Your Writer Resume

While trolling the job boards looking for a few good leads, I’ve noticed quite a few ads requesting resumes from potential writers. This seems to throw some writers for a loop. You expect a prospect to want to see your online portfolio (you do have one, right?) as proof of your writing skills, so you may wonder why a resume is even necessary.


Corporate state of mind

One of my biggest first clients was very new to the concept of working with a freelancer. We got along well and he appreciated the work I did, but he operated his business the same as he always had in the corporate world. Some of the systems used to operate a traditional business with employees don’t work as smoothly when you’re operating a virtual business using contract writers.

He required that I send him a resume because in his mind it outlined my qualifications much better than sending a sample to my work would. He felt that by having one I automatically established myself as professional. He also paid attention to how long I had worked with clients and related jobs to determine whether I was employable and reliable. He also happened to require a college degree so that info was there to review as well.

Traditional resume versus writer’s resume

The thing that distinguishes a writer’s resume from the typical job seeker’s resume is that it is meant to highlight specific experience more than provide details of your work history.

If you don’t have a current resume and need some help, here is some helpful information to get you started. I’d love to hear how many other freelancers regularly submit resumes for gigs.