INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, IT and Software Engineering positions are at a much faster than average growth rate, which is 22%. With that said, there are currently 1,847,900 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 409,500 to 2,257,400 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the IT and Software Engineering jobs was $110,140 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $65,210, and the highest 10% more than $170,100.
Our conclusion? The IT and Software Engineering job market is facing competition due to decreasing demand.
Top freelance developer sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to write in your freelance developer experience section
Perfecting your freelance developer resume experience section:
- Focus on results, not responsibilities;
- Use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List only positions that are relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Include at least some form of quantitative data – it can be linked to the number of people you’ve managed or the - percentage decrease in costs that’s followed from your work - you decide;
- Choose action verbs over buzzwords.
We’ve collected some of the top resume experience sections from real Enhancv users. Check them out when drafting your own Freelance Developer resume!
- Have been key member of Agile Dev team, involved in regular delivery and deployment of 45 + Sprints.
- Have been involved in Requirement Gathering, prioritizing user stories ,Technical analysis and Effort analysis.
- Have undergone through multiple client technical ,design and security audits and reviews on Sprints deployed.
- Application development and support
- Secure integration with multiple data sources and third party systems
- Data warehousing, database management systems
- Interface design and development
- Developed Applications UIs via emerging Front End Technologies such as Angular 4, JavaScript, JQuery, HTML5 and CSS3.
- Hands on experience in Responsive Design and Media Queries.
- Testing to identify bugs and technical issues before and afterdeploying.
- Maintaining an organized workflow using a project management tool(like GitHub).
- Documenting bug reports, tickets, and any code modification.
- Collaborated with Web Application Engineers, used Python scripts to load the data into AWS Cloud Cassandra database
- Visualised over 40 datasets with Matplotlib
- Involved in processing the streaming data as well as batch data using Apache Spark
- Delivering projects with 1-2 days turn around time or even within hours
- Developed internal tools for text mining (sentimental analysis), and web crawler for collecting data by Python and SQL
- Used AWS Elastic Beanstalk service for deploying and scaling web applications and services developed with Java, Python
- Developed shell scripting and Python programs to automate the data flow on day-to-day tasks
- Analyzed the SQL scripts and designed the solution to Developed a custom ETL pipeline by using Python
- Made over 800 insertions and 150 deletions to 4 central Firmware repositories in less than 3 months
- Participated in more than 4 projects per year from initial research and conceptual design through testing and implementation phases
- Developed data quality portal using Python scripting, increasing data quality by 30%
- Communicated and coordinated with the project manager and coworkers to resolve 30+ build breaks a month
- Developed 40% of application architecture
- Initiated to use JProfiler in order to inspect memory usage and remove memory leaks
- Executed documentation and tests to ensure code meets 100% requirements and specifications
- Implemented more than 5 features (e.g. user profile, multi-language option ...)
- Researched software bugs and implemented fixes to increase efficiency by 30%
- Covered about 60% of the application with tests
- Project : DigitalNow.
- Project Description : DigitalNow is a search engine tool and an SPA that makes use of LucidWorks fusion and PoolParty to basically fetch search results from multiple internal repositories. All the search related information is provided in the specific format and a user can further apply filters to these search results. The results contain docs and videos that provide users to pin, like and download them. It contains an RBAC framework that allows users to access the functionalities given to them. For ex. the admins can check the performance, analytics of the application used by all the users. This application also allows users to connect to other users and form groups.
- Involving in complete backend development activity.
- Maintaining database activity.
- Overseeing bug reports, ensuring they are resolved within an adequate timeframe.
- Developing new, efficient and well-tested code for a variety of different aspects.
- Built the basic RBAC framework to build APIs for accessing the functionalities based on the roles of users.
- Working in a traditional agile team of 20 individuals to design and develop solution for the above
- Learnt and Used HTML , CSS and DJANGO
- Used efficient bootstrap classes to enhance Formatting.
- Improvements by our team improved site loading time by 3% - 4% .
