You've been freelancing for a while, and now you're ready to move into a traditional full-time role. Maybe you're switching industries entirely, or you want to bring your independent work experience into a company. Either way, you need to present your freelance projects in a way that hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) understand. This guide walks you through exactly how to do that, with examples, a checklist, and pitfalls to avoid.
Short answer
Treat your freelance work as legitimate employment. Give yourself a clear title (e.g., 'Freelance Web Developer'), list the dates you worked, and describe your projects using the same achievement-focused bullet points you'd use for a full-time job. Focus on results, transferable skills, and the tools you used. If you had a business name, include it, but it's optional. The goal is to show a hiring manager that you've been doing real work that's relevant to the role you want.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Follow these steps to turn your freelance history into a compelling part of your resume and LinkedIn profile.
1. Choose a clear, descriptive title
Instead of 'Freelancer' or 'Independent Contractor', use a title that mirrors the role you're targeting. For example, if you did a mix of writing and social media, and you're applying for a content marketing role, use 'Freelance Content Marketer'. This helps both ATS and human readers quickly see the relevance. For more on formatting headings, see our guide to the best resume heading format.
2. List your dates and client types
Use a date range (e.g., 'Jan 2021 – Present') and specify the types of clients you worked with. You don't need to list every client, but you can say 'Clients included small e-commerce brands and local nonprofits' to give context. If you worked with notable companies, name them—but only if you have permission or the work is public.
3. Write achievement-focused bullet points
This is where you make your freelance work count. Use the same formula as for traditional jobs: action verb + what you did + result. Quantify where possible, but never invent numbers. If you don't have exact metrics, describe the scope and impact qualitatively. Here are five illustrative bullet points you can adapt:
- Illustrative: Designed and executed a 3-month SEO content plan for a boutique fitness studio, increasing organic traffic by 40% (per Google Analytics).
- Illustrative: Managed end-to-end email marketing campaigns for a local retailer, growing subscriber list from 500 to 1,200 and achieving a 22% open rate.
- Illustrative: Built a custom WordPress site for a nonprofit, integrating donation processing and training staff to update content independently.
- Illustrative: Conducted competitor analysis and keyword research for a SaaS startup, resulting in a revised landing page that improved conversion rate by 15%.
- Illustrative: Coordinated with a team of three freelance designers and developers to deliver a mobile app prototype on time and within budget.
Notice how each bullet starts with a strong verb and includes a result. For more on bullet formatting, see our best resume bullet format guide.
4. Add a freelance-specific skills section
Freelancing builds skills that traditional employees often lack: self-management, client communication, and business operations. Create a skills section that highlights both your technical and transferable skills. Here's an illustrative list:
- Client communication
- Project scoping and pricing
- SEO and content strategy
- Email marketing automation
- Data analysis and reporting
5. Craft a professional summary that bridges the gap
Your summary should explain why you're transitioning and how your freelance experience prepares you. Here's an illustrative example:
Freelance Digital Marketing Consultant | 2022–Present. Helped small e-commerce brands improve online visibility through SEO audits, content strategy, and email campaigns. Managed client relationships, timelines, and deliverables independently. Transitioning to an in-house marketing role where I can apply these skills within a collaborative team.
This summary is clear, concise, and directly addresses the career change. It also uses keywords that ATS might look for. To see how your resume scores against a specific job, try our Resume ATS Score tool.
Worked example
Let's say you're a freelance graphic designer who wants to move into a full-time UX designer role. Here's how you might present your experience:
Title: Freelance Graphic & UX Designer | 2020 – Present
Bullet points:
- Illustrative: Redesigned a local café's website with a focus on mobile usability, leading to a 25% increase in online orders.
- Illustrative: Conducted user research and created wireframes for a fitness app startup, resulting in a prototype that tested well with 10 users.
- Illustrative: Collaborated with developers to implement design systems, ensuring consistency across multiple client projects.
Skills: User research, wireframing, prototyping, Adobe XD, Figma, client presentations.
Summary: 'Freelance designer with 4+ years of experience in graphic and UX design. Transitioning to a full-time UX role where I can apply my user-centered design approach and collaborative skills.'
This example shows how to pivot from general graphic design to UX by emphasizing relevant projects and skills. It also uses language that ATS and hiring managers recognize. If you're unsure how your resume will be screened, read our explanation of the resume screening score.
Common mistakes
Avoid these pitfalls when presenting freelance work during a career transition:
- Using vague titles like 'Freelancer' instead of a role-specific title.
- Listing tasks instead of achievements—focus on results and impact.
- Including every small project, which can clutter your resume. Curate the most relevant ones.
- Neglecting to mention the tools and technologies you used, which are often keywords for ATS.
- Apologizing for freelancing or framing it as a gap. Present it as valuable experience.
- Forgetting to tailor your freelance bullet points to the job description. Use similar language.
One more mistake: not using a clean, ATS-friendly format. Fancy graphics and columns can confuse screening software. An ATS resume builder can help you create a format that parses correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Should I list freelance work as employment on my resume?
Yes, if it's relevant to the role you're targeting. Treat it like a job entry: use a clear title (e.g., 'Freelance Graphic Designer'), list the dates, and describe your responsibilities and achievements with bullet points. If you had a business name, you can include it, but it's not required.
How do I handle freelance projects that are unrelated to my new career?
Focus on transferable skills. For example, if you were a freelance writer but now want to move into project management, highlight how you managed deadlines, coordinated with editors, and handled multiple projects simultaneously. You can also group unrelated projects under an 'Additional Experience' section to keep the main narrative clear.
What if my freelance work was part-time while I was studying or between jobs?
That's perfectly fine. Use dates to show the timeline, and emphasize the skills and results. You can note 'Freelance' or 'Contract' to clarify the nature of the work. The key is to demonstrate what you accomplished and how it prepares you for your target role.
Ready to see how your resume stacks up? Score your resume against a specific job with our Resume ATS Score tool and get actionable feedback.
Frequently asked questions
Should I list freelance work as employment on my resume?
Yes, if it's relevant to the role you're targeting. Treat it like a job entry: use a clear title (e.g., 'Freelance Graphic Designer'), list the dates, and describe your responsibilities and achievements with bullet points. If you had a business name, you can include it, but it's not required.
How do I handle freelance projects that are unrelated to my new career?
Focus on transferable skills. For example, if you were a freelance writer but now want to move into project management, highlight how you managed deadlines, coordinated with editors, and handled multiple projects simultaneously. You can also group unrelated projects under a 'Additional Experience' section to keep the main narrative clear.
What if my freelance work was part-time while I was studying or between jobs?
That's perfectly fine. Use dates to show the timeline, and emphasize the skills and results. You can note 'Freelance' or 'Contract' to clarify the nature of the work. The key is to demonstrate what you accomplished and how it prepares you for your target role.
Next step
Ready to put this into practice? check your resume ATS score.