Freelance Writer Resume: Sample and Full Writing Guide [20+ Tips]

Freelance Writer Resume Sample

Not looking for a resume for freelance writer jobs? Need a different resume for the creative life? See our guides:

• Writer Resume Sample & Guide
• Artist Resume Sample & Guide
• Graphic Designer Resume Sample & Guide
• Photographer Resume Sample & Guide
• Videographer Resume Sample & Guide
• Creative Director Resume Sample & Guide
• Self-Employed Resume Sample & Guide

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Sample Freelance Writer Resume—See more templates and create your resume here.

Here’s how to write a freelance writer resume that gets jobs:

1. Start With the Best Freelance Writer Resume Format

Freelance Writers write 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:

• Order the sections of your resume like this: 1) header 2) experience 3) clients 4) summary 5) clips 6) skills 7) other. You can also add books or niches.
• The best resume header shows your name in large font and “freelance writer.” (More on your job title in a bit.)
• List personal information on a resume like name, contact info, and social media. (You don’t need a street address, but you can add your state or city.)
• What’s the best font size for resumes? 10–12 point.
• Use a job resume format PDF, provided the client doesn’t neg them. PDFs are more presentable than Word resumes, and today’s machines can read them.

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.

2. Write a Freelance Writer Resume Objective or Resume Summary

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:

• An adjective (prolific, engaging)
• Title (Freelance Writer)
• Years of experience (4+, 5+)
• Goal (grow visitors and customers)
• Skills proof w/ numbers (1 million readers per month)

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.

3. Fit Your Resume to the Freelance Writer Job Description

“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:

• Pick business job titles that match the job you’re going for. (If they want a “freelance content writer,” don’t say you were a “freelance writer.”)
• Add examples of professional achievements to your work history, with numbers.
• Example: they need a prolific writer. You say, “Wrote 1,000+ high-traffic articles.”

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.”

4. Tailor Your Freelance Writer Resume Education Section

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.

5. List Freelance Writer Skills in Your Resume

Here are some skills to put on a resume for freelance writer jobs.

Freelance Writer Resume Skills

Need some technical skills for resumes for freelance writers? Use these:

• Content writing
• Blog writing
• SEO
• Sales writing
• Research
• Marketing
• Editing
• Meeting deadlines
• Engagement
• AP style
• Writing ledes
• Metadata
• Sourcing
• Fact-checking

Need soft skills too? Here are a few employers like:

• Interpersonal skills
• Spoken & written communication
• Efficiency
• Active listening
• Self-motivated
• Organization skills
• Computer skills
• Multitasking
• Professionalism
• Stress management
• Time management
• Teamwork

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.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

6. Add “Other” Sections to Your Freelance Writer Resume

Show you’re multi-faceted.

Do it with “bonus” freelance writer resume sections.

Try these:

• Activities
• Freelance projects
• Associations like ASJA
• Personal projects
• Volunteering
• Awards
• Conferences, especially if you spoke at them
• Honors
• Publications
• Compliments from clients
• Sports
• Personal interests

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.

7. Send a Cover Letter With Your Freelance Writer 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:

• Use the right freelance writer cover letter format (3 paragraphs).
• Write great cover letter openings by putting a big hook in them. Example: “When one of my videos earned $30 million in revenue...”
• Make your cover letter middle a showcase of why you fit the job.
• Put a promise in your cover letter conclusion. Example: “I’m excited to share with you why I get 1 million readers a month at Zety.”
• “How long should my cover letter be?” Make it 300 words or so.

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!