How to List Freelance Work on Your CV

Freelance and self-employed work belongs on a CV when it helps show relevant skills, experience or results. Present it clearly, just as you would any other professional experience, and make it easy for an employer to understand what you did and when.

Choose a clear heading

If you worked independently for several clients, use a heading such as Freelance Web Developer, Self-Employed Consultant or Freelance Projects. Include the dates. If you operated through a registered business, you can list its name and your role. Avoid making a short or occasional side project look like a full-time business if it was not one.

For example:

Freelance Web Developer | Self-employed | 2023–2025

• Built and maintained websites for small-business clients using React and TypeScript.
• Scoped project requirements, agreed delivery milestones and communicated progress directly with clients.
• Delivered a booking website with an accessible mobile layout; include this result only if it accurately describes your work.

The example is a format, not a claim to copy. Replace it with your own tools, responsibilities and outcomes.

Describe projects as evidence

A recruiter should be able to see the problem, your contribution and the outcome. Instead of writing “worked on websites,” explain what kind of work you completed, which skills you used and what changed as a result. Add figures only when you can support them—for example, a verified number of projects, users or hours saved. If you cannot measure an outcome, describe a concrete deliverable or responsibility rather than inventing a metric.

Where appropriate, name clients or industries, but respect confidentiality agreements. You can use a neutral description such as “local retail clients” when names cannot be shared. Link to a portfolio or public project if it is relevant and safe to disclose.

Tailor it to the role

Read the job description and select the freelance examples that best demonstrate its requirements. Put the most relevant evidence where it is easy to find, and use the employer’s terminology when it truthfully describes your experience. Freelance work may demonstrate technical ability, client communication, planning, problem-solving or independence—but include only the skills you can substantiate with examples.

If your independent work sits alongside other employment, show the dates and context accurately. A concise “Freelance Projects” section can work for occasional assignments; sustained self-employment can sit in your main experience section. Keep a fuller record of projects separately, then select the strongest, most relevant details for each application.

Quick checklist

• Give the role or section a straightforward title and include dates.
• State that the work was freelance or self-employed where that prevents confusion.
• Describe your personal contribution, not just what a team or client did.
• Include specific deliverables and outcomes; quantify only when the figures are reliable.
• Protect confidential client information.
• Prioritise projects that match the role you are applying for.

University careers guidance likewise recommends presenting self-employment in an experience section or a dedicated freelance-work section, with dates, relevant clients or projects, and outcomes. See the University of Strathclyde’s guide to entrepreneurship on your CV and the University of Edinburgh’s advice on adapting a CV.