How to handle a Resume When You Were Self-Employed for Years

Introduction: Self-Employed

It is gratifying to be self-employed for a few years. You may have worked for different clients, performed several tasks, dealt with financial affairs, solved issues, and made essential decisions. But when applying for a regular job, the first question that appears in your mind may be: How to Create a Resume When You Have Worked as a Self-Employed Specialist?

Fortunately, self-employed status does not imply that your resume is not strong. If anything, it shows that you possess a lot of useful skills. The key is to present your experience in a clear way.

How to Handle a Resume When You were Self-Employed for Years?

1) Portray Self-Employment as Legitimate Work History

Often, candidates downplay their self-employment and simply put “freelance” without any explanation. In reality, you have your experience even while being self-employed.

Instead of simply referring to yourself as “self-employed,” list your job title that gives more details about what you actually did. For example, if you worked as a freelance lawyer, you should write “Freelance Lawyer.” If you owned an online store, you should write “Online Store Owner.” Then provide the period during which you worked.

For example:
Freelance Lawyer | 2019–2025

• Handled clients’ cases independently.
• Communicated with them on a regular basis.
• Conducted legal research for each case I took.
• Asked questions to clients for clarity on main issues.

This way, you make your work experience more accessible to the hiring manager

2) Take Advantage of the Experience that You Have

Being self-employed means that a person learns many practical skills because they run various aspects of their business.
You may have acquired various knowledge in writing, project management, marketing, sales, budget, customer services, etc.
Write down a list of particular practical skills you have and relate them to the new occupation.

For example, if you want to start a career in marketing, explain how you promoted your brand, searched for potential customers, used social networks, or produced various marketing materials.

3) Discuss Achievements

Your resume holds more weight when you highlight achievements rather than just stating the responsibilities you performed.
Instead of noting:
“Supervised and directed social media accounts.”

You can say:
“Managed social media accounts of small business clients by posting regular updates to help them with their online visibility.”
If you have some numbers, quote them, if possible. Specify the number of clients and projects you worked on, the articles you have written, and the sales made or saved.

4) Communicate Your Business Succinctly

If you were a business owner don’t presume that hiring managers will be fully aware of what you have done.
Give a brief description of your enterprise. You may include what products or services you have provided, description of customers, and what tasks you were responsible for.

For example:
Online Store Owner | 2020–2025
“I ran a small online clothing store, dealing with accepting orders, selecting apparel and advertising on social media, as well as payments and after-sale assistance.”
This will help the hiring manager understand your experience quickly and clearly.

5) No Need to Feel Sorry for Deciding to Go on Your Own

Some individuals worry that working for oneself might be perceived professionally as a negative. This is why they often try to downplay their entrepreneurial experiences. You have nothing to be ashamed about for having worked for yourself.

When running your own business, you usually have to exhibit great discipline and self-reliability. You are responsible for looking for clients and finishing jobs on time while keeping in touch with customers and dealing with issues in a timely manner. These traits are extremely valuable for any employee of an enterprise.

6) No Need to Feel Sorry for Deciding to Go on Your Own

Some individuals worry that working for oneself might be perceived professionally as a negative. This is why they often try to downplay their entrepreneurial experiences. You have nothing to be ashamed about for having worked for yourself.

When running your own business, you usually have to exhibit great discipline and self-reliability. You are responsible for looking for clients and finishing jobs on time while keeping in touch with customers and dealing with issues in a timely manner. These traits are extremely valuable for any employee of an enterprise.

Conclusion: Self-Employed

Being self-employed for years does not mean your resume has to look incomplete or difficult to understand. Your experience as a freelancer, business owner, consultant, or independent professional can show valuable skills such as client management, problem-solving, communication, project management, and business development.

“Being self-employed for years can be a valuable part of your career story. Highlight your achievements, transferable skills, client work, and business results to show employers the value of your experience. Turn your self-employment journey into a strong resume with Best Job Tool.”