Freelance Writer Resume – (How To Create It + 2 Samples)

freelance writer resume - featured image

As the freelance market gets stiffer, writers need to use strategies that set them apart from the competition.

For this, a professional freelancer’s resume can come in handy.

While many people may not realize its importance, a good resume can help you win better jobs.

So, I have compiled the best ideas on how to create an impressive freelance writer’s resume to help you out if you don’t have one already. You’ll also get 2 free samples at the end!

 

How To Create a Freelance Writer Resume?

The purpose of a resume is to showcase your skills and expertise precisely so prospective clients or employers can evaluate your eligibility.

Therefore, it should consist of sections that explain your skills. Let’s discuss these, shall we?

1. State your name and contact details

Place your name in the resume header, written in a larger font, and highlighted. It will be the first identifying mark of your document, whether printed or in digital form.

Below that, you can include your location and contact number. You can also add an email address to make it easier for clients to reach you.

This brief introduction is more than enough for the client, especially if you’re applying for a remote job. After all, your skills and work experience matter the most, and you need to focus on them.

woman deciding resume format

2. Set your format

If you’re writing the resume yourself, you need to focus on the formatting to give it a clean and professional look. If your resume is sloppy in the first place, you’ll automatically lose the job.

Here’s what to do:

 

3. Write a summary or objective

A resume summary will be the first thing to add. It will briefly introduce you to the client as a person and not just a name.

As the summary should be no more than 2-3 lines, it’s important to use the fewest words possible to describe your experience and expertise. The client should immediately know that you’re the person they’re looking for once they read it.

Writers may also opt to write an objective or mission statement that will include a broad range of credentials and other things like membership rates, traffic rates, etc. if you’re a blogger too.

man working on his resume

4. Expound on your work or project experience

While adding your experience to the resume talks about your professionalism, going out of the way can make you lose the job.

For example, don’t put too much emphasis on the odd jobs you did when you were in college. Instead, highlight any jobs you did that are relevant to the client’s requirement and their business niche.

If you’re currently writing for blogs and magazines, make sure you add the brand name too. It will be a huge plus!

 

5. Flaunt your skills

For a content writer’s resume, writing is not the only skill you need to mention. Many other skills or qualities can be mentioned to increase your chances of being hired.

Apart from writing plagiarism-free and grammatically correct content, here are other skills of content writers that many clients appreciate:

These are just some of the soft skills that I think clients love to see in their writers. They might not directly relate to writing per se, but they play a significant role in getting the work done right.

Apart from this, if you have any technical skills like email marketing tools and keyword research tools, don’t forget to mention them.

They can help you stand apart from other writers, even if you don’t have enough experience.

thinking what to add in the resume

When highlighting past achievements in your resume, it’s a good idea to list them in reverse chronological order. Start from the most recent and work your way back.

6. Highlight your achievements

If you’ve done content writing work in the past, make sure to add that too. Past work is an excellent way of winning clients while pitching for jobs in a competitive market.

However, you might have many accomplishments you are proud of, but you need to stay in line with the job requirements.

After all, the client only wants to read what applies to their job post. If you add irrelevant things, it’ll just take up more space, and the client may lose interest.

Another great and effective idea is quantifying your achievements. For example, you can add the number of articles you’ve written in the past and the percentage increase in website traffic you were able to accomplish. Let’s take a few examples:

Such achievements will prove your credibility in the fewest words possible, and you’ll increase your chances of getting hired.

 

7. Include your education

While your education may not necessarily help you win jobs, it can show your certification and capability to some extent.

Including your educational attainment can be beneficial. For example, most clients need an expert when writing health-related articles, and if you’re a doctor or a nurse, mentioning your education can be the best idea!

So, it’s better to describe your education and the school you’ve graduated from, especially if your degree is relevant to the job requirement.

Related Article: How To Create a Freelance Writing Portfolio From Scratch

resume template samples

A composed screenshot of some of the great-looking customizable templates from resume.io

8. Make your resume printable and visually appealing

With so many online templates available, it would be foolish not to make your resume attention-grabbing.

Some of them can be downloaded for free, while others would require a minimal fee so you can get a high-resolution copy of your resume. You can customize these templates to your heart’s content to make them uniquely yours. Besides the texts and images, you can also alter the colors, re-arrange the layout, and add or subtract objects in the templates.

Besides Canva, you can also check out resume.io, which is one of my favorites, as it has a feature wherein you can connect your social media profile to automatically use the info you already have there. Saves you a lot of typing time.

You can also check out zety.com, and cvmaker.com. There are many others that offer these services but you can already view or access hundreds of templates from the sites I’ve mentioned.

canva resume builder

This is a screenshot from Canva’s Resume Builder page. As you can see, they offer dozens of templates you can use to make your own resume eye-catching.

Freelance Writer Resume Samples

You have several options for building a content writer resume. While you can build a resume on Microsoft Word, Google Docs and Canva are also better options. Here are 2 samples you can pattern for your resume.

 

Sample #1

Amanda Caroline

Freelance content writer

(+64)-000-000 | yourname@email.com | United States

Summary

A freelance content writer with 2+ years of experience and crafted 1500+ articles in different niches. I specialize in keyword research and digital marketing and can deliver 30 articles every month. Currently seeking a position in (company name) as a marketing expert to increase organic traffic.

Experience

Freelance writer

The Content Master, 2018 – present

Content writer

Craft Your Ideas, 2019 – 2021

Skills

Achievements

Education

Bachelor of Arts | University of California, 2014.

 

Sample # 2

David James

Experienced content writer

(+94)-001-001 | myname@myemail.com | NYC, New York

Summary

Experienced copywriter and content writer with 4+ years of experience crafting content in the digital marketing and email marketing niche. I have SEO and keyword research knowledge and am enthusiastic about adhering to deadlines and producing compelling articles in various niches.

Experience

Guest writer

The Online Community | 2017 – 2018.

Content writer

Write The Blogs | 2019 – Present

Skills

Education

The Online University | 2020 – Present

 

Final Words

Once you have a detailed guide to writing a content writer resume, crafting a job-winning one isn’t that difficult. I have explained a complete guide to help you with it.

You can also use the provided samples or a resume builder like Google Docs or Canva for a professional-looking resume.

Rafal Reyzer

Hey there, welcome to my blog! I'm a full-time blogger, educator, digital marketer, freelance writer, editor and content manager with 10+ years of experience. I started RafalReyzer.com to provide you with great tools and strategies you can use to achieve freedom from 9 to 5 through online creativity. My site is a one-stop-shop for freelance writers, bloggers, publishers, content enthusiasts who want to be independent, earn more money and create beautiful things. Feel free to learn more about me here.