Including Your Startup, Self Employment or Business on a Resume (Examples) - Updated

Including Your Startup, Self Employment or Business on a Resume (Examples) - Updated So you worked on a startup/small business for a while and it either didnt go well, or, it got acquired. (We wrote a good post here on resume tips for small business owners) Either way, youre looking to update your resume and get back in the job hunt. If you approach includinga startup in your resume the right way, itcould be very effective. There are certain situations where you should not mention your startup which well go through later on. Weve got you covered! Well show you exactly how to include your startup on your resume the right way. Should Ilist mystartup or business on myresume? Absolutely! I dont know why it even comes off as a concern for some job seekers. Working on a startup or small business shows a lot of effective skills and traits regardless of your outcome. It shows leadership, critical thinking and determination. Most employersalso like to see an entrepreneurial mindset in their employees, because entrepreneurship is all about delivering good service and making money/profit. The only drawback you may face is that its usually unverifiable. You can claim marvelous skills and knowledge you acquired but it would be nearly impossible to verify for an employer. You would really have to prove yourself during the interview. Should Ilist myfailed startup or business on myresume? Yes, the outcome doesnt really matter. The chances of success for your first startup are really against you. Even the most successful entrepreneurs had many failed attempts until they found success. You shouldensure that you list the more relevant skills and knowledge you acquired while working on your startup. When should you not list your startup or business? The only time you wouldnt want to list your startup is when youre still activeor you were in the same industry as the companyyoure applying for. Why? You dont want to list a startup that youre still running because if it eventually takes off, your hiring manager would expect you to leave. The last thing an employer wants to do is spend all that money hiring someone who may leave in a few months. They also want you focused on your current job and not your startup. You also dont wantto mention your startup if its in the same exact industry. The hiring manager will think that you either want to grow your knowledge or obtain trade secrets to grow your own startup. Even though these situations may not be your goal, its best to leave your startup off your resume in this case and focus on other relevant skills and work experience. If you have a large gap in your resume because of the startup you may want to use the functional resume format. You can read more here on how to deal with employment gaps on your resume. Including self-employment on a resume This information would be the same for self-employment as well. Try not to over exaggerate your skills and knowledge in regards to your self-employment. A few short bullet points of relevant tasks is just fine as its really unverifiable to the employer. How To Include a Startup or Self-EmploymentOn A Resume Including your startup or business on a resume would be very similar to the way you would include any other work experience. Follow these steps when including a startup in your work experience: Step 1 Include the name of your company and the dates you worked on it. Include your role which would typically be founder, co-founder or CEO. Step 2 Look at the job description and come up with 4-6 pointswhere your skills and knowledge from your startup relate in some way to the position. Step 3 List them inbullet points andword iteffectively so its relevant and stands out to the hiring manager. (Need help writing your resume? Check out this post on the best resume writing services.) Startup or Self-Employment On Resume Example: Including your startup, self-employment or business on a cover letter. Its really hard to emphasize your enthusiasm to join a company after a failed startup on your resume. This is why a cover letter is a great place to state your case. Remember that one of the biggest questions the hiring manager will have on his mind is how long until this guy starts his own company again? This would be better explained if youre called in for the interview. You want to emphasize that you want to stay and grow with the company for the long term. There are some points you should include on the cover letter which will help lead to the interview. You want to emphasize these twopoints on a cover letter: Youre excited for the opportunity to work for thecompany and be part of a teamYour skills and knowledge gained from your startup are relevant and perfect for the position Here is an example: After working on my startup XYZ for the past 2 years, Ive gained a deep knowledge of marketing, customer acquisition and sales. Im very enthusiastic about joining [company name] where Im confident that my skills and knowledge willhelp grow the company for the long term. I feel my experience fits in perfectly with the position open and would be grateful for the opportunity to interview. Should you mention why the startup or business failed? You only want to bring attention to it ifit was acquired. If it failed for other reasons, its best to leave it off your resume. You should come up with a solid answer answer ifthey ask you why it failed at the interview. Good luck with your job search!