Top freelance illustrator sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to include in your freelance illustrator resume experience section
Freelance illustrator resume experience section checklist:
- Use at least 3 and no more than 7 bullet points per position;
- Make your experience sound relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Combine responsibilities, results, and critical situations that you’ve handled well;
- Show that you’re willing to take up on challenges;
- Include numbers in any form you like.
Looking for some real experience section examples? We’ve gathered the best Freelance Illustrator resume samples to help you. Check them out before building your own resume!
- Managed independently more than 10 projects so far for businesses from all over the world
- Daily implementing my experience in Project Management, Self Sufficiency, Leadership, Discipline & Flexibility to execute freelance projects revolving mainly around Illustration in the field of UI/UX
- Clients: Metrilo, Melo Labs, Circle K, Holini, Credissimo, Fundwell & more
- Created 50+ illustrations for various clients, including editorial, advertising, and book covers
- Delivered projects on time and within budget, resulting in a 95% client satisfaction rate
- Developed visual concepts and presented multiple options to clients to ensure their needs were met
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining high-quality standards
- Created visual identities and brand guidelines for multiple clients across various industries
- Designed and produced marketing collateral, including brochures, flyers, and social media graphics
- Managed project timelines and budgets, resulting in 100% on-time and on-budget delivery
- Collaborated with clients to ensure brand consistency across all materials produced
- Created over 100 custom illustrations that met client's specifications and exceeded expectations.
- Developed unique styles and concepts for clients that helped to differentiate their brands from competitors.
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously and consistently met tight deadlines.
- Established long-term relationships with clients, resulting in repeat business and referrals.
- Designed and developed marketing materials, such as brochures, flyers, and advertisements, resulting in a 30% increase in sales for a healthcare client.
- Developed visual identities and brand guidelines for multiple clients, resulting in cohesive brand imagery across print and digital platforms.
- Collaborated with creative teams to develop innovative concepts for campaigns, resulting in a 40% increase in engagement for a technology client.
- Managed projects and ensured timely delivery of materials, resulting in a 95% client satisfaction rate.
- Assisted in the design and development of marketing materials, such as brochures and posters.
- Developed skills in Adobe CC applications, including Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously and effectively prioritized tasks to meet deadlines.
- Collaborated with creative teams to develop innovative concepts for campaigns.
PRO TIP
Include quantitative data throughout your Freelance Illustrator resume to impress the hiring manager. Real facts and figures that show off your competency as an audit manager go a long way. Did you reduce the costs of audits? Manage a large team? Boosted efficiency? Show off the real numbers!
Action verbs for your freelance illustrator resume
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Top freelance illustrator skills for your resume
Freelance Illustrator Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Match your hard skills to the job description;
- Add keywords to pass applicant tracking systems;
- Don’t list soft skills such as ’teamwork’ – rather, mention how they’ve helped you gain success in some other sections of your Freelance Illustrator resume;
- List only skills you actually have, keep lying out of the picture.
Top skills for your freelance illustrator resume
Upwork
Quickbooks
Microsoft Office
Email clients
PayPal
Budgeting
Marketing
Design
Communication
Leadership and project management
Teamwork
Problem
Solving
Work Ethics
Flexibility
Adaptability
Interpersonall skills
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
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Freelance illustrator resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your freelance illustrator 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 Illustrator 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.
Craft a strong freelance illustrator resume summary
Freelance illustrator resume summary checklist:
- Your total years of experience
- The industry you’re coming from
- One or two most remarkable accomplishments that have helped you - turn into a great professional
- Short sentences that add value – avoid filler words and phrases
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
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Highlight your education, certifications, and courses
What to include in your education and courses sections:
- Your highest education degree – this includes institution, course, and duration
- Certifications and courses that have helped you gain additional expertise
- Awards you’ve received as part of your education
- Entry-level positions only: relevant classes and projects
Top certifications for your freelance illustrator resume
The Freelance Masterclass: For Creatives
The Ultimate Guide to Freelancing: Learn to Price Projects, Build Portfolios, Find Clients, Brand Yourself & More!
Complete Guide to Freelancing in 2022: Zero to Mastery
Achieve freelance success on sites like Upwork or Fiverr. Start a home business or side hustle. No experience needed!
Freelancing on Upwork & Freelancer.com as a Beginner in 2022
Learn how to apply on projects, Win the jobs you want, Earn big on freelance websites such as Upwork and Freelancer.com.
Freelancing: 37 Ways to Make Money From Home as a Freelancer
Do You Want to Make Money Freelancing? This Is the Best Course for You!
How To Start A Successful Freelancing Business 2022
Learn new skills and be amongst top 1% pro
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PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Freelance Illustrator. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Drafting a Job-winning Freelance Illustrator Resume
When drafting your resume, you can choose between three well-known formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which format you decide to go for depends on two things: your personal preference and how experienced you are.
The reverse-chronological format is ideal for both really experienced people and those who joined the workforce just a couple of years ago. It’s also great if your experience combines different industries and jobs. Here, your most recent position comes at the top of your resume.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is ideal for recent graduates or people who have no work experience whatsoever. It’s built around your skills, interests, and expertise. Ultimately, its goal is to show recruiters your biggest strengths and practical skills.
Combination resumes (also known as hybrid resumes) are great for all types of candidates – be they graduates, experienced professionals, or brave career changers. They usually follow a double-column format – one side focuses on your experience, while the other emphasizes your education, skills, interests, and accomplishments.
Here’s our resume format and style checklist:
- Choose a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Go for standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Match the length of your Freelance Illustrator resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates;
- Send your resume in PDF – in this way, you’ll avoid formatting issues and potential editing from third parties.
And in case you want to go the extra mile, check out our guide for crafting a resume that stands out.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Test your draft Freelance Illustrator resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Other sections worth including in your freelance illustrator resume
Including other sections in your resume depends on the company, the position, and, ultimately, the industry. Here are some sections that will help you spice things up:
A freelance illustrator resume that stands out
Recruiters look at tens of resumes every day. That’s why helping them remember yours is crucial for landing an interview.
A creative resume can help you show off both your personality and your expertise at the same time.
Creative sections about passions, favorite books, quotes, and even your daily routine are a great way to make your resume feel like a breath of fresh air.
What’s more, it will also point recruiters to the fact that you’re attentive to detail and can think outside the box of Word-generated black and white resumes.
What makes a great freelance illustrator 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.
