Yes! Self-Employed Job Seekers do Have Success

Have you:

• Launched a business that took off like lightening, yet now you have no idea how to survive?

• Successfully grew your business, running it for five, ten, maybe even fifteen years and you’re tired of managing the overhead?

• Been unable to take a real vacation in years for fear of your operation falling to pieces?

• Entered an industry that’s extremely cyclical and now you’re ready to try a second (or third) career?

• Or are you always working, your health is waning, and you get very little sleep at night?

Or: 

• You’re a sole practitioner who misses the camaraderie of working with a team.

• You’re tired of trying to meet investor quotas and relying on venture capitalists to stay afloat. 

• You miss the good old days where all you had to do was show up, do your work and go home. 

• You’re pushing 60 and you haven’t even saved for retirement. 

• You miss your 401K with full match which would probably be half a million dollars accumulated by now. 

• You miss the unlimited or flexible PTO. Also, your previous employer is the rare one who still gives a pension.

At BluePrint Career Group, at least once a week (between two of our divisions BluePrint Resumes or BluePrint Executives) we have a client who is self-employed and now ready to go back to a 9 to 5. I have friends who were in the same situation as well. For some, it’s due to one or more of the reasons above, or they sold their business and now just want something part-time to keep them busy. However, they don’t have the slightest idea of how to navigate the job market today. They have lost contact with their old colleagues and their former boss is retired in Italy or somewhere.

So, what do you do? Here are six things that I have seen self-employed people have the best results with.

See if your clients are hiring. Perhaps your business involves consulting. Let your clients know that you are now on the market. Afterall, they know your work. I have seen the majority of my friends get jobs this way. In fact, I even hired a couple.

No clients or customers? Maybe you have an online business where you don’t know who your customers are. This is where social media can really come in handy. If you’re not active on any platforms, get in gear! Facebook and LinkedIn are the best since you can join a multitude of groups. Once you build up a presence, start asking around.

Volunteer at a nonprofit. I know a couple of people who worked at nonprofits and although it started out with very little pay (if any at all), the experience eventually led to well-paying jobs.

Search companies with job openings. Job search engines are okay, but I have seen better results by going directly to the company’s website. Once you apply for the job, find out who the contact is and reach out to them. 

Ask your neighbors and everyone you come in contact with. Your neighborhood is usually a huge community just a few steps away. Have a cookout or other event and invite some of them over. Or, when you’re going out to get the mail or for a walk, strike up a conversation related to your job search.

The best thing overall is to get out and around others in different settings. When you’re out and about doing volunteer work, running errands, at a birthday party, church, festival, school performance, little league baseball, conference or any social event. Especially if you’re older. This way, you can build rapport and not get discriminated against. This can work against you depending on the job, but if a person knows or gets to know you, it can work for you. 

Once you’ve identified what kind of work suites you, and you’ve searched what’s out there, don’t just say “Oh sure I can do that!” You must be able to prove it, so ensure your skills are current and research what’s changed since the last time you worked for an employer. 

No matter how you go about your search, most of the time depending on the job, you will need to prepare a quality resume. Even if your friend says they can get you in. If it’s a company of considerable size, they most likely will ask for it whether they have to present the job opening to everyone, or it’s just for formality. Then, prepare your resume; targeted for the position you’re applying to.

Keep in mind, if you don’t get your first (or second or third) choice you will probably have at least three to four different versions.

So, are you a self-employed professional who decided to go back to a 9 to 5?

If you need assistance or more tips feel free to send me a message here on LinkedIn.