How Do I List Self-Employment on a Resume?
Some people may think that self-employment experience is not worthy at all, especially when there are no records of your achievements and the past employer prefers to remain in the shadow, not providing you with references and not granting with a chance to show samples of your works (it is especially important for writers, designers, etc.)
However, resume self-employed section is very important and can add value to your candidacy, especially if you have gaps in the previous experience.
Nowadays thousands of hundreds of specialists work remotely, start their own businesses and work part-time on particular contracts, so employers no longer find it strange or surprising to interview a candidate, who hasn’t spent a day at the office!
The only thing you should know is the process of listing projects on the resume. Below we have collected the best tips that will surely be of great help for people with various backgrounds, work history, and experience. Follow them, and you will see how much brighter your resume will become!
Tips on including self-employment to the resume
It doesn’t matter whether you have just graduated from college or already have years of work experience and want to change occupation. Our tips can be applied for any niche and experience!
- The title on the resume must reflect the work you do
- If possible always add the company’s name
- Summarize the services you provide
- Create a list of the key projects and clients you have dealt with
You need to treat your freelance experience as any other employee would treat contracts and projects. This means that you should give your work a certain title that would reflect what you were doing when you were a freelancer. They are keywords and will help to hire managers to see your responsibilities at once. Such words may be ‘Freelancer,’ ‘Designer,’ ‘Copywriter,’ ‘Contract,’ etc.
To give your freelance work additional value and to make such experience look similar to a regular office experience, it is better to add the company’s name to your resume. However, it is up to you, and you can decide whether to provide such details because you may be your own boss or the previous employer doesn’t want to reveal the company’s name.
Once you indicate the title of your job and the dates, you need to write about the work you have done as a self-employed. It is better to remain brief and stick to the point. In case you have worked with several companies at the same time, you can enumerate all of the responsibilities in a few sentences, not writing about every employer individually.
In case any projects can show outstanding skills you have gained, it is better to shape them in the form of a list. In such a way, hiring managers will see this section at once and will be grateful that you decided to save their time.
Remember that freelance on a resume has many underwater stones, and the rules applied to this section differ. Be attentive and creative, and you will surely impress the hiring manager with your resume!
Example of a self-description for resume
Below you will find an example of a self-employed freelance description. You may notice that it doesn’t contain names and titles. They were excluded on purpose, but you can add names of the companies and projects you have worked with. It will be an additional plus; especially if those projects reflect relevant skills and experiences you have gained.
Public relations and advertising in the entertainment industry
Following requirements of clients, which include sending out messages or completing phone calls, sending materials to the press and media, and conducting long-term planning. Working on relations in the press, supporting meetings and creating materials and press releases for potential clients. The most relevant projects were:
- Developing materials, printed and online ones, banners, and copies to increase the interest of the potential audience across the US;
- Coverage of the latest news and industry’s tendencies on blog and website, including working on the design and visual content;
- Preparing presentations and conferences;
- Looked for, interviewed, and hired new employees for offices in Paris and Berlin.
Closing thoughts
The modern world offers lots of options for those, who don’t want to work at the office and prefer spending more time with families and friends, although indicating such experience in a resume can become a real challenge. If you already have freelance experience and want it to become a part of your winning resume, just implement all of the tips we have provided above!
