How To Put Self-Employed on a Resume
Most self-employed job seekers don’t need to use the term “self-employed” on their resume. This phrase is usually too vague since it applies to various professionals in today’s workforce. And by evoking your conditions of employment, it falls into a category of details about you (like past wages or reasons for leaving) generally outside the scope of a modern resume or job search.
Review and Update Your Job Titles
That said, you must indicate self-employment on your resume to frame your work. Most of the time, the best way to do this is by the job titles in your experience section.
Some titles, like Founder or Owner, already signal that the job was a form of self-employment. In these cases, you don’t need to specify further and can display the position as you would any regular job on your resume:
Owner, Company, City, ST | work dates
- [Key duty or achievement]
- [Key duty or achievement]
- [Key duty or achievement]
However, for many other self-employed jobs, you’ll need to add a clarifying term like “freelance” or “contract” to your title. Below are six template examples to consider for your self-employed resume, with the clarifying term highlighted:
Freelance [Job Title], Company, City, ST | work dates
[Job Title] – freelance, Company, City, ST | work dates
Contract [Job Title], Company, City, ST | work dates
[Job Title] – contract, Company, City, ST | work dates
[Job Title] (independent contractor), Company, City, ST | work dates
[Job Title] (part time), Company, City, ST | work dates
Tip: The term has more emphasis when you place it before the job title, so consider one of those options if you’re seeking another freelance position. But place it after the job title if you’re open to trading your self-employed status for a full-time work commitment.
These clarifying phrases are especially useful when your self-employment involved many clients and you can’t list any one company or organization, for instance:
Freelance Graphic Designer, Atlanta, GA | 2022 to 2024
See how “Freelance” here accounts for the lack of an employer name – without that word in your job title, you’d probably confuse the reader about who you were working for.
Specify the Work Commitment
For any self-employed roles not equivalent to full-time, indicate your work commitment and schedule in the first bullet point of your job description, as in:
Freelance Graphic Designer, Atlanta, GA | 2022 to 2024
- Delivered five projects per month to high-profile clients, including [Client] and [Client]
- [Key duty or achievement]
- [Key duty or achievement]
Details like this help a hiring manager understand your work history, especially if you’ve had two or more freelance roles simultaneously and your work dates overlap.
Focus On Your Top Skills
Aside from the framing edits above, you don’t need to structure your self-employed job descriptions much differently than a regular job description. As always, focus on relevant skills you gained. Brainstorm your duties and achievements on a separate document or sheet of paper, then identify the ones that speak strongest to your target job. These strong points are the basis of an effective resume, whether you worked for a large corporation or yourself.
Self-Employed Resume Examples
David Thompson
[email protected] | (555) 987-6543 | Chicago, IL | LinkedIn | Portfolio
Freelance UX designer specializing in mobile-first and responsive design
Seven years of experience delivering user-centered designs for diverse clients ranging from startups to established brands. Strong history of developing responsive websites and mobile apps that enhance user engagement and improve conversion rates.
Key Skills
- Responsive design
- Wireframing and prototyping
- User research and analysis
- Usability testing
- Mobile-first design
Professional Experience
Freelance UX Designer, Chicago, IL | January 2020 to present
- Partner with clients in various industries to design responsive websites and mobile apps, increasing client conversion rates by 20% on average
- Conduct user research, usability tests, and A/B tests to iterate designs and find ways to enhance user engagement
- Manage up to four projects concurrently, delivering wireframes, prototypes, and final designs on budget and ahead of schedule
Freelance UX Designer, DigitalWorks Agency, Chicago, IL | June 2017 to December 2020
- Designed mobile-first web interfaces for a wide range of e-commerce businesses, improved the visual design and functionality of online shopping carts, and grew online sales by 17% for a major client account
- Collaborated with developers and product managers to ensure seamless integration of UX designs into the final product
- Conducted remote usability testing with users across different demographics to gather feedback and inform design decisions
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Web Design and Interactive Media, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL | May 2017
Additional Resources for Self-Employed Resumes
Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Employed Resumes
A well-written resume should combine a clear structure with compelling content. The essential elements include:
- Contact Information. Include your full name, phone number, professional email, and LinkedIn or personal website URL.
- Professional Summary or Objective. A brief 2-3 sentence statement summarizing your career goals and the value you bring, focusing on specific skills and accomplishments relevant to the role.
- Key Skills or Core Competencies. List 6-10 hard and soft skills that align with the job description, including grouping them into categories and using keywords that applicant tracking systems (ATS) will recognize.
- Professional Experience. Detail each position chronologically, including job title, company name, location, and dates. Use bullet points to describe responsibilities and achievements, leading with action verbs and quantifiable results.
- Quantifiable Achievements. Include numbers, percentages, or dollar amounts to illustrate impact wherever possible to demonstrate real-world contributions.
- Education. List degrees, institutions, and graduation dates. If you graduated recently or have a GPA above 3.5, include it. For more experienced professionals, omitting older or less relevant educational details is acceptable.
- Certifications and Licenses. Include industry-specific certifications that validate specialized knowledge. List the certifying organization and the date earned.
- Technical Proficiencies. Detail software, programming languages, or tools you are proficient in. Tailor this list to the technologies mentioned in the job posting for maximum relevance.
- Volunteer Experience. Include it if you've volunteered in a capacity that demonstrates leadership, teamwork, or relevant skills.
- Awards and Honors. Highlight recognitions such as "Employee of the Year" or academic scholarships that reflect excellence, including the awarding body and date.
- Projects or Publications. For roles in research, tech, or creative fields, list notable projects or publications. This section showcases thought leadership and hands-on achievements.
- Professional Affiliations. List memberships in industry associations. Active participation in professional groups signals ongoing engagement and may provide networking advantages.
- Keywords and ATS Optimization. Incorporate terms from the job description, such as industry jargon, required skills, and certifications, throughout your resume. This optimization helps applicant tracking systems flag your resume as a strong match and increases the likelihood of reaching a human recruiter.
The 30-second rule extends the initial scan: after the first glance, a recruiter may spend up to thirty seconds skimming your top sections before deciding whether to continue reading. During this time, they look at your professional summary, key skills, and the first few bullet points of your work experience. The goal is to highlight your most relevant accomplishments and skills immediately, ensuring that within those thirty seconds, you've demonstrated a clear match to the job requirements.
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