FAQs: How will future employers view self-employment on my CV?

It will be viewed positively if you take care to present it in the right way. Show the employer how your period of self-employment has made you a better potential employee.

When employers look at a CV, they are interested in the skills and qualities you would bring to their organisation. Self-employment provides you with the opportunity to present evidence of skills and qualities such as initiative, time-management, drive and determination and business awareness. These are exactly the skills and qualities many recruiters say they are looking for – it is up to you to use your experience of self-employment as evidence that you have them.

You can highlight actual situations or difficulties that you faced and overcame when working for yourself, citing them as evidence of the skills and qualities required by the employer. Concentrating on the personal development aspects of self-employment can make it a positive feature of a CV irrespective of the success or otherwise of your venture.

Further information:

• CVs and cover letters
• Self-employment