Freelance Writers need a Resume
Freelance writers often think that their writing, and samples of their writing are enough to land a writing job. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Some publishers and employers actually want a resume in addition to samples or clips of your writing. Regardless of how well you write, you may not know how to put together the kind of resume that writers most often need.
A resume should include more than just your basic information and work history. It should tell a prospective employer or client more about you as a person. A writers resume should include certain elements that make this possible.
1. What is your specialization? Your resume should state what type of writing you specialize in, and what topics you specialize in. For example, you may specialize in technical writing. You may additionally specialize in content that covers mobile devices, under the heading of technology.
2. What can you bring to the employer, and what do you expect to get out of the job? This is known as you 'objective.' You should be able to clearly state, in less than five sentences, what you can bring to the employer, and what you hope to get out of the employers project.
3. List any awards you have won. If your writing has won awards, prospective employers and clients need to know this. This is not bragging. Instead it is visible, verifiable proof that you are an excellent writer.
4. Your work history and educational background. Make sure that each job that you list is relevant in some way to the work that you will be doing for the employer. Also, make sure that you can show how your education will play an important role in the job that you are applying for.
5. Be selective. When you write your writer's resume, there are somethings that you should omit. Prospective clients and employers generally have no interest in the work that you did in a fast food restaurant twenty years ago.
While you can get your resume started with a resume template, make sure that you are only using the template to get the information down. Do not submit a resume that looks like all other resumes to any potential employer. Make sure that yours stands out from the crowd. Also, make sure that the layout, spelling and grammar on your resume is absolutely perfect - you are a writer, after all!