- Designed a User friendly webpage for their Edtech Website
- Started the migration of a monolithic application to event-driven microservices using RabbitMQ and Spring AMQP
- Built projects from scratch and created the foundation of the microservices
- Configured Docker containers for local development
- Performed code reviews and worked remotely in a distributed team
- Tested the implementations using unit tests, integration tests and dev manual tests
- Attended trainings related to Java software development
- Attended meetings, estimated tasks and worked in two week Scrum sprints
- Worked on three Spring Boot-powered web applications
- Created new web pages using Spring MVC and Thymeleaf
- Used an internal company framework to migrate an E-commerce web application to a cloud native environment by adding circuit breakers, service discovery and distributed sessions
- Implemented front-end related tasks using HTML, CSS and Javascript
- Wrote automated tests with Selenium and Gauge and unit tests with JUnit and Mockito
- Performed load testing with JMeter and communicated with RESTful and SOAP web services
- Successfully collaborated with teams from Romania and Germany in order to implement technical and business tasks
- Developed functionality for certain customers to cancel theircontracts online with a few clicks
- Prepared and monitored the deployment process of the applications
- Prevented security vulnerabilities by using secure coding practices while implementing new features
- Improved application performance by testing and debugging.
- Developed web pages using Front-End technologies.
- Leveraged knowledge in React, Javascript, Bootstrap, Git and debugging using Chrome Developer Tools.
- Implemented School Management System
- Worked on Front-End and Back-End of application with supervisor.
- Leveraged knowledge in Php, MySQL, HTML, CSS, BootStrap
- Lead developer for Unlimited Salesforce Edition with 5000+ Salesforce users licenses
- Managed Case team for three months which consisted of 18 employees
- Realized 10M+ investments and delivered strategies on a vision to put the Salesforce CRM system at the nexus of a customer-centric business apps stack strategy
- Drove with negotiation strategies and helped procure Salesforce-ServiceTitan multi-year contract resulting in 6M+
- Developed internal tools for text mining (sentimental analysis), and web crawler for collecting data by Python and SQL
- Used AWS Elastic Beanstalk service for deploying and scaling web applications and services developed with Java, Python
- Developed shell scripting and Python programs to automate the data flow on day-to-day tasks
- Analyzed the SQL scripts and designed the solution to Develop a custom ETL pipeline by using Python
- Delivered weekly progress report to executive staff and informed applicable parties of upcoming milestones.
- Researched and developed mobile Android app to help users efficiently locate all Type of services within immediate location.
- Created custom mobile applications using native technologies.
- Provided dedicated support and timely issue resolution to clients following successful app launch.
- Applied various techniques to locate bugs and errors in applications.
- Designed user interfaces that engaged multiple senses and produced immersive experiences.
- Tested applications prior to final review to verify efficient issue resolution.
- Assessed app performance and code efficiency through bench marking and optimization tests.
- Utilized comprehensive knowledge of mobile landscape, emerging technologies and innovations to remain on cutting edge of Android market.
- Employed third-party APIs to facilitate seamless access to external, in-app cloud data.
- Collaborated with design teams to effectively meet development requirements and enhance user experiences.
- Changed a monolithic application into loosely coupled micro-service application for a training center college.
- Developed quality assurance procedures to minimize coding errors.
- Worked methodically to assess interface strengths and weaknesses, effectively creating and implementing valuable solutions
- Planned, researched and developed logic and code tests.
- Simplified client specifications into logical steps software developers could replicate with code.
- Communicated with clients regularly to gain a comprehensive understanding of product requirements.
PRO TIP
The person reading your Freelance Developer resume will be busy, make sure you never waste their time with fluff.
Action verbs for your freelance developer resume
Recommended reads:
Freelance developer resume skills section to impress recruiters
Checklist for a perfect Freelance Developer resume skills section:
- Make sure to include most if not all essential skills for the job;
- Check the job description and add some keywords to pass ATS;
- List both hard and technical skills;
- When it comes to soft skills – elaborate on them in other sections of your resume (e.g. the experience section).
