Entrepreneur Resume Example

This complete guide to an entrepreneur resume will equip you with the tools you need to compete in your applications. You'll find useful insights on constructing a resume that makes the most of your unique skills, experience and strengths. You'll also learn how to tailor your resume according to the job description, and depending on your experience levels. Continue reading to find the best entrepreneur resume tips from careers experts at Jobseeker.

Main elements of an entrepreneur resume

It's essential to include a few core sections in your entrepreneur resume, while there are also a few optional sections you can make use of to strengthen your application. For junior candidates with little work experience, other sections of the resume take on more prominence and might be placed before the work experience section. These could include education, skills, projects, hobbies and volunteer work.

While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:

Resume Header with Contact Details

In your entrepreneur resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Create a clear, well-structured header that acts as the headline of your resume. Use color accents and blocks to help this section stand out and catch the eye of the reader.

Only include professional, name-based email addresses in your resume header. If you have an old email address that uses nicknames, puns, references to your personal interests or anything else that could appear unprofessional, set up a new email just for your job applications. Finally, always double-check your contact details are correct and up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Profile

Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. Furthermore, when writing your profile, focus on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for entrepreneur roles.

Alternatively, use this section to emphasize your career objectives and explain how and why this role is a suitable step for you at this stage of your career.

A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for entrepreneur jobs below.

Alternatively, a poor resume summary would include bland, generic information that does little to prove your suitability for the role, while failing to provide any useful insights on you as a person or as a candidate. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.

Skills

The skills section of an entrepreneur resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include project management software, problem-solving abilities or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Once more, review the job description and pick out any key entrepreneur skills listed that match yours. Focus on these skills and any other key transferable skills that make you a strong candidate for the job.

Highlighting your hard skills

Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for entrepreneur jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, it's important to show these skills in an entrepreneur resume as they provide a strong indication of your experience in the sector. If possible, add four or five hard skills that reflect the requirements of the job description. These will boost your chances of success in your applications.

If you want to make a strong impression with your hard skills list, focus on hard skills that align with your specific industry expertise, and that reflect the job description. For inspiration on the right type of hard skills for an entrepreneur resume, see below.

How to list soft skills on your entrepreneur resume

Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. Indeed, without soft skills, you may struggle to adapt to entrepreneur roles or meet the standards expected of you. So make sure you include several key soft skills on your resume. Think of your best soft skills and add up to five that match the requirements of the job description.

An effective entrepreneur resume soft skills section should be targeted to include skills that reflect your personality and unique characteristics, while also matching the job description. The graphic below includes some examples of good resume soft skills.

Education

The education section provides space to list your highest and most recent academic achievements that are relevant to working as an entrepreneur.

If you're applying for entrepreneur positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your project management software or SEO and SEM.

Include any qualifications relevant to the role. For each, add the name and level of the award, the institution name, its location and your dates of study. If you have space, include some bullet points outlining any specialist areas of study, awards or high grades, so the employer can learn more about your unique skill set and knowledge.

If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.

Certifications and Training

In your certifications section, list any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to working as an entrepreneur. These could be professional accreditations and licenses, or certifications that improve your level of suitability for the position. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for entrepreneur roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.

Review the list below for some suitable certifications for an entrepreneur resume:

Work History

Under your work experience section, add any jobs you've had in the past that are relevant to the position of an entrepreneur. Include any relevant jobs you've held in reverse-chronological order. Start with your current or most recent roles and work back through previous roles. For each job, list your title, the name of the company, its location and the dates you worked there.

Under each job entry, add several bullet points highlighting your responsibilities and achievements. Consult the job description for a list of the key requirements for the role and make sure your work experience section showcases how you meet these requirements.

An effective resume work experience section is one that constantly echoes the skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you used your skills to positive effect in each job. Each bullet point should be carefully crafted to showcase a particular skill or achievement relevant to entrepreneur jobs, with evidence to show the value you added. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.

In the graphic above, you'll see some examples of less effective resume work experience sections. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.

Optional Resume Sections

To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to an entrepreneur resume. Choose optional sections from the list below, if they help to showcase your relevant skills and experience.

Personal Hobbies and Interests

Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Consider listing hobbies and interests to help your resume stand out, or to provide the employer with some insight into your personality and wider interests. They're perfect for candidates who might lack genuine work experience as an entrepreneur. Don't include hobbies and interests in your resume unless they showcase a specific interest or aspect of your personality. You'll want them to add something to your application that you can't add elsewhere.

Volunteer Work

Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for entrepreneur roles beyond your main employment history. Add your volunteer job title or role, the name of the organization, its location and the dates you were involved.

References

It's relatively unusual to include references in a standard entrepreneur resume, but they are required occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Add two or three professional references, and be sure to approach each referee before you include them.

Best words to use in an entrepreneur resume

Start each bullet point in your work experience section with a strong verb to show actions you took. Choose verbs from the suggestions below that highlight your key skills or those mentioned in the job description.

Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Sample resume for entrepreneur positions

The entrepreneur resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:

How to make an ATS-friendly resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to streamline their hiring process. They can store and process data, including applications and applicant data, quickly and efficiently. One of the jobs ATS applications are increasingly responsible for is initial candidate screening. The systems can quickly scan and rank resumes based on how closely they match the job description. When writing your entrepreneur resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Here are a few quick tips for creating an ATS-friendly resume:

• Opt for an established, traditional resume format such as a reverse-chronological or functional structure. These will ensure your resume includes all the necessary details ATS systems scan for.
• Add keywords throughout your resume that help ATS software match your application to the job description. A higher match means your application is more likely to proceed to be reviewed by human eyes.
• Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
• Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
• Use concise language to keep the length of your resume to between one and two pages. This will make it easier to scan for ATS applications.

Takeaways for your entrepreneur resume

Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Choose the most suitable resume format for your experience levels, and focus on tailoring your resume based on the requirements listed in the job description.

Using the professional resume templates and resources of Jobseeker can help you create a great-looking resume that stands out from other applicants. Sign up today and follow the simple steps to get started. To make the best possible impression with your applications, write a cover letter with the help of Jobseeker. You can also find plenty of expert-designed cover letter examples for inspiration.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications