What do employers think of self-employment?

Paul in Saint Louis you are absolutely right!!! It is the same here in the UK too! I thought it was just the UK that played to all the minority groups.

Just another number in South Bend, Indiana said: Resume Killers:

Temp Agencies
Self Employment
Working for a Family Business

Those all equal "Unemployed" to the people whose job it is to round file as many resumes as possible.

Couple that with a Introverted personality (not a happy-shiny-smily-"people" person) and you are essentially unemployable.

Interesting that you mention family business. My wife is now running a family business. What she is learning is far more valuable than what I have learned at a corporate job.

It is a pretty sad day when those that had the ability and drive to start their own company are immediately thrown in the reject pile.

Here's a very good article I just found. I was sucked in after the first three paragraphs, and where it leads is frightening and already in tact in America and England. Please read.

www.rense.com/general63/newam.htm

The New Economic Slavery: Here's a very good article I just found. I was sucked in after the first three paragraphs, and where it leads is frightening and already in tact in America and England. Please read.

www.rense.com/general63/newam.htm

I’ve been self-employed since 2006 working as a freelance interpreter/translator. Recently I was looking for a flexible job to supplement my income. I was unsuccessful with my job hunting and now, after reading these comments, I understand why.

I think the ideal solution for us self-employed people is the middle way – e.g., becoming an independent consultant or business advisor. There is no point in fighting with the nature and trying to learn kissing a***es. That’s not who we are.

If you necessary want to find employment, I suggest starting from people who know your work such as co-workers when you were employed or your happy customers. Talking to strangers, in most cases, is useless.

Ihave been self employed most of my life and i can assure u that to get in to being an employee you would have a better chance if u know some one in the company that could refer you to them,other wise is almost impossible to get inn.And you would also have to convince them that you are tired of being self employed and make them believe that you are ready for a change in your life and that u think is the best you can do for your family,it is all a BRAIN GAME.

Self employment is looked down upon in this country and people immediately assume you can't get a real job. It is like working for a temp agency or a family owned business, not seen as a 'real job'. The first question if you are self employed is Why Can't you find a real job?

Paul in Saint Louis, Missouri said: Bottom line: If you are not corporate material, a corporate robot, or in the corporate matrix, you're useless to them. If you think in your own box or outside of theirs don't bother with a corporate job, they will fire your ass if they don't like you and move on to the next illegal alien for dirt cheap. However, minority status gets the welcome mat. The government pays corporations for hiring minorities. If you are a white male .... well, good luck, get back in touch with me if you're one of the few who do get hired.

Uh you may want to check facts before playing the race card. Check out unemployment stats for minorities versus white males even with all the 'diversity', affirmative action, 'sensitivity' etc... that the media and PC people love to talk about. Actually, if you are a white male now and unemployed and under the age of 40 it is assumed that you have a personality disorder if you aren't working.

And in the USA, self employment is somehow demonized & vilified mostly by these 20 & 30 something 'recruiters' & 'HR professionals' who are on a power trip

domino in Virginia said: Hi everyone. New here...really like this board.

I'm just wondering if there is anyone here who can tell me how self-employment is looked upon in job experience on a resume. (Tony?...)

I haven't worked for anyone else since 1991, when I quit to get my BA. I ran our own property management biz during that time and beyond, ran a successful eBay business and a few minor things.

I don't know if I will be perceived negatively because I have been out of the work force for so long (even though I have taken course work to get my skills current.)

Thanks! :)

Your cover letter is going to have to be POTENT. Many employers will determine that if you don't like the position after a certain length of time, you'll leave and go back to "self employment". Hope that helps.

hra in Longwood, Florida said: Your cover letter is going to have to be POTENT. Many employers will determine that if you don't like the position after a certain length of time, you'll leave and go back to "self employment". Hope that helps.

Will they even read the cover letter or will the OP be summarily rejected because he hasn't 'worked' since then??

As I said above -- In the USA, self employment is somehow demonized & vilified mostly by these 20 & 30 something snooty 'recruiters' & 'HR professionals' who are on a power trip.

If the Cover Letter is part of the email, the hiring manager will probably read it. It is not demonified....though the thought of your leaving is prevalent, it is not the "knife in the back".

hra in Longwood, Florida said: If the Cover Letter is part of the email, the hiring manager will probably read it. It is not demonified....though the thought of your leaving is prevalent, it is not the "knife in the back".