Top skills for your freelance developer resume
Python
Java
Javascript
GIT
SQL
HTML
Teamwork and communication
Creative problem solving
Analystical thinking
Owning up to errors
Self-learning
Time management
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
Freelance developer resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your freelance developer resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads.":
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Freelance Developer resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Writing an effective freelance developer resume summary
Impressive freelance developer resume summary checklist:
- Point out the achievements that make you a valuable applicant;
- Mention the total years of experience you have;
- Highlight the things you believe make you the best fit for the position;
- Keep it short: aim at having no more than 3-5 sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Recommended Reads:
Drawing the attention to your freelance developer resume education section
Crafting a job-winning education section.
- Use the reverse-chronological format when listing your degrees;
- Tailor the classes you’ve taken to the position you’re applying for if you’re an entry-level candidate;
- Mention the awards and honors you’ve received;
- Add your certifications (but only those relevant to the position).
Top certifications for your freelance developer resume
How to Thrive as a Freelance Developer
Talking to Freelancing Masters Who've Been There and Done That
Freelancer Course: Ultimate Guide to Freelance
Learn how to work on Freelancer and become top rated and best selling online Freelance Designer and Developer.
The Freelance Web Developer Course
Learn how to create top quality websites, monetize your work and become a top notch freelancer, all inside this course!
How to Start a Freelance Web Developer Business from Scratch
An online course for web designers & developers who are ready to start their business as a work-from-home freelancer
Becoming a Free Lance Web Developer - The Complete Guide
Learn actionable steps for launching a successful career as a freelance web developer from an experienced professional
Recommended Reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Choosing the best format for your freelance developer resume
The content of your Freelance Developer resume is what will get you hired, right?
But even when your content’s amazing and you’re a true over-achiever, recruiters might not think you’re a good fit if your resume looks messy or is not formatted the right way.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Deciding which one to use depends on your experience, the industry, and the company. In short — you need to know what your applicant profile is.
For instance, reverse-chronological resumes are great for people with over 10 years of experience and no employment gaps. Here, you need to list all your relevant experience in a reverse-chronological format, starting from the most recent and going back to less recent positions.
Functional skills-based resumes, on the other hand, are great for entry-level applicants, graduate students, or people who have different kinds of experience. It focuses on skills, education, and character traits, rather than experience.
If none of these work for you, and you dream of adopting a more creative approach that makes a difference, the combination (or hybrid) resume format is exactly what you’re looking for. It allows you to focus on both your experience and your skills, making it a ‘best of both worlds’ format. It’s also suitable for those who want to spice things up by adding different creative sections (e.g. ‘life philosophy’ or ‘what my day looks like’).
Here are some additional tips on perfecting your resume layout and style:
- Go for a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Use standard 1-inch resume margins for increased readability;
- Make sure your resume fits on a one-page template. In case you’ve got 10 years of experience or more, your resume’s length can reach two pages;
- Avoid unwanted editing and plagiarism – save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiters.
Want to take it a step further? Learn how to make your resume stand out without relying too much on creativity.
Recommended reads.":
PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Want to include something more to your freelance developer resume?
So you’ve already listed details about your education, experience, and skills. You’ve also crafted an amazing summary.
But now you feel a creative urge to showcase your personality and not just your expertise.
We’ve got you! Thanks to our modern templates, you can now include a chart of what your typical day looks like or even a word or two about your life philosophy. All this without sacrificing your Freelance Developer resume’s professional feel.
Some non-traditional sections for your resume include:
Making your freelance developer resume stand out
You want to make a strong first impression to all recruiters that get a hold of your resume. Sure you do! But how?
Well, the easiest way to stand out is by adding a bit of creativity to your Freelance Developer resume. You could do this by going for a colorful layout or adding a creative section or two. It all depends on the industry and the position you’re applying for!
For instance, a position in design would allow for a more colorful resume, while a position in finance would probably not.
What makes a great freelance developer resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
