Does Freelancing Count As Work Experience? (Explained)

When most people think of freelancing they think of a way to make extra money. It’s a side gig, an extra source of income to make ends meet.

However, freelancing isn’t just about making money and earning some extra cash on the side — it can also be a way for fresh graduates to gain real work experience whilst refining their skills.

Does this raise the question does freelancing experience count as work experience? In this blog post, we’re going to look at the different types of freelancing experience, what it can do for you and whether or not it counts as work experience.

Answer To The Question Does Freelancing Experience Count As Work Experience:

The answer to this question is yes! There are many reasons why freelance work on your resume will or could stand out. Let’s get into the reasons in the rest of this blog post.

It Shows Productivity

Let’s say you’re applying for a full-time developer job. If your resume shows that you’ve done hundreds of freelance developing jobs, you’ll be able to prove that you are efficient at what you’re doing.

Freelancing jobs are typically short-term contracts. There’s a time limit on how long the project takes, usually ranging from one day to a few months. If you can complete freelancing jobs quickly and still produce good results, it shows that you know how to work efficiently.

It Shows Experience With A Variety Of Challenges

Not all freelance jobs are exactly the same. So showing on your resume that you’ve done many different types of work will definitely be an advantage when you’re applying for a developer job.

For example, some freelance jobs are with startups. They might not have much funding or resources, meaning that they’ll ask for something relatively simple to create with limited time and budget. Other freelancing jobs may be more complex e.g. creating websites and apps for large companies.

It Shows That Discipline Isn’t An Issue

Working for yourself is challenging. You have to push yourself to do work that you don’t necessarily want to do. There’s also no one there to tell you to do it.

So if a company sees that you’ve been able to discipline yourself into completing multiple freelance jobs, it shows that you won’t have a problem working for the company they’re hiring you for.

It Shows That You’re Passionate About Your Work

Freelancing is hard work and takes courage. It’s not an easy task to convince clients to pay you money in exchange for the work that you do.

So which graduates are likely to be able to get clients? Someone passionate about their skills and what they’re offering.

Not only does this demonstrate passion, but it also shows that you’re willing to put in the extra effort to find your freelance jobs so that you can practice and hone your skills.

Other Things To Keep In Mind

There are other factors when it comes to your freelance work on your resume.

The Business Will Decide What Counts

Some businesses may not be fussed about the experience you’ve had as a freelancer or what kind of work you’ve done.

They may only look at your education and qualifications first.

As each business is different, the hiring managers will decide what they look at first. It’s not a one-size-fits-all scenario; it depends on how the business wants to hire and what they think is a priority.

It Depends On The Job or You’re Applying For

You may have experience as a freelance developer but are applying to a non-technical role. In this case, the hiring manager may not take your freelance experience into account.

Make sure that if you want to get a full-time job in the future that you align your freelancing skills with the skills you want to apply for. That way you are more likely to make your application stand out.

It’s Your Choice

At the end of the day, it’s your choice to include your freelance work on your resume. If you don’t want to put it on there, that’s fine; likewise, if you aren’t sure if you should or not.

You have to think if there’s a way it could hurt your chances of getting the job. If not, include it! Show your prospective employer that you know how to work independently, are disciplined, and happy to put in the extra effort to complete projects.

How to Prove Freelance Work Experience

Make sure you include anything that shows proof of your work! For example, in Upwork of Fiverr, you can see a complete history of the jobs you’ve completed in the past. Print that out and have that ready for them to look at.

Also, another good thing you can do is show some of the reviews you received from your clients. So they can see that you are a trusted freelancer, who delivers quality work.

You could even go a step further and reach out to a client and have them write a letter for you and explain how good of a freelancer you were for them.

Conclusion

We hope this blog post helped you answer the question does freelancing experience count as work experience.

If you have any questions or input you want to add to this blog post please write it in the comments section below.

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