Unfortunately most positions are really thru 'staffing agencies'.. These recruiters cannot see past the linear corporate career history and are automatically trained to discard any Resume that has a got or a non traditional work history... I have done temp work relevant to my field and I am constantly given the third degree by these twits -- then after a lengthy conversation told my Resume & our conversation will be passed along and relayed to the hiring manager. I never hear anything again

Hence the reason to reach out directly to hiring managers...effective use, again, of LinkedIn may be the key here. Send me your resume and we can talk. Also, try going through www.spoke.com to learn names. Hope this helps.

My situation is unique
I am currently a webcam model, (self employed), actually an independent contractor through an online company, I emailed them to see how they would verify it & this was their response:
We can only verify that you have worked as an independent content provider affiliated with ***** Associates, as an independent entrepreneur who, similarly to a freelance writer for a magazine, produces content through your own facilities and resources, and licenses the content to ***** Associates and/or other internet service providers for a fee that you negotiate. Additionally, we can verify the date your started and the last six payments we have made to you. In order to release this information, you will need to provide to us via a signed letter your authorization to release this information and the company we are releasing it to. You can send your authorization as an attached file via this ticket system. Once we have your written authorization, the company requesting the information will fax us their request, which we will reply to.
What if an employer asks what my duties are & what content I produce??
ALSO, should I even list anything for my current job (since this is hard to talk about)??
{Note: this is NOT the only work experience I've had...lol ;) }
SUGGESTIONS??

Interesting conversation indeed! I had my own business for 3.5 years as part of a franchise that went sour, but managed to get a 12-month contract working for a government department. That job finished a month ago and I'm back on the hunt for work again. It's a very competitive market here in Australia, too.

I've been tweaking my resume and have settled for the title of General Manager to describe my self-employed status. Had a couple of interviews so far and another coming up...

Regarding recruiters, I think there are some good ones in among the corporate robots. I've had two who're checking up to see where I'm at and putting me forward for opportunities. I think I'll get something through one of them...

One avenue worth considering is to do a course to up-skill. That way you can *be seen* to be adapting to the current work environment even if, in your own eyes, you already have the capabilities to get the job done. I think I got the govt job because I started on a communications & media course. I worked with quite a few seatwarmers in the public service who could barely walk and chew gum at the same time, but kept jobs at the expense of loads of underemployed people who could do so much better in those roles.

The best to do is to put your current status as a freelance business consultant who helps is setting up and running companies. And u can mention previously the co. u set up asked u to run it and gave u a share in the ownership due to your abilities. And now as the company is set up and running you are looking to join a corporate atmosphere as your skills are better in such a place.

I got fired in 1981. I sent out a few resumes but did not obtain interviews. My educational background is very high-powered so I should have stuck with it. I didn't, and then every time I did send out a few resumes, I didn't get "the job"....one time an interviewer asked me if I knew how to use a computer.....I was speechless...I thought----I don't want to work in a company with an employee who is this stupid about self-employed people.....since then I have a better attitute. In this recession I looked for an found a niche where I can SAVE PEOPLE MONEY. It works and I am trying to maintain my focus.

My problem is I treat my "job" as a "job" and not as a business. I make "good enough" money....but not great money. I have decided to change that. My first recognition was that it is my choice to change that. Every day I make a new choice to continue this choice or not.

I think it's still useful to list your self-employment experience as long as it's in the past and you can demonstrate that you have clearly moved on.

Question - how do people deal with the fact that they may have a web site or other info on the web that would - of course! - clearly show that they worked for themselves?

I say forget the limited sighted employers you are trying to work for and continue working for the customers. Everything is sales babe ! Forget the slave driving a#$holes with anal retentive complexes and control issues...just trying to fly low under the radar of the executives. Do business with the people on the inside from the outside. Order takers are not leaders and never will be. Stay on the outside and play on your connections. Forget the judgemental middle managers who think the world revovles around their world. Get to know the power people the infuencers the flexibles.

I feel that as long as you can show that you were profitable and successful. That will show you are a self-starter and a go getter.

Very interesting. I have an extending comment: What if your self employment is on a larger scale? I mean, if you are the manager of something large and physically findable? For example, I'm being offered to manage my family business which is a small size hotel (15 villa units). In this case, when I cease managing, the next person taking over, could be my reference. In other words, even though it's family owned (and myself self-employed because I pay myself), I was voted in by the family to manage it. Makes sense? What do you think about this?

