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As a self-employed business owner, you're wearing a myriad of hats, encompassing roles from marketing, customer service, operations, to finance among others. The unique aspect about writing a resume for such a role is that you're not just outlining job duties, but diverse entrepreneurial skills and achievements. There's a shift in the trend of businesses now, with many adopting lean methodologies and embracing generalists who can multitask. This necessitates a resume that effectively communicates your adaptability and versatility.
Remember, your resume is the story of your business' journey. It'll be distinct from traditional job-based resumes. You're demonstrating a mastery of several sectors, understanding of business operations, and the ability to guide a business to success. This isn't about just stating what you did, but quantifying the impacts made, the revenues earned, and growth achieved.
As a business owner, tangible, specific metrics tell a powerful story. Did you increase sales by a particular percentage? How many customers do you serve? By presenting solid, quantifiable data and achievements, you underline your ability to deliver results.
Every business owner is self-employed, but not every self-employed individual is a business owner. The difference relies on whether you have other people working for you. For example, a freelancer would be self-employed, just like an agency owner, but this last one also operates a business and guides a team. Leadership skills are essential in entrepreneurship. That’s why you should emphasize your ability to motivate others in your resume.
You should choose your job title wisely when writing your resume. These days most companies use ATS filters to scan resumes, and not having an optimized job title might affect your performance. Try to incorporate keywords that are relevant to your industry and entrepreneurship.
Project management is an essential skill to have in entrepreneurship. You will need to create strategic plans, estimate costs, and resources, delegate tasks, and monitor operations. Hence, it’s a good idea to highlight this skill on your self-employed business owner resume.
As a hiring manager who has recruited for top companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon, I've seen countless resumes from self-employed business owners. The best resumes effectively showcase their entrepreneurial skills, business acumen, and the impact they've made in their ventures. Here are some tips to help you craft a strong resume that will catch the attention of potential employers or clients.
Instead of simply listing your responsibilities as a business owner, focus on the tangible results and achievements you've accomplished. Use specific numbers and metrics to quantify your impact.
Avoid vague or generic statements that don't provide any real insight into your abilities.
As a self-employed business owner, your resume summary is a chance to provide a high-level overview of your professional background and the value you bring to the table. While a summary is optional, it can be particularly useful if you're looking to change careers or industries, or if you have a wealth of experience that may not be immediately apparent from your work history alone.
When crafting your summary, focus on highlighting your most relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments, and tie them back to the specific needs of your target employer or client. Avoid simply repeating information that's already included elsewhere in your resume, and steer clear of generic buzzwords or soft skills that don't add real value.
The work experience section is the heart of your resume as a self-employed business owner. It's where you showcase your entrepreneurial achievements, business growth, and the value you've delivered to clients. Let's break down the key steps to write an impactful work experience section that will impress hiring managers and help you land your next opportunity.
Choose powerful action verbs that resonate with your target industry to make your resume more impactful. Some examples for self-employed business owners include:
Avoid overused or generic verbs like 'managed' or 'responsible for'. Instead, opt for more specific and engaging language that showcases your initiative and leadership.
The education section of your resume is crucial when you're a self-employed business owner. It shows potential clients and partners that you have the knowledge and skills to run a successful business. Here are some tips to make your education section stand out:
As a self-employed business owner, your skills section is crucial to showcase your expertise and capabilities. It's an opportunity to highlight the key skills that make you stand out from other candidates and demonstrate your value to potential clients or partners. In this section, we'll guide you through the process of crafting a compelling skills section that effectively communicates your strengths.
Here are examples of popular skills from Self employed Business Owner job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Self employed Business Owner job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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