Digitalization has transformed almost every sector of life, including the employment sector. Traditional 9-to-5 jobs are no longer a sign of professional and career success. Individuals can now work remotely and advance their careers. This new professional life allows individuals to express their skills and bring value to projects and companies.
However, do you consider freelance jobs a real job? Individuals often find themselves at a crossroads regarding whether to include such experiences on their resume. Others are still determining whether the experiences will benefit their career development. This guide explains why you should always put freelance work on your resume. You will also learn how to implement such a strategy to create a winning CV.
Reasons to Include Freelance Work on Your Resume
1. Expresses relevant work experience
Freelancing is about delivering value to customers and businesses on your terms. Adding freelance work to your resume equates to average work experience. This will further strengthen your work experience and highlight your expertise in the area desired by the employer.
2. Fills employment gaps
Getting a 9-5 job takes time and effort in today’s job industry. Competition causes unemployment for certain individuals. That’s where freelance jobs come in. Whether you work as a side hustle or full-time, including freelance work helps fill employment gaps on your resume and further strengthen your experience professional.
Adding independent work highlights your excellent commitment to personal and professional development. It adds expertise to your field and speaks volumes about your professional background. It also highlights your adaptability, resilience and goal-oriented enthusiasm.
3. Displays versatility
Remote work often requires flexibility and adaptability from individuals. Many projects will require creativity and the ability to face unique challenges throughout the work. Employers appreciate these people who demonstrate great versatility and adaptability.
Add freelance work to your resume is a great benefit for describing remote work experiences. It shows your ability to deliver exceptional results in varied contexts. It shows your expertise in digital tools, communication applications and project management software. For example, jobs that require graphic designers would like employees who have worked in a remote work environment because they are more adaptable to many job roles.
4. Shows entrepreneurial skills
Soft skills are now becoming an important driver for employers when looking for the ideal candidate. Having technical skills is now the bare minimum. Employers like people who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit and great initiative. The ability to successfully manage remote jobs demonstrates entrepreneurship.
The traditional workplace involves a lot of peer relationships and supervision, but freelancers demonstrate an additional skill set to work independently. They demonstrate the ability to take on autonomous roles and be resourceful on their own. Therefore, adding such freelance positions shows entrepreneurial skills.
How to include remote work to resume
1. Highlight your role perfectly
Start by identifying the exact role you played in the company. Provide a suitable job title, as you would for a conventional job. Show that you have worked as a freelancer by adding the word “freelance” before the job title. For example, “Independent Graphic Designer”, “Independent SEO Manager”, “Independent Backend Developer”, etc.
2. Add clients you have worked for
The competitive job market has created avenues for many desperate strategies, one of which is including imaginary self-employment on a resume. Recruiters often see clearly and undergo in-depth checks on applications.
Therefore, you need to prove your authenticity by including the clients you have worked with. This should be related to the role you played in the company. Although some clients prefer anonymity, as explained in their non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), you can find ways to reference them through formal requests.
3. Provide detailed details of the work/work performed
Explaining your work during independent assignments is an advantage for successful candidates. Employers want to know your conventional roles rather than specific information about results achieved. Use bullet points to highlight your many activities during your freelance work. Present, as best as possible, each role you played in the work performed.
4. Present projects and objectives
Companies that enable remote work are generally goal-oriented. They divide their schedule into specific goals that workers are expected to achieve. Another winning strategy for your CV is to include such projects and how you contributed to them. Be sure to add details such as:
- Objective and scope of the project
- Chronology
- Your entire responsibility
- Skills used
- Link to portfolio if possible.
5. Include the results obtained
Blowing the trumpet in the self-employment section of your resume is not out of pride but rather out of advantage. Employers receive many applications for the positions they advertise, and the only way to stand out is to ideally prove your expertise. Did you increase your company’s profit system by 20% after employment? Or, while working as an SEO manager, did you increase their organic traffic by 30%? Be sure to leave these details with you. Instead, include all of your accomplishments in your resume.
Use bullet points to list all the achievement records, key performance indicators (KPIs), awards, accomplishments, and positive feedback you received while working as a freelancer. Showcase any customer wins you helped achieve. The best strategy is to use numbers or statistics to highlight positive results so employers understand the depth of your expertise.
Example of Self-Employment Section on a Resume
Freelance graphic designer (contract), Sportnik, CO | 2019 – 2021
Creation of corporate flyers, posters and social media designs for the football sports space, focusing on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
- Successfully managed a large portfolio of graphic design requests, including print design for company products.
- Designed visually compelling graphics that drove a 20% increase in social media traffic and impressions.
- Professional expertise displayed in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator, to create high-resolution flyers within defined deadlines.
- Transferred players reveal flyers for Twitter and Instagram, leading to a 23% increase in social media engagement and revenue.
Conclusion
Adding your freelance work experience to your resume is a great choice and a strong statement announcing your expertise. It highlights your versatility in varied work environments and strengthens your professional identity. Self-employment enhances your value in the job market and gives you an advantage in today’s competition for employment. Whether you work part-time or full-time, be sure to include your self-employment section and position yourself firmly among the many applications.
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