How To Show Self Employment On Resume

By Paul D

January 30, 2022

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Resume Summary For Freelancers

How To List A Self-Employment Project In My Resume?

The resume summary is the first thing on your resume after your contact information and title.

Your professional summary will decide whether the hiring manager will keep reading or not.

This section of your resume as a self-employed professional or a freelancer is not really different from a 9-5 professional.

You should write it the same as anyone else.

Craft a high-level summary of your career consisting of your most prominent contracts, projects, accomplishments, and skills that are related to the role the resume is for.

Here is a sample of a freelancers resume summary targeting a corporate role:

This freelancer is targeting additional project work:

Be sure your title states the role you are applying for like Senior Project Manager and Freelance Data Scientist above.

If you have a website or digital portfolio that showcases your work like GitHub above, add the link to your contact information.

How Do You Say You Are Not Currently Employed

The simplest option is not to list a current employer. Some profiles list Unemployed or Seeking New Position as the company name, but then youre advertising the fact that youre out of a job. If youre doing freelance or consulting work, another option is to list your company as Self-employed.

Emphasize Accomplishments Over Tasks

After choosing a self-employed resume format, populate each work entry with relevant accomplishments, not simply tasks. For example, instead of listing that you “,” give a sense of the scope, volume and impact of these work products. Did your work allow your client to boost their digital presence or lead to increased online sales? If so, express these accomplishments in your resume with available data to back your claims.

Also Check: How Much Employment History On Resume

What Do I Fill In Current Employer If Unemployed

Answer 1: I dont have any notice period to serve, so I can join immediately. Answer 2: At present I am available to start work immediately. Answer 3: My notice period was already completed at my previous job, so I can start immediately. Answer 4: Right now, I am not working any where, so I can join immediately.What should I write in current employer? List Your Current Position. Regardless of which resume format you use, highlight your current position. Include your job title and use bullet points to describe the responsibilities of your role. Beneath that, write a brief narrative summary that outlines the accomplishments youve made in your time with the company.

Include A Company Name If Appropriate

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If you are a full-time freelancer, make sure you may have set up a limited company. If this is the case, document this on your CV. However, if the company is just your name, you may want to expand on it with some descriptive language so the potential employers get a feel for the industry you work in and even your work experience.

Keep your formatting consistent with the other work listed on your CV so that it looks purposeful, seamless and polished.

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Whats The Best Resume Format

There is no such thing as the best resume format. The type of resume you choose should be based on your work history, work experience, skills, and qualifications. Here are examples of the formats you can use, and who should use them:

Chronological resumes best for mid-level professionals with consistent work history, or inexperienced job seekers who are able to swap out work experience with relevant coursework, volunteer work, or internships.

Functional resumes best for career changers, or people who have gaps in their work history.

Combination resumes best for experienced professionals who have a wide range of skills and qualifications for jobs in their industry.

How To List Self

If youve been working full time in a self-employed capacity, simply list it on your resume like youd include traditional work in a regular work experience section.

1. Choose an accurate job title

As a self-employed professional, you can pick your own job title.

However, the job title you put on your resume should reflect the actual work you do. So even if youre the owner of Aaron Chens Window Cleaning Services, list your job title as Window Cleaner if thats what you spend the majority of your time doing.

Saying youre the CEO or Director might be somewhat accurate, but may make hiring managers think youre overqualified.

When you write your companys name on your resume, you have several options. You can either:

write Self-Employed, Freelancer, or Contractor

list your companys name

if you did the bulk of your projects for one companies, you can list those company names

Heres how each of these options would look:

Writing Self Employed

Listing your personal company name

Listing companies you collaborate with

If you collaborated with any prestigious or well-known companies, you can also fit that information into your work experience bullet points. For example:

Performed 47 coding tasks for companies such as Apple, Acer, and HTC

In The Projects Section

For this section, you can list every project you wish in the same formatting as in the Work Experience Section:

New York Public Library: 02.2019 02.2020

Independent Contractor Web Programmer

Designed a new web page for the New York Public Library
Integrated a booking system for users of the New York Public Library

Including Your Startup On A Resume

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ZipJob Team

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So you worked on a startup or your own small business for a while and it either didn’t go well..or, it got acquired.

Either way, you’re looking to update your resume and get back in the job hunt. If you approach including a startup in your resume the right way, it could be very effective. There are certain situations where you should not mention your startup which we’ll go through later on.