Also self employed for over 20 years. Sold the business and it is still in operation today. How can I tweak a resume as the business is local and has an established web presence? A potential employer could easily call and try to verify that I was a general manager not the owner. I do not think that conversation would go well with the new owner. All so very frustrating.

John in Montreal, this is the predicament I am in. I own, with a family member, a large physical retail store. I am the general manager. We are in a position to cover the position by paying someone so I would like to go back to project management in my niche market because frankly, children's retail is not what I want as a career. I've owned the store for 10 years but have only worked in it for two years since my layoff. Do I say I'm a gm or an owner? Do I say the store is closed? It's very much open. My partner does not have the same last name as me so she could be called as a reference. I hate to start a career under a non-truth!

I think when you make your resume you should minimize your skills.
Corporations like it if you can do one thing only. Think of something
you can rave about and put that down as your occupation. Instead of General Manager say you were Department Manager.

Look at it this way: there are more jobs being a Department Manager than jobs being a General Manager. Probably 10 times more.

When they say, "where do you see yourself in five years?". Tell them you have heard so much about the company you are interviewing with that you see yourself being with them. Do not say you want to grow and do more and better things. Just say you hope to improve at what you do now
and make yourself valuable within the department.

As a former biochemist, self-employed for 35 years person, I found each time I attempted to get "a job" I was over-qualified. You cannot be "too small" for their potential job. You have to turn off a part of your brain and be less than you are. It is important. Even have a few hairs out of place. It helps. Make sure your shoes are clean but not necessarily shined. You don't want to scare the interviewer off with any idea that you are threatening in ANY way. Do not have any opinions. That is really important.

As far as computer skills, they will probably ask you if you "can use the computer". They did me...then when I told them I'd taken 3 programming classes at UC Berkeley, Algorithms and Excel at the UC Extension, and written 3 websites, they never asked me back. Just say you know how to TURN ON the computer. Say you have watched others using the computer and you can fill in boxes on the screen and check them for accuracy.

This is really good advice, as you don't want to show anyone up. And be non-specific about where you live. Just say you live about 5 miles away. Lie. It doesn't matter. They just want you to have a car. Good Luck.

I'm sort of in the same shoes as others. It's very difficult to lie due to background checks. Recruiters have access to multiple databases that reveal a lot of information pertaining to employment. It really depends on the job requirements and your current and past experience (what can u bring to the table for the employee). Self-Employment is a tough one. I know several individuals who were self-employed and received job offers. Your match will be revealed based on how you express it in your resume and be prepared explain and not over n beyond what you performed. For instance, if you did your own accoutning for your business and applying for an accountant job, you better have more than experience. Additional training outside your self-employment is very important. Employers are looking for people who are willing to learn continuosly n not be settled. While self-self employed, how many training courses have you taken to keep up with your skills and society. Go to a Community College or other training institute and continue training in your field. Employees like to see that you understand the importance of improvement. This will help.

Which High level Databases are these that recruiters have access to?? Background checks are done by third party companies such as Lexis Nexis and usually consists of someone from India calling your previous employers to verify the information provided. Recruiters can only see what you put on a job related board such as Linked In or Facebook.

Ann in chi-town in Woodridge, Illinois said: John in Montreal, this is the predicament I am in. I own, with a family member, a large physical retail store. I am the general manager. We are in a position to cover the position by paying someone so I would like to go back to project management in my niche market because frankly, children's retail is not what I want as a career. I've owned the store for 10 years but have only worked in it for two years since my layoff. Do I say I'm a gm or an owner? Do I say the store is closed? It's very much open. My partner does not have the same last name as me so she could be called as a reference. I hate to start a career under a non-truth!

I recommend you do NOT say you are an owner, but rather, in MANAGEMENT. So, for your title you could write something like: MANAGEMENT ~ Operations, Personnel, & Marketing or whatever the areas are). Then, for your previous job, stick with the same wording and format. Instead of writing “Project Manager” for your title, write: MANAGEMENT~Special Projects or whatever type of projects they were). Do that throughout the resume-showing that you have different experiences in management (so that it still looks like you are focused and concentrated and not just taking any job to have a job).

Stating that you own a company on a resume (before you have a chance to talk with anyone on the phone or meet the interviewer in person) could hurt your chances for an interview (which is the main purpose of a resume—to get in the door and see if you even want to work there!) A potential employer might feel that you will be moonlighting and not putting 100% into your new company or a potential employer might think that if you are so great at owning and running your own company, why would you want to leave it? These are questions that can be addressed in an interview.

I took care of my elderly father full-time for 15 years after college, from 1989 through 2004, because he was legally blind from Diabetes and had a lot of other health problems. There was no way that I was going to see him go to a nursing home. He passed away in late 2004 in his own home, as he had always wanted to do. When I tried to enter the workforce, I had a B.A. in English Literature, an A.S. in Liberal Arts and Sciences, and a lot of hands-on experience from working on my dad's 6 acre property....tree cutting, landscaping, handyman skills of all kinds. I put in application after application with no result. From 2004 to 2011 I worked at three different places very briefly. It was Walmart and two motels. The longest that I worked was 6 weeks. In every case, I had to leave because the employers were engaged in illegal activities and I refuse to be involved in that kind of thing. I could tell some real horror stories about what went on. But, I won't get into all of that right now. In May of 2011, my wife and I went down to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and devoted two solid months to helping with the recovery effort after the April tornado. We worked seven days a week and typically well over twelve hours per day. That kind of dedication should help on a resume, right? Well, it hasn't so far. I just do not understand what constitutes a potentially good candidate to hire these days. You always strive to do the right thing, uphold high morals and ideals, demonstrate compassion and dedication....yet you still get NOWHERE. My wife took care of both of her parents and neither one of them had to go into a nursing home, either. We have basically been homeless since July of 2010. We lived in the woods up in Oregon from this past August to December, until our car developed an untraceable electrical short and we had to get rid of it. We are staying with my mother temporarily, but that can not go on for long.

I do laugh at the fact that in August of 2010 I applied for a job at Best Buy and when I was called in for an interview, even though I was homeless I was impeccably groomed and dressed and the interviewer was an unkempt slob! I did not let my opinion of him come out in any way in the interview, but I was not hired anyway. Oh well, now I hear that the company is going out of business....

Hi David!

How wonderful and beautiful that not only did you lovingly, joyfully, and compassionately care for your dad, but also found an amazing, like-minded woman to be your wife who also cared for her parents! You are truly blessed and gifted!

Have you thought about working in a nursing care facility--where you can, as a role model, exemplify the qualities of an authentic caregiver/human being? If you didn't want to work directly with the residents/clients (as a certified assistant), you could explore opportunities where you could write the newsletter or orchestrate the activities. You might even think about starting out as a volunteer once a week--which often leads to full-time employment. While I am certain wherever you would be employed you would be an asset and you would make the absolute most of that opportunity, I think those-in-need would most benefit from your gifts. Have you thought about starting your own business where you run errands, change lightbulbs, provide respite to caregivers, and help seniors-in-need? You could put a flyer together listing your services and drop it off door to door. One client can lead to many. Thank you for your post!

Thanks for the kind words. The problems associated with starting one's own business these days, which a lot of people may not be aware of, are that you have to pay both ends of Social Security yourself and you have to have insurance. Then there are the start-up costs as well. The only money we have at present is the remainder of the $300 we got out of selling our car for junk and that will be going for a couple of months rent on two storage units that have our belongings. After that we may even lose those if a job is not yet in place.

When it comes to direct caregiving, I know that I could not do that again. In the darkest depths of the Diabetes, there were days when the mental effects were so bad that my dad held a loaded gun on me and said that he wanted me dead. The insulin manufacturers could not leave well enough alone, developed Humulin and discontinued the version made from beef and pork, and in my dad's case it turned into a real nightmare. However, I would certainly be willing to work in an elder care facility in some other capacity. In fact, there is a facility just a few steps away from where we are staying at the moment. They needed cleaning staff a while back. My wife and I both applied. After a few days went by and we didn't hear anything, we called and politely asked if anyone had had the chance to review our applications. The woman who handles those matters replied like this: "IF YOUR QUALIFICATIONS MATCH OUR NEEDS YOU WILL BE CALLED!" and slammed the phone down. Makes you wonder how the residents are treated, doesn't it?

