Your Freelance Resume: Focus on Experience

One of our readers has recently started working for a new client and is wondering how soon to list that experience on a freelance writer’s resume. Here’s my take on it:

Working as a freelance writer is not the same thing as being an employer. When you are preparing a resume for a job using a chronological format, you list the names of your previous employers and the dates when you worked there. When you are preparing a freelance writer’s resume, keep in mind that you are working for yourself, and the way you tell a prospective client about your work experience is a little different.

A prospective client is more likely to ask how long you have been freelancing and what kinds of work you have done than how long you have worked with a particular client. (It’s a good policy to make a point of not discussing your clients with each other anyway.) Some of your assignments are going to be one-time or short-term arrangements only, simply because that’s all the client needs.

If you’re wondering how soon you can list a new client on your resume (if you choose to name names, that is), I would say that you can put this information on your freelance writer’s resume as soon as you like. Rather than listing any of your clients by name, you can focus on the kind of writing you did and the topics you have written about, if appropriate.

You aren’t required to reveal how long you have written for a particular client. Your freelance writer’s resume should focus on what you have done, not who your clients are.