I have a problem in the sense of a traditional resume. I have been doing the freelance writing thing part time for a couple of months earning very little per project. I would like to move up on the scale a bit, but I keep coming across jobs asking for resumes. Since I have only been freelancing for a couple of months with clients coming from DP, how do I piece together a resume? Is the format the same as a traditional resume?
put together a few samples of your work and places/sites you have wrote for also what your main interests are when im looking for long term writers i like to get to know them and what niches they prefer to write about
How about format? Could some one give me some sort af template type resume to send according to pixeladd's suggestion?
Google is your friend, look at resumes and look at writers websites who do simillar things, and look at what they do, also an online resume/example site with a good domain will always impress potential clients out there. Just my 2 cents. Shmoe
yeh just like a normal CV put your experiance down il ask some of my writers if i can send u there resume's as a sample
Make sure you customize your cover letter and resume for the specific job. If you're sending basically the same thing to multiple places, you're doing it wrong. For instance, your package for a job for a real estate web writer should look remarkably different from a job for a travel magazine editor. And be creative. Stay inside the "corporate" resume box at your own peril.
Yes. THINK. What would they want in a writer and what do you have that you can show them that would impress them. Keep in mind that PEOPLE, not robots look at resumes. So don't get bogged down with format and structure and corporate customs and whatever.
Something like this? This is hard since I have only written articles and web copy for people on DP. I am not feeling too good about this
Everyone has to start somewhere . Attach some samples and go for it. You might get rejected 4-5 times [Possible exaggeration] or more, but you'll know what you're doing wrong, correct it and land something good.
Better to have written and gotten paid. The fact that those two websites trusted your writing skills is a good start. I suggest you also include the "effects" or "results" of your web content or articles - i.e. state if the website garnered more traffic because of your optimized copy or if the website owner liked your work so much that he placed a $5,000 order or something
If you can't (or don't want to) do your own resume / cover, then pay someone to do it. The world is full of talented people who specialize in this or that. Just because you're a writer doesn't mean you're ability to do every possible writing-based task well. I know plenty of writers who think they're producing good resumes /covers, but really aren't.
If you can write a headline for an ad, you can do a killer resume. Think target audience. I did a one fold style with a headline on the outside and bullet points that benefited my audience. I only made one and sent it to the guy. He called me the moment it landed on his desk. He loved it. It stood out because it was different but it wasn't just about ME. It was about what I could do for them. So instead of "I know how to isolate your target market." It was "I can help you define your target market, focus your communication efforts so you spend less to bring in higher converting customers." The standard resume is too boring for this market. I did my cover in publisher.
I'll gladly disagree to a point. You've got one piece of the puzzle there. Your resume package is as much about document design as it is the copy. Just because you can do one doesn't mean you can do the other (if you can do both, sweet). Point is, it takes solid document design and copy. Think of chefs. They focus on two things--food and presentation. Both are required. It's like creating the best freaking piece of jewelry know to man and then packaging it in a rainbow-colored paper sack with yellow wording that just says "jewelry." The best copy in the world goes south in a hurry without great document design.
I put a resume together the best I could. I vasically took some of the ideas on this thread and put them to work. I uploaded the word doc. to my site. You could see it at http://www.writtenstyle.com/cv.doc It is not 100% complete as of yet. I would like some input and some critique. I could even use a little critique on the samples listed...privately please Thanks for all your help.
OMG my eyes hurt from looking at this. Oh, you said "privately." Just kidding of course. I don't really have time to teach these days, but I'll shoot you 1-2 comments in a PM. Good luck with it.
If you type in resume template, that will give you something to start with that looks more professional. Word has some. Most of them are free. I think you simply need to start with some kind of template. And you need samples.
Your experience is probably the first thing someone will look at, but it's not the only important aspect of your resume/CV. Whereas I noticed that Americans are fond of 1-page resumes, I find that "result-driven" or "great communicator" resumes don't say much about you or why I should choose you over someone else. This is why I prefer longer CVs (2-4 pages, depending on your experience) where I can read not only about your skills, but also about how you developed them. You can check this website to see the standard European CV Template. I prefer these CVs over short resumes because they give even unexperienced candidates the opportunity to detail their skills even if they don't have 10 years experience working in a known company, to speak about them. The most important thing about a CV that many people forget nowadays is to explain how they developed certain skills, because otherwise your skills are merely some words written on a page with no foundation. You may have participated in student exchange events and that speaks a lot about your communication/intercultural skills. You may have worked on strict-deadline projects, which is why you understand the importance of respecting deadlines. You may have done group projects or presentations (team-work), studied HTML (don't forget to detail how proficient you are), what kind of topics you wrote about or you're familiar with... these are proofs of your skills. When you don't know the person/company you apply for, it's important to create credibility. Treat yourself like a product that you believe in and you want to promote. Like any product, you want to convince the buyer that you are the best (AND WHY!) A cover letter consisting of 3-4 paragraphs is also important. This will be your first interaction with your employer, thus your first chance to make them interested. Remember that you are selling yourself: tell them why the job interests you, what background (education, experience) you have that is relevant for the job or project you're applying for. Be respectful and professional and always, always personalize your CV/cover letter for the specific job you're applying for.