Writing a CV for freelance positions is a little different to that of permanent ones. Freelance CV's often have to accommodate lots of different projects and achievements therefore you need to ensure you structure things correctly, avoid gaps and display your information that shows you are an expert in your field.
Like all job applications keep in mind that the average recruiter spends only six seconds looking at these documents before making a decision, read on to get CV Writing tips that will help you create your perfect freelance CV.
Be Clear, Open and Honest
With the emergence of sites like Fiverr as well as other online gig platforms, freelancing is a big thing right now and is expected to get even bigger through 2019 and beyond. Working for yourself has never been more popular!
If you're looking to become a freelancer then you need a CV that reflects this and demonstrates to potential clients (not employers) that you are the expert they need to complete their assignments.
Be clear in your CV that you are seeking freelance opportunities (if you are open to permanent roles as well create a separate CV for this), highlighting yourself as a freelancing professional will help clients gain confidence in your ability.
It is important that you know what to include in a CV. Employers want to see your experience, accomplishments, skills and contributions towards projects including URLs, team sizes, budgets etc. The contract market is a competitive space however I must stress that it is important to tell the truth, an honest candidate keeps their integrity and will go a lot further in their career.
Include Samples of your Recent and Best Work
The timescales involved when hiring freelancers are quick, clients will often make a decision based upon recent projects, great samples and rates.
When writing your perfect freelance CV ensure that you include all relevant information that supports your application, this could include past work, blogs, published articles, websites, pdf's, designs or similar. Most freelancers will create a brochure or a portfolio highlighting their best work, and as tempting as it is to list every thing you have ever done you must remember the less is more rule and focus only on your biggest and best achievements - this will give potential clients the best snapshot of what you can do.
Most freelance projects are short, don't feel the need to overload your freelance CV with loads of text, keep each entry short, I'd say list the client, your job title, a URL or project headline and a single paragraph on the work you completed.
Like a traditional CV a perfect freelance CV should be no longer than 1 or 2 pages.
Make Your Best Clients Stand-Out
You want your CV to make an impression, therefore make sure you give pride and place to your biggest accomplishments with your biggest clients. Ask clients for testimonials and include snippets of this on your CV - this creative freelance CV includes a great testimonial at the top.
You still need to ensure your CV demonstrates a clear, clean layout (as you still want to beat the 6 second rule), but if you feel you can't give preference to employers then use your portfolio or supporting brochure or additional docs to support your application and highlight to a new client exactly what you can do.
Build Professional Profiles (and make it relevant).
A professionally written CV with a great design will help you get noticed but employers are looking for more than just experience, they want proof! When reviewing your CV they'll also be looking for a quick way to see beyond your projects. If you're a creative type then an online portfolio is an absolute must, perhaps you're a developer in which case an active Github or Stackoverflow profile is a necessity, maybe you're a Marketeer in that case social media is your friend (you must have a blog and a huge follower base, right?).
Support your application with professional profiles packed full of information a client wants to see, show that you are an expert in your field and actually providing advice to peers in your field.