Do You Use a Resume as a Freelancer?
Over at WorkAwesome we recently had a look at 25 creative resume designs, some of which are more like brochures and other marketing materials than standard resumes. So it begs the question: do you use a resume as a part of your freelance business? Do you prefer to cast yourself as just another individual who submits a resume like everybody else, or position yourself as a business providing a service and refer clients to your website and other marketing materials?
I’ll confess that as a freelancer I didn’t even have a resume to use in the case that I needed one. In fact I whipped one up for Envato’s records a few months after becoming a full-time employee! What about you?
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Nope, no resume´ here. 3 years freelancing and I’ve only needed one once! I whipped one together relatively fast. I was offered the job, but ended up not taking the job because I just didn’t like that it was required!
I really don’t like the idea of them. I feel like a freelancer’s website is their portfolio and resume´. But, I often wonder if I’m alone in my principles.
Anyone else use them?
On occasion, I’ll be asked for one in a pretty casual manner, mostly because I tend to work with very small businesses or entrepreneurs who aren’t used to working with freelancers, and just want a bit extra than the website.
I tend to just simply make the resume a listing of areas of expertise and some marketing text about my favorite previous projects, and finally my contact information and website link.
So it ends up being more of a one-sheet than a real “resume”, per se
If they want something even more detailed than that, I simply send them my LinkedIn profile’s PDF, haha!
I sent in resumes in the beginning. Never got a gig through it. I started a blog and got active on Twitter and the gigs slowly started coming in.
Haven’t had to sent in a resume in over a year!
I have had some requests for resumes, and honestly I’m at a bit of a loss as far as why someone hiring a freelancer would want a resume, especially when I, like many freelancers, have a portfolio full of work for them to look at. A portfolio can offer so much more than a resume can, since a portfolio can have not only information on a person’s skills but examples of skills in use, and not only a list of prior employers, but actual examples of work done for those prior employers. I would think that a portfolio would make a resume obsolete, but so far a few employers have disagreed. I’m tempted to ask them why.
I use resumes as a regular part of my sales packet. I’m not a web designer or artist so I don’t have a portfolio to show clients. I do send writing samples when I make my follow-up calls if the prospect is interested in knowing more about my work, but that’s a second degree thing for me, not part of my initial contact. It’s a system that’s worked successfully for going on 15 years now, so I see no reason to change unless and until it no longer works.
I just updated mine, figured Why not just have one on hand.
The last time I updated my resume was in 2007.
I never had to have a resume for any freelance job. I think we need resumes when you apply for a full-time job only.
Isn’t a portfolio a sort of resume?
A portfolio isn’t a resume. Even if you’re not applying to jobs in the traditional manner freelancers still need resumes. It’s professional to feature on your website because it puts you next to the rest of job candidates–and like Joel said, sometimes employers ask for them.
Think of it this way. Companies speak in corporate language and that includes resumes. Even if you’re all about your “craft” and you’re creative, if you want to be professional and play with the big boys–and just improve your image–a resume is essential.
See my earlier posts on this:
http://freelanceswitch.com/finding/resume-basics-for-freelancers-part-one-get-objective-about-objectives/
I also have some clips of resumes I’ve written for clients at http:www.kristenfischer.com/clips.htm
Good luck!
I have a resume that I use when I need a full time job, other wise it is usually a look at my portfolio and word of mouth that has worked for me.
Nope. Why would a real business need a resume? People can see my work via my portfolio and some experience via linked in, however I consider myself a full and legitimate business, so no, I don’t use, carry or send any resumes ever.
I didn’t have a resume as a freelancer until a moment when I had to create one for people who wanted to hire me for a contract. I don’t like the idea of CV and I absolutely hate any form of motivational letter.
I’ve never used a Resume to get a Freelance Job. From my understanding, it is practically worthless for short term gigs.
Demonstration of your skills can only be done through a detailed portfolio.
How can anyone know the true level of your competence through a resume. If one line in a resume states “coded CMS from scratch using Codignitor”, what does that mean to someone who has no clue how that system looks or functions?
With the wide spectrum of specific skills, a portfolio with live/sample demos is far more credible than words on a resume that can be fabricated.
I would NOT hire a programmer, writer or designer who tosses a resume at me. I would hire the one who shows me a few apps, articles or designs he/she has done.
To further explain my point…a resume is for people who can’t show examples of their work very easily. A secretary cannot say..I answered 10000 phone calls, here the samples. Or I wrote 300 letters for my CEO, here’s the samples. Who knows if they are telling the truth.
