How to Build a Freelance Portfolio

Discover the essential steps on how to build a freelance portfolio successfully. Learn the strategies, tips, and FAQs to create a compelling portfolio that attracts clients and showcases your expertise.

Embarking on a freelance career? Crafting an impressive freelance Portfolio is the key to unlocking opportunities and establishing your credibility. This comprehensive guide shall walk you through the process, offering valuable insights and practical tips for building a freelance portfolio that stands out in the competitive market.

How to Build a Freelance Portfolio

Do you believe that you can’t get clients because you don’t have a portfolio and that you can’t build one because you don’t have customers? Let’s get out of this mess. For people who have never done independent work before, we’ll show you how to make a resume. You only need to be excited and ready to take on a new task. Read our piece on how to make a resume as a freelancer and take your job as a skilled solopreneur seriously.

Getting the Basics Down

In this part, we’ll talk about the basic parts of a solo resume that make it work. Learn how to find your talent, show off your skills, and create a resume that shows off your individuality.

Figuring out Who You Want to Reach

Find out why it’s important to make your resume fit the needs of your target group. To make a portfolio that appeals to possible clients, you need to know exactly who you want to draw.

Read more: How to create a portfolio for a job in 2023

Showing off Your Work: This is What Your Portfolio is All About

Learn how to show your work in a way that is both interesting to look at and useful. This part talks about ways to make a resume that will grab people’s attention and clearly show off your skills.

How to Write an Interesting “About Me” Section

This is your chance to get to know possible clients better in the “About Me” part. Find out how to write an interesting story that shows off your personality and work journey.

Why Having a Freelance Resume is Important

We want to give you a pat on the back and remind you that your case isn’t unique. A lot of other writers get their first clients without having anything impressive to show off. You can definitely be successful as a freelancer, but you need to work on your resume a bit. This is why it’s worth it:

• If you already have a resume from the beginning of your job, it shows that you’re aggressive, hardworking, driven to learn, and informed.
• Clients will like that, and they’ll be more likely to give their job to a beginner. Your resume shows your desire and readiness to work before you even get paid for it.

• Your resume is already the work you need to do! You can use the resume form to improve your skills if that’s what you do.
• A graphic artist, for instance, will know how to use pictures and color patterns, an independent writer will know how to write interesting project descriptions, a web developer will know how to make a showcase website, and so on.
• Your cover letter and resume tell people about you. It shows what kind of person you are.
• You can use it to show off your skills, experience, way of thinking, and the kinds of projects you’re interested in. All of this makes you more valuable to your clients and builds your brand. If your resume shows off your skills, you’ll probably be shortlisted for the job.
• An independent portfolio is the best place to show those who care how hard you work on something you care about. You can put an explanation of the steps you took to get to the end result, like your image, translation, copy, or website.
• Your resume should show how you think, how you deal with problems, your study skills, your method, and many other hard and soft skills that are important for beating your competitors.
• Working on your resume can help you feel better about yourself and boost your confidence. You’re taking charge of your work life, working on yourself, and getting things done!

This good energy can help you get through the harder parts of making your resume and keep you driven to find new clients.

You don’t have to be a skilled solopreneur to have a resume. We’ll help you with this job even if you don’t have any “real” paid work to show. Learn how to make an independent portfolio even if you have never done any work before, where to share it, and how to make your offer stand out to potential clients.

Figure out What your Possible Clients Want

Let’s say you are a private detective, and someone hires you to spy on… your client. You have to find out what they stand for, what issues they have, what they need, what service they use to make their business better, or what skills they want in their suppliers.

It’s important to picture your dream client and keep that in mind as you put together your resume. That will help you figure out what skills and knowledge people want. The next step is to get better at the skills that clients want and become more competitive.

Do not put together a freelancing resume as if it were the only thing in the world. Match the material to what your potential customers want and what you see as trends in your area.

Do some honest study on the people who might hire you, and then ask yourself who you want to work with. It’s not just about doing what other people want; it’s also about looking for jobs that interest you.

