I would love advice on reentering the job market after being self employed for 12 years.

19 Comments

1. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterNovember 28,2022 at 6:18PM UTC

   There are several possible issues, and without data I can only give some general advice.

   -Your resume should be tailored to the role you want - not the role you have had for the past 12 years.

   -If your job search consists only of job boards, you may very well still be looking months from now. Networking is essential - especially for someone who has been out of the job market for some time.

2. Vanda LeeNovember 29,2022 at 2:44PM UTC

   OP - I highly recommend Lesa's services!

3. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterDecember 1,2022 at 5:22PM UTC

   Thanks, Vanda! You are a gem!

4. AmyNovember 28,2022 at 7:23PM UTC

   Depending on what you are looking for a temp agency may help you get your foot in the door. That is how a friend of mine got back into working for others after she had her own business for over a decade.

5. Kathryn MontbriandNovember 28,2022 at 7:29PM UTC

   Given your long track record as a small business owner, you likely have some strong relationships with suppliers, clients and/or other business owners. That might be a good place to start with your networking conversations.

   Know what you are looking for and start inviting people out for coffee and telling them about your next step (assuming that you are at the point in closing your business that you can discuss it openly). If they don't have any leads right now, they will remember you in the future when things come across their desks.

6. Sarmi ParidaNovember 28,2022 at 8:20PM UTC

   Target your customers that you catered to, they may have openings that you could seamlessly fit into

7. Amy Carissa OliverNovember 28,2022 at 8:43PM UTC

   I highly recommend reaching out to a career coach and resume expert. You're used to selling your business and your service, but not used to articulating how all of that translates into making someone else money as their staff member.

   The big thing you are probably running into is that you're appearing well overqualified for the positions for which you are applying, and that makes the articulation of your skills transfer that much more critical. Or they're worried that you're closing your business (in which case, a really well-crafted cover letter is critical!).

   For example, I'm hiring a position right now for an individual contributor who needs to have a very specific set of skills. What I need from applicants is either to see they have the exact skills I need (pipe dream) or that they have skills and experience that can translate over... and here's the key: that they know it and are taking the time to articulate it. If you're applying for a director-level position, for example, you would want to articulate that you have 12 years of experience in management P&L, AP and AR for multiple client accounts across multiple regions and be really specific about the size of the accounts or the total budget.

   I'm not sure if I've done a good job explaining, and I'm sorry if that's the case. I am myself not a career coach or resume expert. I just look at a lot of resumes as a hiring manager and the skills transfer is the thing I see missing most.

8. Amy FoleyNovember 29,2022 at 9:22PM UTC

   Thank you Amy.

9. Becca CarnahanNovember 29,2022 at 1:21AM UTC

   Great advice here so far! Can you share some more about the type of role you are interested in? Are you looking to stay in the medical device field?

10. Amy FoleyNovember 29,2022 at 1:19PM UTC

    Sure. Before going out on my own, I was a pharma rep and field trainer for over 10 years.

    I’ve also held community leadership roles for the last 8 years.

    I very much appreciate all of the feedback and advice. It’s helpful!

11. Amy FoleyNovember 29,2022 at 9:21PM UTC

    Hello Becca,

    I just realized that I didn't fully answer your question, I apologize. I appreciate your response (and the others). As a small business owner I've worn many hats over the years but I really enjoy pouring my energy into others. I am very much a servant leader who thrives in an environment where I help others shine and grow. Most of my professional experience has been in the medical industry so I am primarily looking in that arena. I am certainly open to other industries.

    Thanks again for responding!

12. Becca CarnahanNovember 30,2022 at 4:47PM UTC

    Thanks for sharing, Amy! Something that can be tricky for business owners in a job search is exactly that - wearing many hats! How do you convey all that to someone else? The good news is that you don't have to convey all of it and you shouldn't actually! The trick is to focus in specifically on the skills you have built that are relevant to the role you are applying for, both on your resume and in how you speak about your experience.

    So for example, if you enjoy leading teams, focus your search on team leadership roles and highlight those experiences on your resume - leaving other experiences out. You can have a master resume that includes other accomplishments but really tailoring to the role can make a big difference here.

    I'd also think about your target list of companies. Who are the players in the field and what conversations might you want to have to get to know their needs better and align yourself for roles there?

    Always happy to answer questions here, but if it's helpful, I also have a free training where I go through steps like this in more detail! https://beccacarnahan.com/freetraining

13. AnonymousDecember 1,2022 at 2:59PM UTC

    Hi Amy, I’m in exactly the same boat but different industry. My husband and I ran a vintage poster restoration company that COVID and increased costs put an end to. Before that I was in consulting. I’ve always loved working with data (I was in charge of all of the accounting, website, marketing, etc of our company) so now I’m pivoting into data science.

    Becca’s giving great advice about focusing your resume on the role to which you’re applying. Also reach out to companies for informational interviews. Look for people in medical device or pharmacy industries on LinkedIn and tactically request to zoom meet with them for ten minutes to learn about their job. I won’t type good luck because that’s irrelevant - persistence and belief in yourself and your abilities are what’s really required. All the best in your next chapter!

14. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 1,2022 at 1:41PM UTC

    As a medical office recruiter, you have to have some idea of what specifically you are interested in doing. There are many medical device companies who would appreciate your experience but you need to be clear about what you can see yourself doing, Such as are you interested in medical sales, AR, Billing etc. Even if you do not want to work in another DME company, you still have to be able to relate what you are interested in doing.

15. Shelby CDecember 1,2022 at 7:37PM UTC

    Have you thought about going to work for the former competition? You know the industry.

16. Sabrina CortesDecember 2,2022 at 12:56AM UTC

    Hi There!

    I'm sorry that you and your husband had to make such a difficult decision!

    As a fellow small business owner, I understand the need to wear many hats. I'm a professional Resume Writer and I'd love to offer you a free resume review. I'll use my expertise and provide you with personalized tips on how to write your resume so that it showcases your skills and accomplishments. These will help you stand out from other applicants.

    Another tip that is vital to writing resumes is to tailor it to each job you apply for. This significantly increases your chances of passing the applicant tracking system's (ATS) scanning process. There are 400+ ATS and each employer uses a different system. Usually, we have no way of knowing this, and I'm not sure if it's appropriate to ask Recruiters what they use. In any case, ATS compares the terms, skills, and keywords in your resume against those in the job post. Then, it ranks your resume and determines if it will be passed on to a Recruiter or Hiring Manager. This is why tailoring your resume is so important.

    If you're interested, feel free to email me at sabrina@writewithsabrina.com. I won't spam you or anything like that because I hate getting spam.

    Sending you positive vibes!

17. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 2,2022 at 7:05PM UTC

    Tbhis is such a very generous offer.

18. Sabrina CortesDecember 2,2022 at 10:52PM UTC

    Anything I can do to help you out! :)

19. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 2,2022 at 7:03PM UTC

    I unfortunately would need to look at your resume to see how you have structured it to determine why you are not getting any interest.