We’ve got you covered! We’ll show you exactly how to include your startup on your resume the right way.

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Explain What You Did In Your Bullet Points

The biggest problem youre likely to run into when transitioning from self-employment to traditional employment is recruiters who dont fully understand what it is you did. Keep this short and relevant to the job youre applying for.

For example, if youre applying for a position in advertising, here’s what a bullet point might look like:

Completed graphic design projects for companies across the United States including product logos, social media graphics, and packaging design. Specialized in brand management and multimedia.

Use bullet points that are specific and tell recruiters where your skills lie.

How To Write A Cv When Moving From Self

If youre making the transition from being your own boss to working for someone else, you need to make sure your CV is selling all your transferable skills. Writing a CV for a new position when you have previously been self-employed isnt always easy.

On the surface, being self-employed shows youre entrepreneurial and confident in your abilities. However, a prospective employer might read into it that you cant be managed or that youre leaving your own business because it failed. Neither of which might be true.

Also Check: How To Put Summa Cum Laude On Resume

How Do You Say Not Contacting Current Employer On Resume

You might also include I would prefer not to list my current employers contact information until a job offer is received. Potential employers are likely familiar with situations similar like yours and will generally understand and honor your request to refrain from contacting a current employer until an offer is

Include A Projects Section To Highlight Self Employment

Even better than listing your skills is showing how youve used them in action. A projects section can be useful for anything that doesnt quite belong with your work experience, like personal projects. This avoids blurring the line between your paid employment and side hobbies, while providing evidence of any skills you may have developed but havent used in a professional context.

This is an alternative you can consider, especially if you don’t feel your self-employment is significant to be included in your work experience

Format projects in the same way as your work experience, listing accomplishments and providing a link if applicable.

Recommended Reading: Narrative Resume Sample

Specify The Work You Do And The Services You Offer

We mentioned above how youre doing yourself a favor by giving your self-employment experience a job title. In listing your work, you need to be more specific. Are you doing consulting work? If yes, what is your area of expertise? Do you own a small business? What is the nature of your business?

If your freelance work entailed working with several employers, list them and the particular work you did for each of them. Use strong action words and related resume keywords. Make it a point to focus on notable achievements or projects you did.

Shout About What Youve Done

Perhaps the most important thing when it comes to listing self-employment on your CV is to make sure its on there in the first place!

Theres a good chance that being self-employed means youve had a more varied career than many of your counterparts, and this experience comes with new skills that others may not have. Even if you think some of your work isnt directly relevant in terms of your next steps, many of the skills youve gained will be transferable so consider putting them down.

Similarly, if youve worked on a specific project, whether it that lasted two weeks or two years, it can be a great chance to highlight your achievements and skills such as teamwork and project management even if you worked for free.

Also Check: Leadership Skills For Resume Examples

D List Your Offered Services And Highlight Notable Projects And Clients

It is with great importance that you list the works you performed. In this part, be more specific. The employers need to see the specific services you rendered to your clients. Doing so will help employers see what you can offer to them.

Moreover, you highlight notable projects and clients on the inclusive dates. Use visual enhancers to highlight these such as bullet points. Use strong action words and power keywords.

This is it! The tips on writing self-employment on a resume will surely help you with your resume writing. Another way to improve your resume is to look for freelancer resume examples. You can compare yours with them.

Finally, Resume4Dummies is committed to giving you the best resume writing tips. Check them out now!

Including Your Startup Self

How Do I Show My Consulting Or Freelance Work On My Resume And LinkedIn Profile

It’s really hard to emphasize your enthusiasm to join a company after a failed startup on your resume. This is why a cover letter is a great place to state your case.

Remember that one of the biggest questions the hiring manager will have on his mind is “how long until this guy starts his own company again”?

This would be better explained if you’re called in for the interview. You want to emphasize that you want to stay and grow with the company for the long term. There are some points you should include on the cover letter which will help lead to the interview.

You want to emphasize these two points on a cover letter:

You’re excited for the opportunity to work for the company and be part of a team
Your skills and knowledge gained from your startup are relevant and perfect for the position

Here is an example:

After working on my startup XYZ for the past 2 years, I’ve gained a deep knowledge of marketing, customer acquisition and sales. I’m very enthusiastic about joining where I’m confident that my skills and knowledge will help grow the company for the long term. I feel my experience fits in perfectly with the position open and would be grateful for the opportunity to interview.

