As an entrepreneur, you also get to be part of teams in which you need to show your strengths and weaknesses. This makes the interview and hiring process critical, which also means that your resume has to be up to par.
If you’re an entrepreneur looking to craft a relevant resume for potential startup and other entrepreneurial opportunities, here are five tips to keep in mind:
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Don’t be afraid to show up as who you are
The majority of resumes on the market are very much “Cookie-cutter” style. The general rule out there when it comes to resume is to use standard structures, “action verbs” and specific phrases. This makes it important, especially as an entrepreneur, to be yourself.
How you can show this: Instead of trying to fit into the cookie-cutter mold of traditional resumes, try instead presenting yourself and your personal accomplishments. These may include sophisticated projects, compelling blogs or unique business achievements.
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Demonstrate that you can be a team player
In startups as well as in more formal, corporate environments, there’s an increasingly stronger emphasis on team work and collaboration. In your resume as well, you have to be able to show that you welcome working in team environments, trusting collaborators and dealing with differing ideas.
How you can show this: Highlight the fact that you’ve worked in different types of environments and structures. You may also show your collaborative skills as well.
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Show that you can scale your organization
One of the main qualities of a strong entrepreneur is being able to scale your efforts and by extension, your organization. It’s one thing to have great ideas and accomplishments. However, it’s also important to demonstrate that you can take a project or organization from humble beginnings to success.
How you can show this: Show how you were able to get capital as well as attract the right people to move your goals forward. Instead of vaguely describing your results, turn them into quantifiable results such as increases in leads, new partnerships, etc.
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Turn your failures into lessons
Most will tell you to omit your failures from your resume, especially as an entrepreneur. However, the sign of a true entrepreneur and leader is the ability to move past failures and learn from them. Instead of listing things you failed at, you can strike the right compromise by turning them into lessons.
How you can show this: Demonstrate how you pivoted from original ideas to better, more productive and efficient ones. Explain the lessons you’ve learned in the process and how you’ve successfully applied them.
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Get some help creating and formatting your resume
With any type of resume, it’s always a good idea to run it by other people. If you can get professional help to create and format your resume, don’t hesitate to leverage it. In any case, having someone else take a look at it will help you pick out any confusing detail or mistakes.
How you can do this: Get some advice on how to better present your resume based on the nature and duration of your entrepreneurial work, your traditional work experiences, the overall needs and trends of the company and industry you’re looking to get in.
What other tips would you add to this list?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
