the be-all-end-all of my career. I have one, but potential clients often look at my online portfolio instead, so I sometimes go months without updating it.
However, this can backfire. Once in a while, someone asks—and then it’s a real scramble to update my resume for that exact opportunity. So many extra spaces! As such, I want other freelancers to learn from my mistakes—keep your resumes up-to-date, in case a new client asks, or in the event that you want to find a full time job. According to an informal Twitter poll of 159 people, 60% of freelancers are either actively or passively seeking full-time work. So, it helps to stay ready.
If you’re self-employed, read on for tips on how to update your resume.
Focus on Skills
As a freelancer, you’re not going to have the same type of work experience as someone in a traditional job—you won’t have years in one role or at one company to point to. However, what you do have is a plethora of skills and experiences that come from balancing many different clients at once—so hone in on that. Make sure your resume captures your breadth.
“A skills-based resume, instead of a chronological one, can help you zero in on key pains expressed in a job description,” recommends Jean Leggett, Career Joy Strategist. “Emphasize the skills and experience that are directly applicable to the work you are pursuing.” Essentially, if as a freelancer, you’ve encountered clients with all types of pain points. Have your resume reflect the skills you’ve developed to solve these problems.
Get Specific
“Freelancer” is such a general term—I’ve been one for six years, and I’m still not sure what it means. Therefore, you need to get specific—demonstrate your skills through tangible examples. Include a link to your portfolio website or attach samples of your work to your resume. This will give employers or potential clients a clear idea of your capabilities.
“Tailor your resume to showcase your expertise in specific areas,” says Leggett. “Someone who freelances as a video producer work may categorize their work into pillars: content development (what have you made?), technical proficiency (what tools are you great with?), and communication and collaboration (how do you work with team members, stakeholders, etc).” The more specifics you can provide, the better—you want your future client or employer to have an easy time picturing you in the role.
Include a Summary or Objective Statement
As a freelancer, it’s not easy to summarize your career. I contain multitudes, okay?! A potential client or employer might not know exactly what box you fit into. This can be a good thing, if they’re looking for a jack of all trades. But it can also hurt you, if they don’t know how to define you. Therefore, I recommend a resume summary or objective statement—for everyone, but especially freelancers—to give a quick overview of your career.
Start your resume with a brief summary or objective statement that highlights your main strengths and career goals. Remember, anyone who wants to hire you has to pitch you to several other people, so make their job easier.
Incorporate Client Testimonials
As a self-employed person, you’re basically pitching yourself as a service to new clients. Sorry for the objectification, but it is true.
So, let them know what the reviews have been thus far. If you received positive feedback from prior clients, consider including a section for testimonials or recommendations. These can provide social proof and validate your skills and work ethic. Especially if you’ve always been a freelancer and you don’t have a former boss to give a reference—your past clients are the closest you can get.
Details, Details, Details
When it comes to your resume, you can never be too careful. Tailor your resume for each freelance opportunity you apply for. Carefully review the job description or client requirements and modify your resume to align with their specific needs.
Before sending out your resume, thoroughly proofread it for any grammatical errors, typos, or inconsistencies. Consider asking a friend or colleague to review it as well to catch any mistakes you might have missed. And of course, ask ChatGPT to catch errors. It might not do a great job, but it’s always worth trying to put the robots to work.
Update Early & Often
This is such annoying advice, I know, but it can help you keep track of what needs to be added—and prevent any skills or work experience from slipping through the cracks. If you take on dozens of new work projects a year, regularly updating your resume ensures the important ones get the space on the page they deserve.
Resumes are frustrating to create. But until AI can do them perfectly, it’s still our job. Just because not all clients ask for them doesn’t mean their not important. So sit down in front of your computer and get ready to find some typos. Good luck!
