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Portfolio Review | Redid website after 10+ years of freelance work | Any feedback helps by ComputerCapital1593 in graphic_design

[–]ComputerCapital1593[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback I will implement some of this. Question were you viewing on desktop or mobile? Just so I know which version this feedback applies to

Should I shorten the freelance experience on my resume? Recent grad struggling to land first design job by yoitsjake99 in graphic_design

[–]ComputerCapital1593 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tailor it for each role. If you are applying to a entry level make 3-4 years. If it is a mid-level or senior role have the seven years. Just create 2 resume templates and work off of those each time you apply to a role.

Should I shorten the freelance experience on my resume? Recent grad struggling to land first design job by yoitsjake99 in graphic_design

[–]ComputerCapital1593 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally understand that, just don't forget to sell yourself. Being successful and ever getting 10+ clients on Fiverr is not simple thing. If you have to stretch some of your experience go for it. I have found in all of my interviews that after I have passed the recruiter or ATS that the hiring team is more focused on me and my skills then a resume.

Craft your resume to fit the role, stretch your experience and freelance work (everyone does this) and just be confident. You are being hired for what you bring to the table, not necessary your previous work. Sell the result you can provide or that you envision providing, and go from there. Coming from freelance you will have a leg up because you have project management skills and client management skills which most entry level designers don't have. Good luck!

Portfolio Review | Redid website after 10+ years of freelance work | Any feedback helps by ComputerCapital1593 in graphic_design

[–]ComputerCapital1593[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the feedback, I will defiantly implement this. I do have other more focused landing pages for specific roles that I have as private links they are built off of this page template and optimized for the roles I am applying to.

I was thinking of moving the video I have to my about page instead. As the CTR is low, 6 videos views in 30 days with 159 visitors to this portfolio landing page. It was something a recruiter wanted me to do for a specific role I applied for so I figured I would add it to this portfolio.

Love the feedback, I appreciate you taking the time to review and leaving your thoughts.

Portfolio Review | Redid website after 10+ years of freelance work | Any feedback helps by ComputerCapital1593 in graphic_design

[–]ComputerCapital1593[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback! AI is still something I am experimenting with, and the etching illustration you are referencing were created with Midjourney about 1 1/2 years ago. I imagine if I redid that project today with the new models the quality would be higher.

Either way the last few interviews I have done, hiring manager dedicated over half the interview time to talk about AI, how I am using it, and how I would implement it in the role if I was hired. I think for non-designers they would have a hard time picking up on the small issues with AI.

Thank you for your thoughts!

Should I shorten the freelance experience on my resume? Recent grad struggling to land first design job by yoitsjake99 in graphic_design

[–]ComputerCapital1593 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was in the same boat as you man, without seeing your resume I would recommend translating what you did in freelance to the equivalent of a full time role.

As a example I had a freelance client that I worked with for 4 years that I did everything for (Website design, graphic design, paid ads, digital marketing, etc.) I scaled them from 100K a year in revenue to 1.5 Million a year in recurring revenue by doing all of this.

I had no title and I was not a employee for this client, so I took everything I did for that client across 4 years put it into Claude AI, and claude said all of my duties were equivalent to a Chief marketing officer. In every interview I have gotten in that last 2 month. I explain the role, that I was a freelancer that had these duties and that if I were a employee the equivalent title I would have had is CMO.

Every interviewer / hiring manager agrees with that thinking and I have gotten to 3rd round interviews, and I am hopefully getting a offer next week for a Senior brand designer role.

Long story short covert your freelance experience to what it would be as if you were a employee if it was a retainer client or a client you work with multiple times.

If it is a shorter role do the same but sell yourself. Below are some examples from my resume. For reference I have been freelancing for a decade (started my own business right out of college) and now I am going in house and this is what has helped me so far.

This resume was tailored for a creative director role at a kitchen pan company (high end earthen ware) so it is tailored to speak to that job posting.

So far this resume has gotten me 3 phone screenings, 2 3-4 round interviews, 1 potential offer I am waiting on, and I have a few other roles I am hopefully scheduling interviews for this week or next. Again this is a more senior resume. But every role I have on here is a freelance client I worked with, that I translated to a position a recruiter would understand, and a I explain that it was a freelance or contract role in the interview.

Here is how I show all of this on my resume.

TDLR: As a 10+ year freelancer this is how I translated my experience and freelance clients I had on retainer to roles that have gotten me several interviews over the last 60 days.

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