Even when working as an independent contractor, or working from home to gain income, it may still be necessary to show off a resume. Make it look great.
It's important to make that resume look great, no matter what it takes, even when working from home. Thought you'd be done with a resume once you became self employed? If only it were that simple! No matter the field of expertise, work at home professionals will still be asked for a resume on occasion. Potential business partners, or employers contacted about work from home positions, will want to take a look at the resume. Even in self employment, even in work from home, a bad resume can really hurt your economic future.
Make That Resume Look Great
Work from home jobs and self employment can still look great on a resume, even for those who know they work in Spiderman underoos and the keyboard in the office is covered with chocolate stains. Being able to work on your own shows great initiative and an ability to complete tasks without a boss hanging over the shoulder. It speaks for your determination and your desire to succeed on your own terms.
...No Matter What it Takes
The trick to a resume is to make the small stuff seem huge, to make everything look and sound great. Focus only on the impressive points of every job on the resume. If, for instance, the work from home is as a typist, emphasize the length of time doing that work, keying speed, and the largest typing projects completed. Mention any tight deadlines that you met or important personas you may have worked for. If any of your work appeared in any magazines, books, or online, mention that as well - this will go a long way to impressing potential employers and business partners.
If you run a home-based business, mention some particulars about the work in general. Don't only mention the length of time the home-based business has been operating, mention the fact that you act as creator, manager, and primary staff of the business as well. Mention big jobs you have completed or large orders you have filled. Include your Web site's address on your resume listing.
You may decide to leave the world of self employment for a form of more conventional employment, and in this case you still want your resume to catch the eye of employers. Learn how to make your self employment resume appeal to traditional employers by reading Resumes for Entrepreneurs.
