How Do I Look for Work After Being Self-Employed?

A: With any job search, it’s important to first consider the perspective of the employer: they’re typically seeking specific experience and qualifications that will fulfill the needs of the open role.  

As a business owner, it might be tempting to showcase everything you’ve done to display your breadth of skills and broad range of abilities. However, for an employer, this can suggest a lack of focus or a misunderstanding about what the employer needs. Instead, lead with intention by highlighting the specific experience and accomplishments that are most relevant to the job at hand; your resume is a sales pitch, not an autobiography, so feel free to pick and choose which details to feature based on what a potential employer indicates they’re looking for.  

Even if you’ve carefully curated your resume to reflect what the employer is seeking, there are a couple of additional hurdles. The first is job title: while it may be true that you were the Owner/Founder, that title doesn’t necessarily reflect what you really did on a day-to-day basis, and it’s not a title that employers hire for, so consider using a title that describes the work you did (and that you want to be doing more of in the future) rather than emphasizing ownership.  

Another hurdle is the bias employers might have toward the self-employed. There may be concern that you’re used to setting your own schedule, being the primary decision maker, or working independently in a way that may not be conducive to how that company does business. You can pre-empt these concerns by speaking to your interest in having structure and consistency, working towards collective business objectives, and learning from tenured colleagues.  

With a new resume and pitch in hand, know that the challenge continues and that job boards may or may not be helpful. When vetting resumes submitted from websites like LinkedIn and Indeed, employers are making quick decisions to narrow the crowd to a few applicants, and it can be challenging to stand out from the competition.  

Instead, focus your time and efforts on researching organizations, conducting informational interviews, and attending in-person networking events to increase the odds of having a more personable introduction to your potential new employer.