Latest / The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry / How a Career Gap Can Help You Build a Freelance Portfolio
Transcript
- Lucas: So you take two years off to care for aging parents. You're not coding, you're not pitching, you're not in meetings. And then you apply for a senior marketing role — and the hiring manager asks what you've been doing. Most people freeze. But what if you had a portfolio of seven campaigns to show? Luna: That's the dream scenario, right? But how do you actually build that portfolio when you're not even looking for full-time work? Lucas: That's exactly what we're talking about today. I came across a story about a woman named Maria — former marketing manager at a midsize CPG company. She took a career gap to care for her parents, and instead of letting her skills atrophy, she used that time to freelance for local nonprofits. Seven campaigns over two years. She documented every single one with metrics. And when she went back on the market, she got a senior role at a digital agency — partly because she could point to real results. Luna: I love that. And it's such a smart way to frame a gap — you're not just saying 'I was a caregiver,' you're showing 'I was also building this.' Lucas: Exactly. And if this episode helps you think about your own career move — maybe you're in a gap right now, or considering one — honestly, if today was worth a coffee to you, that's the link: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's how we keep this show ad-free and focused on stories like Maria's. Luna: Yeah, listener support makes a real difference. And we appreciate it. Lucas: So back to Maria. She didn't just pick any freelance projects. She was strategic. She reached out to three local nonprofits whose missions she genuinely cared about — an animal shelter, a food bank, and a youth arts program. She offered to help with one campaign each, for free, as a trial. That's key — start with one client, not ten. Luna: And she built relationships that led to repeat work. I think that's the piece a lot of people miss — it's not about blasting your resume to fifty places. It's about two or three deep connections. Lucas: Right. For the animal shelter, she ran a Facebook fundraiser that brought in twelve thousand dollars in one month. She documented the strategy — audience targeting, ad spend, creative — and then she wrote it up as a case study. That case study became the centerpiece of her portfolio. Luna: So what did the portfolio actually look like? Was it a PDF, a website, what? Lucas: She built a simple website using a free platform — just a one-page site with her story, her project list, and three detailed case studies. Each case study had the client's name, the challenge, her approach, and the results in numbers. She also included testimonials from the nonprofit directors. That's huge — social proof from people who aren't your mom. Luna: And the testimonials are especially powerful because they come from a non-commercial context. It shows you can deliver for a mission-driven organization, which a lot of employers value. Lucas: Exactly. So let's break this into steps. Step one: identify two or three organizations you care about — local nonprofits, small businesses, even a friend's startup. Step two: offer a specific, time-bound project. Say, 'I'll run a three-week social media campaign for your fall fundraiser, no charge, and if you like it, we can talk about paid work.' Luna: And you're not just giving away labor — you're building a proof of concept. And honestly, most nonprofits will say yes because they have zero budget for marketing. Lucas: Step three: document everything. Take screenshots of the ads, the analytics dashboard, the donation page. Write down the strategy and the rationale. Step four: ask for a testimonial at the end. Most people will be happy to write one if you made their life easier. Luna: And then you compile it all into a portfolio. I'd add: don't worry about making it perfect. A simple Google Doc with links and screenshots is fine. Employers just want to see your thinking and your results. Lucas: Maria's portfolio wasn't fancy. It was functional. And it worked because it answered the one question every hiring manager has: can this person do the job? Instead of saying 'yes, I used to be a marketing manager,' she showed 'here are seven campaigns I ran, here's what I learned, here's the impact.' Luna: And I think there's a psychological benefit too. When you're in a career gap, it's easy to feel like you're falling behind. Having a project to work on — even a small one — gives you structure and a sense of progress. Lucas: Absolutely. And it doesn't have to be marketing. If you're a software engineer, you could build a simple app for a local nonprofit. If you're a writer, you could ghostwrite blog posts for a small business. If you're a designer, you could redesign a nonprofit's website. The principle is the same: find a real need, do real work, and capture the results. Luna: What about the fear of not being good enough? I think a lot of people in a gap worry their skills are rusty. Lucas: That's imposter syndrome, and it's normal. But here's the thing: nonprofits and small businesses are not expecting perfection. They're expecting effort and professionalism. If you can deliver a campaign that's better than what they could do themselves — which is often nothing — you're already adding value. And the practice will sharpen your skills fast. Luna: So the portfolio becomes a virtuous cycle. You build confidence, you get results, you get testimonials, and then you have something to show employers. Lucas: Exactly. And when you do go for that job interview, the career gap stops being a weakness. You frame it proactively: 'I took time for family, and during that time I also kept my skills sharp by freelancing. Here are three projects I'm particularly proud of.' That's a story that sells. Luna: I want to ask about platforms. You mentioned Upwork briefly — is that a good route for someone in a gap? Lucas: It can be, but I'd caution against relying on it as your primary strategy. Upwork is crowded, and you're competing with people who have hundreds of reviews. Maria didn't use it — she used personal connections and cold emails to local organizations. That's harder in some ways, but it builds deeper relationships. If you do use Upwork, target very specific niches — like 'email marketing for pet stores' — so you stand out. Luna: That makes sense. And you can also offer your services on platforms like LinkedIn — post that you're open to short-term projects in your field. I've seen people get leads just from a status update. Lucas: Great tip. So the bottom line: a career gap doesn't have to be a resume black hole. With a little strategy, it can be the time when you build the most compelling portfolio of your career. Start with one client, one project, one case study. The rest will follow. Luna: And if you're listening and you've done this — built a portfolio during a gap — we'd love to hear your story. What worked, what didn't. Lucas: Yeah, drop us a line. In the meantime, the takeaway is simple: don't wait until you're back in the workforce to prove you can do the work. Start now, start small, and build something you can point to.