Read Also: How To List Promotion On Resume

B Create Your Company Name

Just like above you need a company name in every job position. This maintains the resumes consistency. Again, consider the nature of your work. If youre having difficulty, use any freelance business name generator. This will give you a bunch of available options.

If you are a freelancer, opt to list your clients business names. Before you do this, make sure the company acknowledges you. Write the point of contact whom youve worked with. Theres a chance their human resources cant verify your involvement.

Give Yourself A Job Title

You may think you dont need an official title since you are your own boss. But theres a reason this is important on any freelancer resume. Assigning a job title makes it easier to reflect the nature of your work.

Be clear with what you do. Are you doing consulting work? Do you own a small business? Are you a contractor? Once youve made this clear, give yourself a title in line with what you do. You may note that you work as a freelance consultant or entrepreneur.

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Are You Currently Employed Self

The IRS says that someone is self-employed if they meet one of these conditions: Someone who carries on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or independent contractor, A member of a partnership that carries on a trade or business, or. Someone who is otherwise in business for themselves, including part-time business

In The Work Experience Section

As we said earlier, your self-employed work experience should not look any different from any other job position on your resume:

New York Public Library: 02.2019 02.2020

Independent Contractor Web Programmer

Designed a new web page for the New York Public Library
Integrated a booking system for users of the New York Public Library

Self Employment Experience Section In A Resume

Work History Professional Experience, 2007 presentAchievements

Planned and directed all functions of the company Enforced strong leadership skills to ensure efficient/effective utilization of corporate resources
Established and integrated the functional strategies of the company utilizing business expertise to reach financial/operational goals and objectives.
Deployed resources to achieve financial forecast and business objectives
Record of success in guiding and directing an ABC enterprise through substantial change management, balancing engagement with strong and effective strategic leadership.
Developed sales and marketing plans and programs for company sales personnel.
Analyzed market trends and statistics to determine potential of growth monitored sales performance regularly

List Your Technical And Soft Skills

Next, list all relevant technical and soft skills you possess. Depending on your field, you may want to include the software platforms you use, the computer languages you know or other keywords that potential clients and employers seek. Mention your level of fluency when applicable.

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Heres How To List Self Employment On Resume

There are a couple of general directives that you should rely on when making a resume with self-employment:

List your entries just like you would do with any other job. Describe the work you did and describe it well. Additionally, try to include some achievements. The recruiters will care less about the experience being self-employment if your duties were impressive.

Use a functional job title, instead of simply putting self-employment or even worse self-work. This way, your resume will pass any Applicant Tracing System to reach the HR Officer. And when the HR Officer eventually looks at your resume, from the first look at it, they will instantly know what your job was.

Add clients. They serve as the insight to your scope of work. Other businesses are sure to know the local partners, which they will surely contact to get to know their possible future employee.

Include references! One of the main problems with self employment on resume is that mostly you cannot prove the work you did. You created a successful startup that received backing from 200,000 contributors? Thats great, and I went to Mars with Elon Musk is what some very judgmental HR Officers think daily. Give a couple of references, directing recruiters to your partners and collaborators.

How Do You Answer Current Salary

How To Explain a Job Gap on Your Resume

Given my experience and skills, Im looking for a salary in the range of 30-38k or Id be keen to understand the salary that you have budgeted for this role. When the question is repeated: Id prefer to focus on the value that I can add to this position rather than what Im paid in my current role.

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Take Pains With Title Selection

When it comes to catching a hiring managers eye, selecting the right title for your self-employment position can make all the difference. Instead of listing your job title as freelancer, create a label that explains your role more clearly. For example, you can call yourself a writer, graphic designer, website developer, or consultant.

Additionally, you should let managers know that you ran your own company. By labeling your employment status Company Owner instead of just Self-Employed, you show potential employers that you possess leadership and management skills that other candidates might not. The ability to manage other employees or build relationships with clients and vendors can go a long way toward landing you that full-time position.

A Give Yourself A Job Title

Treat self-employment just like your any other jobs before. Just like traditional work, you need a job title. Make sure that it is right and it reflects the nature of your job. Avoid writing self-employed or self-work. Use a functional job title like writer, artist, or web designer. Just remember to use the term that best suits your duties.

If it is your first time to write a resume and apply, dont worry. Here are some terms you can add on your job title:

Contractor
President, CEO, Company Owner

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