How to List Freelance Work on a Resume

Listing freelance work on a resume is a great way to showcase skills and initiative, but there’s a right and wrong way to do it. Focusing on results proves that your experience brings benefits to prospective employers.?

Freelance work is an important piece of the puzzle when developing skills. It can also help creatives and consultants generate income in between full-time jobs. Freelance work can take many forms, but it is most common for writers, graphic and web designers, illustrators, and other knowledge professionals.

For some, freelance and contract work make up the whole of their professional experience. For others, it may be just something they pursue on the side. But the right kinds of freelance work can help showcase experience, skills, and growth.

Should a person list freelance work on their resume and portfolio? Absolutely. But being strategic about how that information is shared is key.

What is Considered Freelance Work?

Freelance work takes several forms, from one-off projects to a standing number of retainer hours. What makes freelance work different from other types of jobs is how it is performed. Most freelancers offer their services as outside consultants. They’re not a full-time or part-time employee of the company that hires them. This offers the freedom to set their own hours and rates, but the trade-offs involve missing out on employer-provided health and retirement benefits.

Still, the freelance life is alluring, with more than 59 million Americans freelancing in 2021. Many of those people still work traditional jobs, too.?

The Benefits of Adding Freelance Work to Your Resume?

The benefits of listing freelance work on a resume are obvious: It showcases skills, projects, and wins that don’t come from traditional employment. It also helps shore up gaps in a resume; for people who have trouble finding their next full-time role, featuring freelance work in a prominent position illustrates gumption and work ethic during downtime. It shows that an applicant:

• Possesses marketable skills and talents
• Does not just wait around for the next big thing
• Knows how to run and manage their own business
• Takes opportunities to grow outside of their “day job”

Even if the freelance work does not apply directly to a role, it can help illustrate development in soft skills and business management.

As job search expert Austin Belcak explains, “Take something that genuinely interests you and find ways to apply it to the real world. Start an Instagram page for your photos, build a website, create and share your music on Soundcloud, try to freelance on Upwork, etc. These look amazing on resumes and can lead to some great side income.”

How to List Your Freelance Work

The most important part of listing freelance work is to reflect the time spent. Most of the time, that means using terms like “contract,” “freelancer,” or the ever vague but usually impressive, “consultant.”

In addition to listing the job title, it makes sense to come up with a company name to share on the resume. If there is no established business or legal entity for freelancing, this step can probably be skipped.

How should freelance work be listed on a resume? Experts suggest three common schools of thought:

• Only include projects that involved a minimum of three months of work
• List everything and lump small projects together to save space
• List every single item in detail

The first approach saves space and keeps line items to a minimum, but it may not illustrate the breadth of experience. The third runs the risk of making a resume too long for a hiring manager to want to read. The second theory of listing major projects and condensing smaller tasks into one job often makes the most sense.

No matter how freelance projects are listed, clear and precise language is important. Cut down on jargon, avoid complex words, and strike a balance between knowledgeable content and being too verbose.

Include Clients You Have Worked For

Including previous clients — wherever possible — provides concrete examples of companies that have trusted freelancers to do work for them. In some cases, it may not be possible to list clients specifically due to non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or other provisions. In these cases, it is possible to make oblique references to the company in question. Speak to their verticals if they can’t be named directly.

Add Projects You Have Worked On

Showcasing examples of projects demonstrates competency in a variety of skills, especially if each project is different. Where possible, list out projects worked on. Include details like:

• Scope of the project(s)
• Timeline
• Project budget
• Overall responsibilities, especially if they include team leadership or mentoring others

When discussing projects, highlight the skills used for these projects. A best practice for including projects is to link to a portfolio that offers more information.

Make Sure to List the Results

Projects and clients offer a track record of references, but results are one of the most important items to include when listing freelance work. Asking and answering the following questions shows proof of value to an organization seeking a freelancer’s talents. Common elements to list can vary based on the type of work, but they usually include:

• Key performance indicators (KPIs) impacted by the work
• Awards won as a result of the work
• Positive feedback from client contacts, where applicable

Omit details about rates charged or any results that don’t show a clear win for the client. Including this information can do more harm than good.

Whether it is freelance work or career experience, job search educator Rob Kim says specificity is key. “Use numbers or metrics to quantify your result” and “shine a light on your accomplishments so they reveal the magnitude of what you have to offer.”

Examples of Freelance Work on Resumes

Find sample freelance work descriptions below. Client names are excluded on purpose, but many of the details make sense for a variety of projects.

Social Media Management Consultant (Contract), Denver, CO | 2016 – 2018

Created social media content for a client in the fashion retail space, focusing exclusively on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.?

• Increased impressions by 45% and engagement (likes and shares) by 35% over the course of two years.?
• Helped support paid social campaigns by designing graphic elements for use across multiple platforms.

Freelance Copywriter, St. Louis, MO | May 2021 – July 2021

• Developed and wrote digital marketing content for a diverse set of clients in industries including banking, insurance, e-commerce, and real estate.
• Increased SEO performance for focus keywords, including on the first page of the search engine results page (SERP).

There are multiple ways to include your freelance experience on your resume. Choose the version that best highlights your skills and accomplishments and helps you stand out to potential employers.

Top Takeaways

How to List Freelance Work on a Resume

• Freelance work can highlight skills, cover gaps in work history, and show initiative.
• Freelance history should share key project details and positive results.
• Where possible, name-drop clients and projects to showcase experience with leaders in an industry.
• Customizing resumes based on the needs of positions or companies can help differentiate applicants from other candidates. Take the opportunity to stand out.

(Reporting by NPD)