How can you demonstrate your talent without examples, as a freelancer?
Put yourself in the place of the employer. You want to know the guy, his experience, where he worked, what he worked. So a resume make it easier for the HR people to find things about you, without need to research. You link through it to your portfolio and to other things/websites you made. It’s a useful piece of paper to briefly describe yourself.
I offer one on my website, but it’s really passive, and I don’t actively send it out. It’s just there just in case someone wants to see it. I figure it can’t hurt.
I have a resume and update it frequently. I also have a cover letter and revise that. I have my resume posted on my website and find that it gets a fair amount of visits. When I was sending packets via snail mail, I included a resume in every packet. I still include my resume when I am sending an e-mail to a potential client. I think resumes are important but from the answers you have posted, I seem to be in the minority. I guess until someone says they don’t want to see my resume, I will have it available online for all to view.
I’ve been freelancing for six years (full-time for two), and I have several versions of my resume at the ready, depending on whether the client wants a blogger, a copywriter, or a journalist. It has basically the same information but highlights different things based on the client’s need.
I’m always surprised when I hear freelancers say they’ve never been asked for a resume, because I often get this request. However, I do think it depends on how you find most of your clients. If you work mostly on referrals, then the client will probably just look at your website and hire you based on that and the strength of the referral. If you’re responding to an ad, my experience is that you’ll often be asked to submit a resume as well as samples.
I think this also correlates to the type of company. Creative staffing agencies usually want a current resume to keep on file, as do companies that mainly work with employees and are used to sorting through resumes. Smaller, more creative companies don’t generally care as much about resumes. Anyone agree or disagree?
There were clients that asked for my resume, but when searching for clients or applying for jobs I just needed to show them my blog, which is also my online portfolio.
I never used resumes in freelancing jobs.
The reason:
The nature of freelancing jobs. Most don’t ask and most freelancing jobs are not permanent. Most employers ask for a portfolio, but not a resume. Wouldn’t a resume beat the concept of freelancing being different than a job?
I mean some freelancing jobs are about quick response time, where the project creator wants the work done fast. How would he go through each and every resume?
I think the ‘ratings’ of freelancers substitutes the ‘resume’ function.
Nabeel.
I do NOT use a resumee – which is a somewhat different concept in Europe, anyway. BUT I do offer a Profile including an up-to-date project history of mine to anyone who is interested (and able to get around the anti-spam-protection)
This project history is being updated approx. twice to three times per month, mostly after being done with a project or starting with a new one.
cu, w0lf.
I have done freelance work for 5 marketing firms in the last 12 months and every one of them asked for a resume (which i have on my site) and references.. maybe it is just a Midwest thing?
I keep a resume on hand, in case it is requested (and it is sometimes). Sometimes you gotta keep the HR wolves happy. But I always include my portfolio attached to my resume.
Its also just a good discipline to update ones resume every 6 months or so. Makes you take a look at yourself.
Resume? Sounds like papyrus to me, lol. Being a full-time freelancer where I spend 90% of time online, everything about me is – online ( from LinkedIn, Facebook, to portfolio websites ). I think it’s greener too, saves on paper ( unless you send it through email ). I think resume still works with the usual or traditional office setting. When clients have more access to what you did with all the samples you put on the web, most often, a resume is just a formality. My two cents here.
I reckon a resume doesn’t do any justice to freelancers. A portfolio perhaps with companies you have worked for is much more effective.
A traditional resume is somewhat boring and I know I certainly am not excited to read people’s resumes. However a nicely formatted portfolio with a bit of creativity goes a long way.
A resume is not convenient in this line of business (design). As stated before, “it doesn’t do real justice” to our work, since it is hard to show them the work done properly, specially if there are some “interactive” designs that cannot be fully appreciated with just a “flat” image or description.
I think resumes are useful or not useful depending on who you are pitching too. Most of the time (especially when dealing with smaller entities), it just takes a portfolio of past work.
Its my personal experience that when i was completely relying on my resume to get a good job,i everytime got a failure.But when i engaged myself with twitter & gathered online resume marketing skills,i have got replies from three good firms.I do completely agree that our resume should be high tech designed in this stage of recession.
Just in case you are looking for a completely new career than the one you were into make sure that you mention vital points like things you are good at, what you love doing and what is your special trait something which an individual will pay you for.