For some, self employment is only a stepping stone - not a lifetime professional goal. Going from work at home to just work? Find out what's after self employment.
What is after self employment? Once a professional sets upon the path of creating their own hours, finding their own gigs and totally calling the shots work-wise, is it possible to return to being employed…by someone else? Going from work at home to just work is a transition, and it’s not always an easy one to make.
Highlighting Self Employment on a Resume
No matter how long the period of self employment, it’s a good idea to include this on a professional resume. Employers like to see self-starters, people who can work with little supervision and those who have strong ambition - all qualities which a self employed individual must have in order to make their career a success.
Self employment is a wonderful highlight on a resume and should be treated as such. Simply enter this onto any resume the way any other job would be entered. An appropriate title (Self Employed; Work at Home Professional, etc.) should suffice as a heading. Under this, be sure to list the dates of self employment and the duties carried out therein (finding jobs, meeting deadlines, what type of work and projects were created). It’s also a good idea, if possible, to include at least one reference on the reference page who is familiar with the work that was carried out during self employment.
From Work at Home…to Just Work
Self employed professionals know how to find, and get, jobs. Finding employer-based work probably isn’t the problem…but the adjustment is another matter. Those who are self employed march to their own drummer, follow their own schedule, pick and choose the projects they want to do (or, don’t). When those who are self employed make the transition to becoming those who work for someone else, there’s bound to be a period of adjustment.
Suddenly, there’s a new boss in town. There’s a new working environment, often a stressful enough development. Factor in learning new routines and schedules to apply to brand-new tasks, the novelty of projects which are not sought out but assigned and the stress of all those new co-workers, and many former work at home professionals may feel ready to go running all the way back home instead.
What’s After Self Employment?
It is going to be stressful. Embrace this knowledge and get ready for it. A new, and probably much more strict, schedule is going to feel a little confining. The noise of a more traditional working environment, and the presence of all sorts of new co-workers, may seem stifling and uncomfortable. Answering to a boss again might feel a little weird, and it’s all too easy to slip up and take a break without getting permission first (force of habit).
When there’s a real desire to make a change, however, anything is possible. Be prepared to be a little uncomfortable and to struggle with some adjustment time, and this will help ease the situation a little. Take the time to get used to being away from home, embrace the prospect of something new and exciting…and who knows what might happen?
