Freelance Writer Resume

Freelance Writer Resume Template

The resume of a freelance writer at Resume Genius

This freelancer writer resume was written by our content writer, Corissa Peterson, and helped her land an interview at Resume Genius (and ultimately, a job):

Why this resume landed Corissa an interview with Resume Genius

• Blog writing experience: Corissa demonstrated strong prior work experience writing for various blogs, including her own, which she built from scratch. Her blog achieved 1M+ impressions in the year before we hired her. Including quantifiable achievements like this gave us a clear picture of her accomplishments, so you should try adding numbers on your own resume to emphasize your prior successes.
• Impressive work ethic: Corissa highlighted her commitment to creating weekly blog posts, complete with photos and videos. This indicated her strong work ethic, which she demonstrated afterward at Resume Genius.
• WordPress experience: As WordPress is widely used to manage blogs, including here at Resume Genius, Corissa’s proficiency with the platform gave her a competitive edge. When writing your resume, check out the job description and list the skills you possess that appear in it.

How to write a freelance writer resume

The job market for freelance writers is highly competitive. To stand out, you need to pair your writing portfolio with a great freelance writer resume that shows employers why you’re uniquely qualified.

Follow these three tips to write a freelance writer resume that lands you your next big client:

1. Highlight your freelance writer skills

A typical day for a freelance writer includes discussing project details with clients, interpreting creative briefs, and drafting or editing written content. So a strong freelance writer resume should highlight your writing abilities, industry knowledge, and computer literacy.

However, your job responsibilities always depend on the type of writing services you provide and your area of expertise. Although freelance writers generally hold a relevant degree in English, Journalism, or Communications, a technical degree is considered essential if you write about specific topics like finance, technology, or healthcare.

To show employers you’re the right person for the job, showcase key hard and soft skills that are required to excel. For example, if you’re applying to be a blog writer, list key technical skills in your resume skills section, such as SEO optimization, keyword research, or proficiency in Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress.

Here are some important freelance writer hard skills:

• Research skills
• Keyword analysis
• SEO
• Marketing trends
• Google Drive
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
• Project management software (Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Planner)
• Google AdWords
• Google Analytics
• Adobe Systems (Creative Cloud, Photoshop, and Illustrator)
• Content Management Systems (WordPress)
• Coding languages (CSS, HTML, and JavaScript)
• Email marketing tools (MailChimp)

However, technical skills aren’t everything. Employers also seek freelance writers who are easy to work with. To prove you’re a reliable writer, highlight key soft skills throughout your resume, such as time management skills and the ability to take criticism.

Here’s a list of some additional soft skills employers seek in freelance writers:

• Reliable
• Organizational skills
• Creative thinking
• Active listening
• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Critical thinking
• Project management skills
• Multitasking
• Open to feedback

2. Customize your freelance writer resume to the job post

Most freelance writers pick up a variety of writing projects. Even if your writing portfolio is quite diverse, it’s still critical to modify your resume so that it aligns with the needs of each job you apply to.

For example, if you’re applying to a marketing agency, emphasize your marketing knowledge and experience within this field — advertising copy, website content, blog posts, and press releases.

Here are some ways to customize your freelance writer resume for each position:

• Highlight job-specific skills and experience in a strong resume summary.
• Research the company and take a close look at its content. Because employers seek freelance writers who can mimic their brand’s tone of voice, provide examples of similar projects you’ve worked on in your work experience.
• Analyze the job description to identify what the hiring manager is seeking, then emphasize these skills in your resume bullet points. Rather than describing your past duties, focus on what you’ve achieved.
• Choose the right resume format for the position you’re applying for. If you want to emphasize your relevant transferable skills for a role you haven’t held before, a skills-based resume will show them off better than a standard resume format.

3. Add hard numbers to your achievements

Before hiring you, employers need to know you’re reliable, efficient, and consistent in the quality of work you produce.

The best way to demonstrate what you’re capable of is by providing examples of your greatest achievements as a freelance writer, with hard numbers to show the precise impact you made.

Here are some examples showing how to quantify freelance work on your resume:

• Curated original front page daily click-through content, including fact of the day and quote of the day for over 160 straight weeks
• Remotely worked with local and international clients and wrote 1,500+ articles for blogs in the finance and healthcare niche, which enhanced traffic by 15%–25% per month
• Researched and authored 200+ content pieces for Forbes on career and coaching that reached 2M readers per month

Career tips for freelance writers

If you’re looking for ways to take your writing career to the next level, check out these tips by Sean Ogle from YouTube channel Location Rebel:

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Average freelance writer salaries in the US

After you’ve written your resume, make sure you use it to apply for jobs within a fair salary range.

The following table includes information from the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report (May 2024). Here are the ten states with the highest salaries for writers, as well as the national average for your reference when applying for work.