When you’re in the freelance market, it’s difficult to create a resume because you don’t work for just one company. In fact, a typical week may contain work for four (or more) companies. This can make building resume challenges. Freelancing also has an added layer of difficulty, because for many they are almost always having to be on the lookout for new jobs. However, there are a few ways for you to make your resume stand out with a potential employer.
Provide Only the Necessary Information
A good resume should only be a page long. If you have a significant amount of information to share, it can extend to a second page. Since you don’t have a lot of space to work with considering your contact information has to go to the top, you need to be selective as to what you include.
You don’t need to include a full paragraph to identify your objective, every job you have ever worked, every award you have ever won, and a long list of your hobbies. It’s simply not needed.
Instead, focus on the information that is necessary. You may want to customize your resume for every type of position you are applying for so that you can highlight the most pertinent information. Ladders explain, “include several success words that will quantify more about what you do and how well you do it. Success words are variations on just saying, “I did it”. Make your verbs active verbs and not passive.”
Use a Simple, Skimmable Design
Having a unique resume is important, but it’s also important to not deviate too much from the norm. College America explains, “a key element to creating a standout resume is to make sure the layout promotes easy readability.” If potential employers have to search everywhere for the information they are looking for, they’ll simply skip over your resume entirely.
Don’t go overboard with bright, bold colours. While you may be tempted to stand out from all of the other resumes, it will do so in a negative way. Stick to the standard resume templates to ensure that you are giving hiring managers what they need in a way that they can read it quickly. If you provide enough information that gets their interest, they’ll contact you to learn more.
Include Relevant Experience
Make a Living Writing explains, “with the upcoming recession for freelancers, many are looking to focus on jobs with big companies to avoid any kind of gap in work. When this is the case for you, be sure to include relevant experience for the job you are applying for.”
Don’t hesitate to include a list of clients you have worked for and their websites so that a potential employer can see your work.
In the end, building a freelance resume is similar to any other resume. Focus on the information that is relevant and keep the design simple.
If you’re looking for a new job, see how Vested can help!