by Leo Wiles
08 October 2014
My partner is a very experienced editor / writer / researcher who has predominantly worked in London and Paris. Earlier in his career he worked in permanent jobs but switched over to work as a successful freelancer. He¹s recently moved to Australia and his professional network has obviously shrunk and he is struggling to get bites when he applies for jobs. We’re wondering how to improve his CV – and specifically, we were wondering if there is a succinct way to present freelance jobs within a CV? Permanent jobs are typically listed chronologically, but with freelance work there are many many organisations to list and varying types of work. Any thoughts? Kelly
Nearly every job we post on Rachel’s List asks for a CV, and as you point out a chronological breakdown of experience, starting with the most recent, is normally the way to go for most job seekers. Given that your partner’s overseas employees may not be instantly recognisable to an Australian audience it may best to go old school: Job title, skills required, goals kicked, e.g. if he increased circulation, saved money or increased loyalty through a column. If you’re going this route, state the facts before adding the company name and length of service.
For most freelancers with a large cache of experience, however, I would suggest presenting their experience as a skills-based resume that groups projects, companies or titles together that highlight your top skill sets. And, that best fit with the job they’re applying for followed by a brief chronological breakdown. It doesn’t matter if the freelancing gig was for two weeks or 50 articles over two years – pick the most relevant and highest-circulating titles and renowned publishing houses in line with the job you’re going for, before drilling down.
Mostly though, content stays the same – as does the fact that a well written curriculum vitae is amongst the most powerful tools in a freelancer’s job-seeking arsenal. So here’s our guide on how to write a freelance CV:
Keep on target – Read the job-listing. Mirror the tone and language in your cover letter and make sure that you have addressed ALL the criteria.
Keep it succinct – Two pages max, and one page ideal. This is easily doable with links to your kick arse online portfolio with its gallery of cuts, video, audio, images, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.
Keep it clean – Thanks to anti discrimination laws, date of birth and marital status are no longer required. Neither is the need to let them know that you will supply references and have a clean licence (unless necessary for the role).
Keep it simple, stupid – Infographics are out! White space, an 11-point font and easy to navigate layout are in.
Keep contact details top of mind – Top and tail your CV with your contact details, website address, Twitter handle and LinkedIn ID. And don’t forget to include the obligatory education, awards and other skills such as software you’re proficient in.
Keep away from white out – Spell check is there for a reason, so use it. And, don’t underestimate a fresh pair of eyes; either yours after a break, or a fellow freelancer to give it a proofread. It’s the best way to avoid grammatical mistakes slipping through.
Keep it searchable – Avoid templates and use everyday language to make your CV more SEO friendly to recruiters.
Keep on point – At any given time I have approximately three CVs on hand that are tailor made for the type of work I am actively pursuing, be it corporate writing, photography or reporting. I believe there’s no getting around the need to tailor make your CV for each potential job.
Keep it up to date – Like your career, a CV is a living document that needs to reflect who you are now – and showcases jobs that best illustrate the work you’re interested in doing in the future.
Keep it real – Tell the truth because the first thing a potential boss is going to do is plug your name into Google. Not for embarrassing photos from uni, but to see what you’re not saying and to prove that what you are promising to deliver you’ve already done.
Keep it relevant – Apart from your mum, no one cares about the first five inches below your name that are stuck in a scrapbook somewhere – or the eZine you contributed to in 1990 with a 10-page article about street kids. Especially if you’re applying to work at a glossy lifestyle publication.
Any tips you’d like to share in regards to keeping your CV relevant / updated when you’re freelance – and possibly do lots of ‘piecemeal’ jobs?
Awesome, thank you Leo. This is the top of my to-do list at the moment, appreciate you putting it together. And to think, I hadn’t even thought of linking out to my online profiles. Duh!