How Do You Put Self Employment on a Resume

You created something from scratch. You have successfully managed clients, resolved issues, acquired new abilities, and accomplished things entirely by yourself. That's amazing! Regardless of whether you worked as a freelancer, owned a small business, or worked alone on large tasks, your self-employment experience is a valuable resource for your resume.

However, people frequently ask themselves, "How can I even include this in my CV?" Will businesses get it? Is it 'real' job experience?

Great news! Having your own business is a really valuable job experience that may help your resume stand out. Employers like individuals with skills, initiative, and flexibility, all of which are characteristics you develop when you work for yourself.

Even if you are applying for a conventional position, this tutorial from ApplyTrackr will walk you through how to confidently and effectively include your self-employment on your resume. Let's make your unique journey your greatest strength!

Why Your Self-Employment is a Superpower on Your Resume

Let's first comprehend its value before discussing how to compose it:

You are a problem solver: You identified issues and developed solutions.
You are Self-Sufficient: You do not need constant monitoring. You act on your own initiative.
You Have a Wide Range of Talents: You probably managed every aspect of your business, including accounting, marketing, sales, and customer service.
You're Adaptable: The environment for the self-employed is always changing, and you kept up with it!
You See Outcomes: You made a lot of effort to accomplish objectives for yourself and your customers.

These are the precise attributes employers seek!

How to Include Your Self-Employment on Your Resume in Two Easy Steps

Pick the approach that works best for your background and the position you're looking for.

Option 1: The "Your Own Company" Method

Having a unique business name, even if it were only your own, or if you had customers for a long time, would be ideal. Treat your self-employment as you would any other job.

What to include:

The name of your "Company" might be "Freelance [Your Skill]," "Independent Consultant," or the real name of your firm (e.g., "Smith Creative Solutions").
Professional titles you may use: "Owner," "Founder," "Independent Consultant," "Freelance Designer," "Contractor," or "Self-Employed [Your Profession]."
Location: Your town and state are where you are.
Dates: Start and finish dates (for example, "January 2018 – Present" or "May 2015 – December 2021").
Key Accomplishments: This is the main point! Use bullet points to outline your actions and the outcomes you got.

Simple Illustration:

Independent Marketing Consultant | Your City, Your State | January 2019–Present

Successfully managed the social media strategies for five different small enterprises, resulting in an average 25% increase in internet interaction.
Created engaging material for clients (blog articles, website content, email newsletters) that increased website traffic by 15%.
Over the course of two years, the client base increased by 50% as a result of successful networking and high-quality project execution.
Managed all aspects of project management, client communication, and billing for many projects running at the same time.

Option 2: The "Project-Based" Approach

If you want to emphasize particular initiatives that are extremely pertinent to the new position, or if you have a variety of short-term engagements or various project kinds, this approach is effective. You have the option of listing the most important projects individually or grouping those that are similar.

The content:

Title of the section: "Freelance Work," "Consulting Experience," or "Key Projects."
Describe each project by listing the client (if you can, or "Various Clients"), your role, dates, and what you accomplished.

Simple Case:

Major Freelance Projects | Your State, Your City | February 2020 to the present

Website Redesign (Client: Local Bakery): Supervised a comprehensive makeover of the bakery's e-commerce site, which led to a 30% rise in online orders during the first quarter.
Content Creation (Various Tech Startups): Wrote more than 50 SEO-optimized blogs and articles to help customers raise their search engine rankings and get new users.
Social Media Campaign (Non-profit Organization): Planned and carried out a 3-month social media campaign that generated more than $10,000 for their yearly fundraiser.

What Should Always Be Included in Your Self-Employment Description (Make It Powerful!)

Follow these golden principles regardless of the path you select:

Use Strong Action Verbs

Begin each bullet point with words such as "Managed," "Developed," "Created," "Led," "Launched," "Increased," and "Reduced."

In place of: "I managed social media for customers."

Try: "Managed social media accounts for five clients, increasing engagement."

