As a “writer” your resume needs to be perfect. No pressure. When you bid on a project, apply for a project, or submit your query letters to publications for consideration you must include your resume and writing samples. Unlike traditional professionals, resumes for freelancers must be the right mix of resume and sales letter. Traditionally, resumes come in three different formats: chronological, functional, or a combination of both.
Chronological
This is perhaps the most common type of resume. A chronological resume shows progression by outlining development and achievements over the course of your career, no matter how long you’ve been in the job market. The resume begins with an objective, followed by a chronological listing of employment and ending with education.
Functional
While employment history is going to be the bread and butter of a chronological resume, keywords and skills are the heart and soul of a functional resume. Instead of focusing on time and progression, a functional resume highlights skills acquired whether you use them or not. Basically a functional resume shows what you do, have done and are capable of doing. Begin this resume with your current occupation and skills then move into overall skills, followed by education, ending with a list of employment.Â
Combination
As the name implies this is a combination of the chronological and functional resumes. Combination resumes show the progression of your career as well as skill sets over time.
You would start with a profile of your current career as it relates to the job you’re applying for, and then detail your skills, as they relate to the specific job. Next, list employment followed by education.
What No Resume Should Be Without
Turn your resume into a sales letter by discussing how you solve problems and achieve results. To do this, pull job ads of interest from the Internet and study the wording. What skills are they looking for? What traits are they looking for? What problems do they need solved? What industry keywords are used? Add the relevant keywords and solutions to your resume. List specific areas of expertise on the resume that you learned on the job, or in school such as science, marketing, computer science, travel, etc.