Focus on What you’re Good at

Remember that you can’t please everyone. You can apply for more jobs if your offer is very general, but the competition will be very tough. If your resume fits with the project’s theme, you have a better chance of getting it.

It has everything to do with the last tip about figuring out who your dream client is. It will be easier to show specific skills instead of general ones when you know whose needs you want to meet. Your clients will feel like you talk to them and are interested in getting to know them better.

You can, of course, be good at more than one thing. Display your range of skills in your resume, and organize your work into groups to make it easier to find.

Also, staying in one market sector will make it easier to learn new things and improve the ones you already have. People who work as freelancers often have a broad understanding of their “mother” field, like marketing or web development, and a deep understanding of their “pet project,” like medical editing or React.

Read more: Upwork vs. Fiverr: The Top Freelance Platform

Make Portfolio Look Nice

There will be delicious raspberry jam inside the donut, but you will only be able to taste it if the donut looks good. This is also true for a cover letter, CV, or portfolio: what they say is what matters, but how they look is what matters first. It’s possible to catch your client’s eye right away with your portfolio if you pay extra attention to how it looks.

Since “aesthetic” may not be very clear, here are some more useful tips on how to make a freelancing portfolio that looks good:

Transparency: leave enough white space between the important parts of your portfolio so it’s easy to follow; consistency: use the same style for all of the colors, fonts, icons, headlines, frames, etc. in your portfolio; moderation: don’t make your portfolio “scream” at the reader; pick a soft, but not bland, design instead.

Freelance Portfolio

Examples of Jobs You Can Do for Free to Get Started

If you don’t have any paid work on your resume, don’t give up. Every successful worker has been in a similar situation at some point. Also, because of the common non-disclosure agreements that professionals sign, many of them can’t add business work to their resumes. That’s totally fine.

We know how to make an independent portfolio even if you have yet to work on any projects or have been in the market before. This is what you can put in yours:

Projects that are Related to the Education 

If you still need to get past work to back up your offer, get to work on it! As you build your resume, see it as a chance to improve your career. Do your projects just because you can. Make plans for three pieces of work that show off your best qualities.

Having good material for your website is just the beginning. The way things are done is also important. You can test your current skills and learn new ones by working on projects for your independent resume. This is a great time to learn new things and get up to speed on the latest market trends and tools.

Improve your skills, and don’t settle for less than the best; try to do your best. Take note of what drives you the most and the times when you’re most productive.

Read more: Top Platforms to Earn for Freelancers

Do Projects with Family and Friends to Get Better

You don’t have to work on something that won’t be used “in real life.” Instead, ask people you know if you can do it for them for free. At first, they might not know how to use your work, but that gives you a chance to try new things and learn. You could think of a new way that your offer could be used. Family and friends can help you find new “clients” if you need them to. Just ask them to spread the word about your idea and help you find some guinea pigs.

Helpful Projects for Charities

Get in touch with foundations, non-profits, or other groups that support the ideals you hold dear. Find out about their services, figure out what they need and what solutions will help them, and then offer them a free job. And you can show off your work with a real, “flesh-and-blood” company in your freelancing resume!

Include Awards, Classes, and Schools that are Linked

For a lot of talented workers, getting paid jobs is just one way they learn and gain experience. Show in your portfolio if you learned how to do something well in school, college, a camp, or some other place that taught you something useful. Include a course award or degree that shows how your work style, skills, and hobbies have changed since you got it.

Feel free to include projects you worked on while you were in school in your resume. So, if you’re a screenwriter, include a unique part of your dissertation in your collection of independent work. If you’re a UX designer, you may have made something while you were taking the Figma course. Look through your files for secret gems that you can use in your resume. If you can, improve them so that they really show off your skill.

Describe the Steps that Led to the Results

Your portfolio should not only show examples of your work but also show how much thought and time you put into it. If you only have a few things to say, these writing parts are very important. To explain how the results were reached, you need to include case studies of

• The client—what kind of business they are, what problem your project solves, and how they’ll benefit from it in the future
• The work process—how you did the research and what you found, as well as the tools you used
• Your profile—what hard and soft skills did you show in a given project, and what personal and professional traits does the project show?

