How To Create A Writer's Resume Your Potential Clients Will Love

When searching for work online or offline, it is necessary to have a resume. The same is true when you apply to freelance writing jobs. Most reputable clients want to see a resume as well as samples of your work. A writer's resume however, is unlike a traditional resume. Many writers have several resumes highlighting different aspects of writing and experience. Also unlike a traditional job, online clients do not have time to read through hundreds of lengthy resumes. The key to creating a writer's resume your potential clients will love is to keep the resume short while highlighting your skills as a writer.

Give the client as many ways to contact you as possible without going overboard. Ideally you want you name in bold text at the top center of the resume. Under your name, type in your mailing address and on the next line your contact phone and fax number. Now I know some people that say, “I'm not giving out that information”. Look at it this way, you're not blasting this over the web. You are sending it to a potential client. The fourth line of the resume, under the phone and fax numbers, should be a link to your website/blog and your email address. To save valuable space, use 16pt font for your name and 12pt font for the rest of the information.

Skip down about four lines and begin listing your qualifications for the particular position. This is where many writers have several different resumes. Under qualifications, list how many years you have been writing or editing. List the different types of writing which you have experience writing. Highlight any other areas that might not be directly writing, but related to the business. For example your knowledge of SEO, Wordpress, social marketing, and desktop publishing are all attributes that help make you a well-rounded writer. Your qualifications and your contact information are above the fold and the first thing the client sees when they open your email. Create a strong set of qualifications, and you will hook the potential client to look further down the page at your work history.

This is another area where writers will have several resumes on hand. For example a writer who is contacting a client about a garden article, might show more garden or horticulture related job experiences in one resume. They will also have another resume geared toward clients who want business related content that highlights their business writing.

Unlike a traditional resume where you would go into great detail about each position, you want to keep the work history in your writer's resume to about two or three sentences per position. If you have been freelancing for awhile, simply put “Self-Employed Writer”, “Blogger” or whatever the position was as the employers name. Follow that with clients names and contact information with a very brief description of the projects you completed. Include any brick and mortar job experience that directly relates to what the potential client is looking for in a writer.

As with a traditional resume, you want to list your education and highlight any academic achievements. Include any relevant education as pertains to writing as well as the standard educational achievements.

Round out your writer's resume with any awards you have received as a writer. This is also a good time to make the client aware of any journalistic or writing memberships.

Once you gather all of this information and compile a well-rounded writer's resume, don't forget to include at least three samples of your writing. If you don't already have samples, write a few articles specifically for samples. Ensure that your samples show off your dazzling expertise as much as your writer's resume.