Quantify and Present Your Findings Using Data

This is enormous! Numbers demonstrate impact and are simple for recruiters to comprehend.

Not: "Helped clients get more sales."

Try: "Targeted email campaigns resulted in a 20% increase in sales for clients."

Not: "Handled many projects."

Try: "Successfully completed over 30 projects on time and within budget."

Emphasize Necessary Skills

Consider the position you are applying for. What skills are they seeking? Highlight those!

(e.g., Strategic Planning, Copywriting, Graphic Design, Financial Management, Customer Service, Sales, Digital Marketing, Project Management).

Concentrate on the Impact, Not Just the Tasks

Instead of just listing what you did, tell us what the results were and why it was important.

Task: "Wrote blog entries."

Effect: "By creating blog articles optimized for SEO, I was able to generate 10,000 unique visitors each month."

Where to List Self-Employment on Your Resume

Your self-employment experience should be listed in the "Work Experience" part of your resume. Treat it like any other profession. List your combination of self-employment and conventional jobs in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most current.

"Work Experience" is the best option for general self-employment, but if you have a lot of tiny, unconnected projects, you could add a separate "Relevant Projects" section below.

Common Errors to Avoid

Vagueness: "Self-Employed" or "Freelancer" are insufficient. Describe your actions in detail.
Ignoring Quantifiable Data: Forgetting figures means missing the chance to demonstrate your actual influence.
Making it Seem Like a Pastime: Your self-employment was a real job; ensure that your resume demonstrates that level of professionalism.
Leaving Employment Gaps: Don't hesitate to use your self-employment to fill in any gaps. It demonstrates that you were productive!

ApplyTrackr's Pro-Tip

When you're self-employed, it may be challenging to keep track of all your clients, projects, and accomplishments. This is where a tool like ApplyTrackr can be your best friend! Log each project, each talent you utilized, and each accomplishment you made using it. All of your outstanding experiences will be organized and ready to go when it's time to update your resume.

Make sure to customize your resume for every job application. Select the self-employment experiences and accomplishments that most closely align with the needs of the recruiting firm.

In Conclusion, Take Ownership of Your Narrative!

Your path to self-employment demonstrates commitment, talent, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Highlight it rather than concealing it! You can make your unique work history a compelling component of your resume that attracts recruiters and opens doors to fantastic new possibilities by taking these basic measures.

With ApplyTrackr, you may begin creating your strong, people-first resume right now!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: On my CV, how far should I go back with self-employment?

A1: As a general rule, try to concentrate on the last 10 to 15 years of pertinent experience. You can include an earlier self-employment project if it's very relevant to the position you're seeking, but give the majority of your attention to your recent and significant accomplishments.

Q2: What if my self-employment doesn't have an official company name?

A2: No worries! "Freelance [Your Profession, e.g., Writer]," "Contract [Your Skill]," "Self-Employed," or just "Independent Consultant" are acceptable titles. It's important to explain your responsibilities and accomplishments.

Q3: Should my resume include my self-employment income or earnings?

A3: It is typically not advised to list precise income numbers on your resume, regardless of whether they come from self-employment or a conventional job. Instead, concentrate on the effect and worth you produced, frequently by measuring accomplishments in terms of numbers (e.g., "generated X revenue," "reduced costs by Y%").

Q4: What if my self-employment is not exactly connected to the position I'm seeking?

A4: Self-employment fosters a variety of transferable skills, such as project management, customer communication, budgeting, problem-solving, and time management, even if it is not immediately related. In your bullet points, concentrate on emphasizing these transferable abilities and make them relevant to the job description. For instance, highlight your marketing efforts for your small craft company if you're seeking a marketing position.

Q5: Is it possible for me to list both self-employment and conventional positions on my resume?

A5: Yes, definitely! List all of your jobs (traditional and self-employed) in reverse chronological order (most recent first) in your "Work Experience" section. This establishes a continuous chronology and displays all of your valuable experience.