Potential clients will see your offer as complicated, complete, and backed by creative thought and honest work if you add this kind of information to your resume. That makes the game tougher! To get the right mix between the project and its description, keep the “side” text in your resume short.

The Best Tools for Freelancing Portfolios

You might read in pieces about how to make a solo portfolio that getting your domain name and making a portfolio website is important. In fact, you don’t have to, especially if you’re starting from scratch. We are going to show you two very simple sites where you can show off your independent work and get possible clients to pay you.

How do you Use Canva to Make a Resume for Independent Work?

There are different ways to answer the question “How to build a freelance portfolio in Canva.” You can share and change things for free:

• A one-page website (read this post to learn how to make a digital portfolio in Canva)
• The portfolio talk
• A PDF file made on a whiteboard, paper, document, etc.

This useful tool even gives you a free domain name so you can make a real website for your online portfolio.

The Last Part of How to Build a Freelancing Resume

If your resume isn’t good, even amazing projects won’t make you an offer you can’t refuse. Before you show off your work to the world, here are some useful things you need to do:

• If you copy and paste links, make sure they all work and take the person to the right place.
• Don’t post your work on websites where possible; clients have to sign up for an account in order to see it.
• If your projects are very complicated, use pieces of work that show what you can do.
• If you use photos or other types of samples from your work, make sure they are clear and well-written.
• Make sure that all written explanations are short but useful. You might want to use images to help you see the mental part of the work.
• If you have a lot of different things in your resume, put them into groups to show how versatile you are.
• Give your contact information and social media links if they are part of your online work life.

Freelance Portfolio: Some Things to Keep in Mind

You will definitely do well if you follow our stock guide! Putting together a resume is a great way to start over. It will help you build a strong freelance job.

These steps will show you how to build a portfolio as a freelancer.

Find an in-depth, step-by-step guide on how to put together your independent resume. This part gives you useful information to help you through the process, from picking the right site to making your content work better.

Using Keywords in a Smart Way

You should learn how to add important keywords to your resume easily. Smartly using buzzwords will help people find your portfolio and make sure it gets the right people.

Creating an Easy-to-Use Plan

Learn why an easy-to-use plan is important for keeping guests. This part gives you useful advice on how to arrange your portfolio so that it’s easy to find your way around and gives users a good experience.

Using Testimonials to Build Credibility

Find out how comments from past customers can help build trust. Find out how to ask for and show off recommendations that show how knowledgeable and trustworthy you are.

How to Get Around the Problems of Building a Freelance Portfolio

Talk about common problems artists have when they are making their portfolios. Find ways to make your resume more cohesive, whether it’s dealing with gaps in your work experience or a wide range of skills.

Questions That Are Often Asked

Can personal projects be a part of my portfolio?

Of course! Personal projects let people see how passionate and skilled you are. Just make sure they fit with your brand and appeal to the people you want to reach.

When should I make changes to my freelance portfolio?

Regular changes are very important. Try to update your portfolio every three months to show off your newest work and keep it up to date.

Should I include information about prices?

Giving a general price limit is not required, but it can help you find clients who are within your budget and value your knowledge.

Can I show projects that I still need to finish?

Showing off finished work is a good idea. But if you include unfinished projects, be clear about their state and what they could become.

Do I really need a personal website for my portfolio?

A personal website makes you look more professional and gives you more power. You don’t have to, but it gives your business a convenient location.

How many works of art should I show?

Quality is more important than number. Include the best work that fits your area and speaks to the people you want to buy from you.

In conclusion

It’s important to keep your independent resume up to date as your job changes. By using the tips in this guide, you’ll be able to make a portfolio that not only shows off your skills but also gets you the right job chances. Make the jump to independent success by putting together an interesting resume that shows off your unique story.

Once you start working on new projects, remember to look over your resume often. You may have fond memories of your old projects, but they may no longer be useful. The more work you do in a certain area, the less you like the work you’ve already done. You may replace old parts with new ones or make them better to meet your new standards for some projects. Get more training, work on your skills, and keep your resume up to date. We hope everything goes well with your independent business!