If your chosen professional path has historically been that of the hustler, it means that you have preferred to sell your services freelance instead of committing to a single employer. You may have decided, however, that the life of a hustler is no longer for you and that you wish to be fully employed by a startup company? How do you go about crafting a resume for your application? Here are four tips you should take into consideration.
1. Make Your Tagline As Specific as Possible
There are lots of startups out there, but if you are going to get a job with one of them your resume must reflect the desire to work with them. For instance, if you are looking to get job opportunities with SaaS startups as a content marketer, your resume will need to state clearly that you offer content marketing solutions for SaaS startups.
While it may seem like it alienates all the other possible startups that might be interested in your content marketing services, it narrows the focus of your search and makes you seem special. In this way, you are more attractive to the startup.
2. Go For Summaries, Not Objectives
Some people choose to state their objectives for sending out applications on their resume. However, this is only a good strategy for people without previous work experience. As someone on the hustle, you have experience in a particular field and are able to bring a specific set of skills to the table. Make sure you summarize these in a succinct manner, to show what it is you actually do.
3. Achievements over Responsibilities
In the world of traditional employment, job applicants would send in resumes that highlighted the responsibilities they took on at their previous places of employment. This would signal to employers that these were individuals capable of taking on management responsibilities and roles. However, startup founders are typically looking for people that can achieve things and not necessarily to manage the status quo. As a hustler, your resume should highlight the many things you have achieved in the different fields you have operated in. If your work experience highlights copywriting services, you should show how many sales your copy was able to convert and how much revenue creation this led to. This tells startup employers that your talents will contribute something to their bottom line.
4. Use Testimonials for Social Credibility
As a hustler, you probably do not have any fancy recommendations from reputable companies to make your resume look very credible. However, you can get testimonials from previous clients and colleagues which you can add to your resume. You can also add recommendations on LinkedIn, or ask people to write testimonials about you on there as well. This makes you seem more credible to potential employers.
Being a hustler does not mean that you cannot transition into the world of employment. Use these tips to apply for a job at your preferred startup and get called for an interview soon!
