Five Steps to Listing Self-Work on Your Resume

Chris Daniels reports:

"There are many reasons for stepping away from your career temporarily or exploring other careers. Self-work is nothing to be ashamed of and likely provided you with valuable experience. The entrepreneurial spirit that drove you to self[-]work is a great asset for any employer. Your time spent self-employed should be listed on your resume to account for your career timeline and to avoid raising red flags for a potential employer...List self-employment as you would any other job. Describe the work you performed, clients, skills you developed and milestones of your success. If possible, use numbers that provide concrete results of your self-work. Also, list your website, publications or photographs...Avoid describing your employment status as 'self-work' or 'self-employed.' Use a functional job title such as consultant, writer, artist, web developer or whichever term best describes what you do...Be frank about any extenuating circumstances. If a personal circumstance such as your health or the needs of a family member took you away from your career or led you to change career paths, state that. However, be brief and state circumstances in a way that do not make the reader uncomfortable...Provide at least one reference who can confirm and discuss your self-employment...Obtain the references' permission before listing them on a resume and make sure they are prepared to discuss questions a potential employer may have in a way that shows you in a positive light...Format your resume as a functional, rather than chronological, list. For example, the headings under your 'Professional Experience' are your marketable skills such as management, analysis, strategy, writing, speaking, presentations and client interaction."