question about putting non-paying jobs on resume

[Amber Alexander]

I am currently working with a board game developer and he needed illustrations for the cards in his game, I replied with my portfolio, he liked my stuff so i'm working on the first illustration now. He gave me a very detailed description of what he wanted it to look like.

My question is can I put this work on my resume and should I? Which also leads to should I officially sign a contract with him?

Can I put it on my resume something like:
Freelance Boardgame Illustrator (April 2009 - Present)
or
Contract Boardgame Illustrator

The only work i've ever done is the army and volunteer (non art) job so not sure what to put on my resume, any suggestions pls.

Sorry if this is the wrong forum for this.

[sharpe]

This is probably going to get moved to the Employment Discussion section, mate.

Regarding your question, if you are looking for legitimate art jobs, your resume is largely irrelevant. It's your portfolio that really counts, so the question you should be asking is whether you can show the artwork you're creating for this project. That should be something you discussed with your client beforehand. There are a few reasons why you might not be able to show this stuff — maybe your project has an NDA or maybe you signed on for work for hire? If either of those aren't the case, then you'll probably be able to put whatever you're creating for the project in your portfolio. Go ahead and ask your client if you're uncertain.

But getting back to your original question, there's no reason why you should not be able to put this project on your resume. Just be honest about what sort of job it was and what your true responsibilities were.

[Antherry]

If you are fretting about your resume then don't. Respond promptly, show up on time, spell correctly, do good work-- all these are much more important than your resume.