How to successfully present self-employment when job hunting

In recent years, I’ve been working with clients leaping back into employment. They have had enough of working on their own or dealing with the inevitable ups and downs of being self-employed. When you are freelance, you must wear several hats; one that can sit quite heavy is that of business development. Whilst some invest in experts, many more must become the person that sells! So, when they are asked to craft a CV, to promote themselves, it can feel quite impossible as it’s not where their skills lie! If that is you, then read on. I will share how to successfully present self-employment when job hunting!

 

A taboo exists within the business world when job searching; there are so many assumptions around why a self-employed person will be looking for more traditional work. Only one of those reasons may be closing a business. It can be building a portfolio career, applying for project or consultancy work, or a change in personal circumstances which means predictable income is needed. None of these is an indication of how successful you have been; many of the people I work with keep their self-employed work going alongside their employed role, ready to renew in the future!

 

Having spent time on the “other side” of recruitment, I am aware of genuine objections that employers may have about this type of move into employment. By acknowledging them in advance, through your cover letter, personal statement, and interview, you can overcome these assumptions! Areas such as, the motivation for the change, concerns about how long will stay in the role and how you may feel about being employed, would benefit from being answered within your application. 

 

Whilst the reason that you are looking may vary, one thing is true for all the self-employed people I work with on their CVs and interview practice; they are all worried about how to present their current and previous work history. You may not believe me, but as a self-employed person, you already have some experience in preparing a version of your CV. You may have needed to provide a list of your experience and skills to a procurement department. You may have crafted a promotional focused LinkedIn profile or created a pitch for a piece of work where you talk about your services, features and benefits.! This is especially true if you have been service-based. Great news, all of this is HIGHLY relevant useful information when you are creating a CV.

 

However, regardless of if you have a background in services or selling products, your next step will benefit from taking an emotional step back and considering ALL the skills you have gained from the experience of being self-employed. You can start by creating a brief rundown of everything you need to do, to make your business run. Treat yourself like an employee.

I’ll use my work in The Balance Collective, as an example: Whilst my day job is a Coach, I also take on the following responsibilities to make my business run (all of which potentially could be used as part of a job application, if I so wished):

 

• Copywriter
• Blogger
• Bookkeeper
• Admin
• Business development
• Account Management
• Budget Management
• Supplier Liaison

 

All of that occurs, even before I even get to the skills and experience that are baked into the service I provide, not to mention the certifications and qualifications I have collected since becoming self-employed!

 

• Trainer (Creator and Facilitator) 
• Speaker
• Career Coach
• Employment & Leadership Consultant
• Mentor
• Mental Health First Aider
• DISC Practitioner 

 

When you flip these responsibilities into the setting of a job description and person specification, you can start to build a profile of someone who has a range of transferable skills and very relevant experience that could be beneficial to an organization! What would your list look like? To flesh out the CV, and to add extra evidence to the strength of your application, consider the answers to these questions ….

 

• What you have learned from being self-employed and how will you apply this to an employed setting? 
• How have you measured your success in your business? 
• Who have you worked with? Share the sectors/industries! 
• What did you enjoy doing and why?

 

Finally, before you leave to start crafting your CV, I want you to go and look up the concept of an intrapreneur. As a self-employed person, you are responsible for all decisions. You have taken risks, been innovative and have an insight into the commercial world of marketing, cash flow and pricing, amongst other things. It’s something that can’t be taught, only experienced. THIS is something that needs to be highlighted in your CV, as it’s unique to self-employment. For every organization that will be “put off” by your entrepreneurial background, there will a larger list of those that want that insight, outlook, and creativity within their organization. So, build on everything you have achieved, the mistakes you have made and the skills you have developed and create your career to enjoy! 

 

If you are looking to join a group of over 500 people creating a career to enjoy, then come over to my Facebook Group! We have regular Q&A sessions, and a chance to stay motivated and engaged.

 

If you would like support to carve out your CV for your next career step, then schedule a call to find out how I can help you.