In tough economic times many self-employed business owners find themselves having to close their businesses and return to the traditional work force.  While business owners know they certainly have a great deal of work experience, their skills can be difficult to relay on a resume.  You might need a little resume writing help to be competitive in your job search.

Make every effort to be positive about your return to the workforce.  In your objective statement, for instance, don’t report that you need to find a job to replace the income of your failed business.  Instead, focus on what you have learned and the new experiences you hope to gain by working for someone else.  Extol on the virtues on being part of a team. No failure needs to be valueless if you gain knowledge from it. 

Resume help experts proclaim the detrimental effect of gaps in the work history of applicants.  Fortunately, the gap in your employment history can easily be filled by listing your own business as one of your employers.  You can always disclose that your title in that job included the role of owner.  Since business owners often fulfill multiple roles in their companies, be sure to reveal all of the skills that you used in your business.  

Highlight each of the successes your business enjoyed while the business was open.  Did you achieve any significant sales goals?  Perhaps you were awarded some type of business award.  Think about the moments that owning your business brought you the most pride.  Although your business is now defunct, you should still be prepared to brag about your business accomplishments.  

Finally, fill out your skills section of your resume.  Helpful entries might include transferrable skills such as proficiency in accounting software in which you managed your company’s finances, the creativity you developed as you designed your company’s marketing campaigns, the management capabilities that were needed to run your business, and even the vision you used to guide your company. You can find resume writing help and information about transferrable skills at the Resume Dictionary.

Once you’re invited into your prospective employer’s offices, be sure to carry that same positive attitude into job interviews, too. Think about the job candidate you would have liked to see walk into your business.  One thing formerly self-employed applicants never want for is a rich list of job skills.