How to List Self-Employment on Your Resume


Questions raised about self-employment

Being self-employed comes with many challenges, among which are,– determining your niche, finding clients, having adequate insurance, hiring qualified help and many others which are too numerous to list here; and even if the self-employed individual has little or no requirement for a staff, thereby preferring to work as a freelancer, contractor, or other type of one-person operator, s/he must be determined, passionate and patient if s/he is to be successful.

Since some of the above mentioned characteristics are similar to those needed to successfully hunt for a new job, the question of why self-employment listed on a resume should be a concern for potential employers is an interesting one. Be that as it may however, listing self-employment on the resume when looking for full-time job often does raise questions for potential employers. Such questions can take the form of:

  • Were you self-employed because you were in between jobs, or because you wanted to start your own business rather than work for a corporation?
  • Are you still working on your own, as a freelancer or a consultant? If so, do you intend to continue this work in addition to your full time job?
  • Will your self-employment present a conflict of interest for any company you work for?
  • Are you working as a freelancer or a contractor on part-time basis, and never intend to have this replace full-time employment?
  • Does your long-term career goal include owning your own business?

From the new employer’s perspective

All of these questions are valid from your potential employer’s point of view, because companies do not want to hire any individual, train that person and provide him/her with benefits, only to have the individual quit after a year to start a new business. This is the main reason previous or current self-employment raises red flags for the hiring organizations; but there might be an acceptable (best?) way to address any self-employment on a resume. Utilizing this method would require an applicant to highlight the positives of working as a freelancer or managing self-owned business.

It is obviously important that an individual’s resume includes honest and forthright employment history that is relevant to his/her career goals. However, if you are the applicant and you pick up a freelance project infrequently which is not intended to be a full time career, you can omit such experience from your resume. The only time you would list occasional freelance work on your resume is if it allows you to fill any gaps in your professional experience; but if you have worked as an independent contractor for a period longer than three months, or if you have ever owned your own business, it is important that you indicate that on your resume.

When self-employment enhances the resume

Highlight those attributes of the job experience that qualify you as a perfect candidate for the particular job you are seeking; and make sure job responsibilities are listed in the same way as they are for any other full-time job being sought. Also the job applicant focus on those responsibilities which best meet career objectives, and achievements should be quantied when possible. For example, if you are the job applicant, it would help to exemplify your self-starter attitude under the Qualifications section of your resume; and make sure to list any inherently-employable skills you have acquired or strengthened while self employed.

As a final indication of your commitment to the job you are seeking is to ensure that your cover letter or email addresses any anticipated concerns of your potential employer. Make references to anything on your resume that may raise questions, and if you still own your own business, but are looking for full-time work, you should make sure to let your employer know what your long-term professional goals are, and how you intend to balance your roles at both businesses.

There’s really no need to apologize for being self-employed; but your resume and cover letter should present you as a credible and passionate professional. Just focus on the positive experiences and skills you have acquired as a self employed person, whether you were a sole proprietor, independent contractor or any of the various types of freelancer, just make sure to let potential employers know how these skills and attributes will benefit the company if you are their chosen candidate.

Setting Yourself Apart From Other Affiliates

Affiliate marketing entrepreneurs

Considered as one of the best and easiest way to earn some money, affiliate marketing has been – and still is – attracting many individuals who prefer to represent themselves as entrepreneurs in this type of business. But as competition has gotten a bit more intense over the last 5 years, these individuals may need to find ways that will distinguish them from the “pack” of affiliate marketers.

Consider for a moment that many competing affiliates are promoting the identical program, in a similar or identical zone and perhaps on similar or identical websites; and therefore haven’t found a way to create a USP (Unique Sales Proposal) and break away. If you are an affiliate who find yourself still a member of the “unable-to-break-away” group, following are a few tips that you might want to consider for a change in direction and have the chance to – perhaps – outwit and outplay your affiliate marketing competitors.

The first, and possibly, most important thing is to have your own website; since this tool is very essential to operating an effective and profitable affiliate marketing business, and in so doing, enhance your professional career. Secondly, potential customers primarily go to websites in order to search, and sometimes, purchase items they need. It is for this reason that a short, simple (and perhaps catchy) website address is much easier to remember than a certain URL that an affiliate may be using; and also that you can simply point visitors to a specific page on your site.

Adopt your own unique style and message

Another thing you, as an affiliate, must remember is to have your own ad instead of one prepared by other advertisers and/or merchants, since it is likely that other affiliates marketers would have published the same ad types – prepared by done by advertisers and/or merchants – two, three or more times. In this circumstance, you might wish to email the owner of your affiliate program and request permission to create your own ads. This way, potential customers will not become immune to ads.

It has been reported on several occasions that website visitors seeing the same ads over and over again skip the website altogether, so this could be very damaging to sales and referrals. Besides, your primarily purpose is to attract or encourage website visitors to click and read your ads and be curios enough to click through to your merchant’s website or product page thereby increasing your chances of generating revenue as a result of any purchases made while there.

The third step would be to have a few products of your own which are only available through your website once you have your website up and running; because it is important to have some products or services that your customers can’t find on another affiliate’s site. This might be as close to a USP as you could come without establishing one. The point is that you want your customers to keep coming to your site, and the best way to do that is to have something unique to your site that they can’t find on others.




Find a niche product and learn it intimately

As an affiliate marketer you will be more effective if you choose a certain market segment where you can have a potential leadership or at least a strong challenger role; similar to a niche in which there is a unique product or service demanded by a specific section of the market, and which you are the only one, or part of a very small group of marketers, capable of providing it.

The fourth step is to build a strong relationship with consumers who already buy your product; but in order for you, as the marketer, to fully answer queries from your potential customers, it is best that you buy and try the product yourself. With this particular suggestion you can do a far better job selling a product that you are using. You can share with your potential customers what a great experience you had with the product, and this will make them interested enough to buy the product.

You may also be able to provide support, if necessary, or you may provide a confident tutorial or steps on how to use the product that you are trying to market, based on your personal experience. Utilizing this idea is being totally honest about the product you are trying to market; and if you find out that the program you were promoting is a scam, it is obviously best to stop promoting it and inform your readers about it. This will also help you build credibility with your readers and supports, as well as those consumers among them who have already done business with you.

Honesty leads to trust and credibility

We all make mistakes, and admitting your mistake will boost your reader’s confidence in you. Lastly, don’t try to market everything you see. With services such as click bank, it is easy to become overwhelmed and try to market everything in the click bank marketplace. That is not a good idea. It’s better to focus on one market and then market products that they would want. This is called niche marketing, as mentioned earlier.

Try also to promote a certain product, which conforms to the specifications measured through indications of customer-satisfaction, rather than indicators of self-gratification. It is the customer who decides what to buy, and not the company or the affiliate marketer. The company simply produces products which cater to the needs and wants of their chosen market segment.

Today, different types of business are emerging from all over the world at the multinational level to reign supreme on their specific market segment that they are trying to dominate, and affiliate marketing is one of those businesses. Affiliate marketing is definitely here to stay and it can become a great way to earn extra or even part time income. However, it won’t happen overnight. Like everything else in life, you’re going to have to put a lot of hard work into it in order to reap any noticeable degree of success. Good luck!