
Best Resume Templates for 2021 (14+ Top Picks to Download)
The best resume templates aren't just about fancy looks. They have to be sleek and professional. Their layout needs to show off your value. Here's what'll help.
You crank the words out like Stephen King on No Doz. Good, fresh, hot copy is your bread and butter. Show the hiring team you’re skilled with this sample freelance writer resume.
Sandra Sumiteru, Freelance Writer
sandra.q.sumiteru@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/sandraqsumiteru
601-303-7166
Fast, engaging freelance writer with 4+ years of experience. Skilled in content writing and journalism. Seeking to grow visitors and customers at Skyword. At Zety my articles help over 1 million readers a month. Regular contributor to Boys’ Life and HP Tech Takes. Published in Fast Company and Costco Connection.
Freelance Writer
Jan 2015–June 2019
1990–1994 Colby College
BA in Liberal Arts
Not looking for a resume for freelance writer jobs? Need a different resume for the creative life? See our guides:
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Sample Freelance Writer Resume—See more templates and create your resume here.
Here’s how to write a freelance writer resume that gets jobs:
Freelance writerswrite marketing and other content for clients. Unlike staff writers, they’re not on the company payroll. They generally work by-the-word or by-the-hour and may have multiple clients. A freelance writer resume should show skills in writing, research, SEO, and teamwork.
A poorly-written resume for freelance writer jobs can sink your career.
So—
Start with the chronological format of a resume. It’s the best of the three types of resumes. Why?
Because it puts a “you are here” pin in your career.
Here’s how to layout a resume:
There are alternatives to the standard resume format: hybrid and skills-based. They might come in handy if you worked for a lot of different clients.
Pro Tip: The better your clients and clips, the better your chances of getting hired. Take care building those sections. After work experience, put your most impressive stuff up high.
Writers know:
Brevity works.
So—
Be brief. Put your best selling points in a profile on your resume.
That’s just an elevator pitch for a job—a freelance writer bio.
Write the summary in your resume with:
Can’t point to writing wins like that?
A resume for freshers looking for their first job needs a resume objective.
Don’t panic. It’s the same as a summary, but your achievements will come from other jobs you’ve had.
Example: They need someone skilled in copywriting and you did a little of that in a marketing job. Put that in your beginner freelance writer resume.
Pro Tip: How long should a resume be for freelance writers with no experience? Even the experienced should use a single sheet. If you can’t, your writing skills look weak.
“Wow. I want to hire her.”
You can make the hiring manager think that.
First, learn how to add experience in a resume.
Don’t list all the job duties you’ve ever had.
Tailoring a resume to a job takes finesse:
Do that, and your freelance copywriter resume will fill all the blanks.
Pro Tip: Use action words for resumes like wrote, coached, and received. Those terms set you up to say what and how much you did—not just what you “handled.”
Don’t just list your education.
After your school, degree, and dates, do this:
Match the education on your resume to the job.
How?
With skills achievements you made in school.
Example: They need someone self-motivated and you’re a Watson Fellow. If you did that, put it in your freelance writer resume.
Pro Tip: Didn’t get a 4.0? Don’t sweat it. Leave GPA off unless you graduated recently. Or if you got high grades where it counts, say that.
Here are some skills to put on a resume for freelance writer jobs.
Need some technical skills for resumes for freelance writers? Use these:
Need soft skills too? Here are a few employers like:
Pro Tip: Don’t feel like you must list all the writing skills on resumes. Doing that will only make you look silly. Zero in on what’s important. The skills that top the job ad are your best bet.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Show you’re multi-faceted.
Do it with “bonus” freelance writer resume sections.
Try these:
Pro Tip: How should you show language proficiency on a resume for freelance writers? First, does the hiring manager need that skill? If yes, add it to your skills list and bullet points.
Did you start a degree but moved to freelance halfway through? You need to show the transition in your resume. See how with this guide: How to List Unfinished College on a Resume.
How important are cover letters for freelance writing resumes?
Earth-shakingly.
But so many are sooo bad.
Here’s how to write a good cover letter:
Finally, here’s how to write a follow up email: Make it zippy. Just say you’re following up and cite the catchiest part of your resume.
That’s it!
That’s how to write a freelance writer resume.
What drives you crazy about being a freelance writer? Did you try to hide that in your resume for freelance writer jobs? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d love to talk!
The best resume templates aren't just about fancy looks. They have to be sleek and professional. Their layout needs to show off your value. Here's what'll help.
Applying for a job via email? You need a perfect email cover letter (No, copy-pasting your regular cover letter will NOT do.) Check out this guide to see an email cover letter sample that gets jobs. Plus, you’ll get an email cover letter template you can adjust and use, tons of expert advice, and actionable cover letter tips.
In this guide you’ll learn *when* and *how* to use a general, universal resume. Plus, you’ll see an easy-to-use template you can copy and tweak in no time.