As far as volunteer work, my wife and I are uncertain as to whether or not we will get involved with anything like that again. Here is something that went on down in Tuscaloosa that you will probably not hear about on the news: There were three little communities just on the outskirts of the city that were pretty much wiped clean by the tornado. My wife and I worked the baby food section of the warehouse, as well as other sections. Donations of baby food were coming in from all across the country. People were also donating $4 and $5 off coupons for powdered formula out of their own families' pockets, because they wanted to help. We took in hundreds of those. Well, when these three communities were contacted, no one wanted any of that, which had been donated to help them! You see, the government had stepped in and immediately put everyone on WIC, so they went out and bought all their baby food in stores and would not accept any of the donations! We managed to give some of the baby food to a local battered women's shelter, but there was still a huge amount left just sitting by the time that Big Lots came in and rented the warehouse that Temporary Emergency Services had been using, forcing all volunteer operations to be shut down. And those hundreds of coupons? They all expired and just went to waste! My wife and I could tell a ton of stories about the crap that went on down there behind the scenes, but there just isn't room on this board.
Anyhow, one other thing that I am starting to do is send resume packages directly to corporate executives in order to possibly bypass the standard application process. Worth a try.

I went on an interview 2 years ago with a local pharmaceutical company. I applied for a job in manufacturing dept. I told the manager that I " owned my own payphone business for 15 yrs. ", thinking that might impress them. How dumb!!! He asked me twice, " you own your own payphone business "? I NEVER got a call back. However, I know of 4 other people that interviewed at the same time I did. They all got hired. Their background was as follows. Janitor, Burger King employee, college student & electrician. Moral of the story.....LIE!!! Tell them what THEY WANT TO HEAR!!!

STUCKY in Bridgeport, West Virginia said: ... Moral of the story.....LIE!!! Tell them what THEY WANT TO HEAR!!!

It's hard to tell them what they want to hear when you don't know what they want to hear and are not capable of "reading" people - especially HR types (who are either conditioned or inveterate liars) - in any meaningful sense.

STUCKY in Bridgeport, West Virginia said: I went on an interview 2 years ago with a local pharmaceutical company. I applied for a job in manufacturing dept. I told the manager that I " owned my own payphone business for 15 yrs. ", thinking that might impress them. How dumb!!! He asked me twice, " you own your own payphone business "? I NEVER got a call back. However, I know of 4 other people that interviewed at the same time I did. They all got hired. Their background was as follows. Janitor, Burger King employee, college student & electrician. Moral of the story.....LIE!!! Tell them what THEY WANT TO HEAR!!!

YEAH---!!!

I agree!!!
And for the guy above concerned about "background checks"...total BS!!

Get a postal service address..Heck...I did this when I lived in North Carolina and they thought I lived in California!! Get a local phone number through Google and you're all set.

Up their's!

Joan in San Ramon, California said: Also self employed for over 20 years. Sold the business and it is still in operation today. How can I tweak a resume as the business is local and has an established web presence? A potential employer could easily call and try to verify that I was a general manager not the owner. I do not think that conversation would go well with the new owner. All so very frustrating.

Tell them your previous boss has left!!![[[[you!]]]]]

I was laid off in 2009 and so had a 3 year gap of "unemployment" on my resume. I tried my hand a several home-based businesses and went to school taking college courses and 2 certificate programs. During 2 of these years I was on unemployment insurance.

I created my resume so that I showed a prospective employer what I was doing during the last 3 years. I listed my business entitiy, my college coursework, my two certificate programs, and introduced myself as doing "freelance" and "contract" work in addition to furthering my education to enhance my professional skills.

Basically I wanted them to see that I was not a "deadbeat" just sitting around, but someone who was moving forward professionally.

It worked! I found that all of these experiences impressed a prospective employer (especially marketing my business and doing websites and blogs) and I was hired last week in a position that utilizes those skills as well as my professional license.

Use those gaps to your advantage and I think you will do well with the right employer. Good luck!

Dont tell me what other people think.

Hi, Great thread! I otaly relate to this. I am 28, and I opened my first DBA when I was 18. I never went to collage and instead started my first property management business. Since then I worked in real estate and bought /sold, and rented houses for 'the good years'. ;z) Tried trading the currency markets for 2 years, and spent all that I had saved up over the last 4 years. I don't think this makes me good Corperate america material. har har. However as the recession continues I to am writing a resume and thinking about how the heck to put all the expereince I have gained, outsourceing, hireing, outsourcing, contract writing, sales, direct marketing etc. Now looking for work in compleatly unrelated fields and trying to write my first resume ever actually! yeah, started own business at 20, moved out at 21, haven't needed to work for others untill now. I realize my real estate skills aren't really in high demand in the USA right now though. ----Good luck all~!
Fez Miester - google it- j/j