How to List Self-Employment on a Resume

Resume Writing

Self-employment is a rising trend in the American workforce. FreshBooks says the number of self-employed Americans could triple up to 42 million by 2020. However, this significant rise does not guarantee success in career. There are still people who went back to their traditional work. Why? Because they see it as a risky path. So before they apply and go back, they ask: Should I include my self-employment on a resume? If yes, how?

Should You Put Self-Employment on a Resume?

The answer is yes. Definitely yes. You should put your self-employment on your resume. Putting this will help you patch up the gap in dates. This way, you avoid possible red flags for potential employers.

Also, any other forms of freelance work should be written on your resume. They are good add-ons which quite improve your resume. Especially during the interview, you can emphasize this career period. Employers love to hear the skills you used and gained when you were self-employed.

How to Put Self-Employed on Your Resume

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, don’t worry. Here are some terms you can add on your job title:

Contractor (e.g., independent contractor)
Consultant (e.g., legal consultant)
Freelancer (e.g., freelancer designer)
President, CEO, Company Owner

B. Create your company name.

Just like above you need a company name in every job position. This maintains the resume’s consistency. Again, consider the nature of your work. If you’re 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 client’s business names. Before you do this, make sure the company acknowledges you. Write the point of contact whom you’ve worked with. There’s a chance their human resources can’t verify your involvement.

C. Write inclusive dates.

The reason behind this tip is to avoid the employment gap on the resume. Patching this up is better than leaving your work history with gaps. These are clearly red flags to employers, especially if you don’t have a valid reason behind them.

Your self-employed years are evidence of your career progress. So, before writing your resume, check out our resume writing tips.

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.