how to put failed business on resume

How to Portray a Failed Business on Your Resume

Your Job Search After A Failed Business

Be honest about your failed business, what was your title, executive recruiters, north american viewpoint, if you want help preparing your resume after a failed business, get a free executive resume critique by clicking here., related articles:.

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Martin Buckland

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Startup Resume: Example and Key Details to Include

11 min read

So you worked on a startup or your own small business for a while and it either didn't go well… Or, it got acquired. Either way, you're looking to update your resume and get back in the job hunt. We’ve got your back.

If you approach including a startup in your resume the right way, it could be very effective. Of course, there are certain situations where you should not mention your startup which we'll go through later on. However, it’s smart to know when and, more importantly, how to include it.

Luckily, we've got you covered! In the following guide, we'll show you exactly how to write a startup resume and when you should include this experience. Here’s what you need to know. 

Should I list my startup or business on my resume?

First up, let’s deal with the burning question: should you list a startup on your resume? Often enough, the answer to this question is yes. While many candidates are concerned about including this work experience on their resume, you needn’t be. 

In the eyes of a hiring manager, the fact that you worked at a startup may be a major plus. Let’s face it, working on a startup or small business shows a lot of effective skills and traits regardless of your outcome. It shows leadership, critical thinking, and determination. 

Most employers and companies also like to see an entrepreneurial mindset in their employees, because entrepreneurship is all about delivering good service and making money or a profit. So, the skills you learned while working at a startup will be transferable.

But what about the cons here? Frankly, the only drawback you may face from a prospective employer is that it's usually unverifiable. You can claim marvelous skills and knowledge you acquired but it would be nearly impossible to verify for an employer or recruiter. You would really have to prove yourself during the job interview. Keep that in mind here. 

Should I list my failed startup or business on my resume?

Okay, but what if your startup failed? Should you still include it on your resume? Once again, the answer here may be yes. Writing a startup resume will show the employer that you had the go-getting attitude to start a (or work within a) fledgling business in the first place. 

It won’t come as a surprise to the hiring manager that the business failed. The chances of success for your first startup are really against you. Even the most successful entrepreneurs had many failed attempts until they found success. You should ensure that you list the more relevant skills and knowledge you acquired while working on your startup.

When should you not list your startup or business?

Of course, there are times when you wouldn’t want to create a startup resume. Listing this experience is not always beneficial to your application. Confused? You don’t have to be. Let’s take a look at the main instances in which you should not list your startup experience. 

The startup is still active and in the same industry

Let’s say you are running a startup as a side hustle. If it’s in the same industry as the job for which you are applying, the hiring manager may think that you are their competition. Additionally, it could look as though you are biding your time until your business works out.

You don't want to highlight a startup that you're still running because if it eventually takes off, your hiring manager would expect you to leave. The last thing an employer wants to do is spend all that money hiring someone who may leave in a few months. They also want you focused on your current job and not your startup.

You also don't want to mention your startup if it's in the same exact industry. The hiring manager will think that you either want to grow your knowledge or obtain trade secrets to grow your own startup.

Even though these situations may not be your goal, it's best to leave your startup off your resume in this case and focus on other relevant skills and work experience. If you have a large gap in your resume because of the startup you may want to use the functional resume format . You can read more here on how to deal with employment gaps on your resume.

The startup is demanding all of your time 

Equally, the hiring manager doesn’t want an employee who will do half a job. If you have a startup that is taking up all of your time, highlighting this one your resume could be a mistake. You don’t want to give the reader the impression that you have no time to work. 

If your startup is currently running and taking up your free time, it may be smart to play this down on your resume. Giving the potential employer a hint that you may not be in it for the long haul is a bad move. Before you decide to include it, consider what it tells them about you. While you should never lie on your resume, you don’t have to mention how you spend your spare time. Have a long, hard think about whether you want to submit a startup resume.

The startup has nothing to do with the vacancy

If you were a part of a startup that is irrelevant to this vacancy, you may not gain anything from including it. So, if you are already short on space, you don’t want to cram this extra section into your application. Should you already have a wealth of work experience — that aligns with the job in question — you may want to leave your startup experience off. 

You don’t want to throw the hiring manager a curveball. For example, should you be applying for a teaching role, you may find that a startup resume doesn’t fit the bill. You need to determine this on a case by case basis. Resume real estate is extremely valuable, after all.

Including self-employment on a resume

But wait, what if you’re self-employed rather than having a startup? The truth is that the information you share would be the same for self-employment as well. Try not to over exaggerate your skills and knowledge in regards to your self-employment. A few short bullet points of relevant tasks are just fine as it's really unverifiable to the employer.

How to include a startup or other self-employment on a resume

If you’ve read all of the above and you want to create a startup resume, we have the answers you need to get started. Including your startup or business on a resume would be very similar to the way you would include any other work experience. Follow these steps when including a startup in your work experience:

1. Start with the basics

Include the name of your company and the dates you worked on it. Include your role within this business. If you started the company, this would typically be founder, co-founder, or CEO. Of course, if you took on multiple roles, you should always list the job title most relevant to your new job target, such as Chief Marketing Officer or Director of Finance.

2. Showcase your experiences 

Look at the job description and come up with four to six points where your skills and knowledge from your startup relate in some way to the position. You should bullet point these as you would your core duties of any other job role. 

Make sure that you quantify your experiences. When it comes to a startup resume, it can be hard to provide evidence for the claims you make. Put simply, the hiring manager cannot verify your statements with your previous employer since that is you. However, if you add other forms of evidence — such as statistics, profits, and timeframes — this is verifiable. 

You need to make sure that the experience you share is relevant to the job and engages the reader. Here are three posts that go into more depth on this:

How To Write Your Work Experience Section

How To Use The STAR Method to Stand Out

What Is Relevant Experience On A Resume?

3. Feature transferable skills and competencies 

As we have already mentioned, launching (or working within) a startup gives you a whole load of skills. You will have had to have an entrepreneurial spirit to take this leap of faith. For that reason, you need to make sure that you list the transferable skills in your core competencies section. Chances are, you learned a whole load while working in the startup. 

When you are applying for a job, always consider what transferable skills you have. For example, if you launched a startup, you may have had to take on the accountancy duties. In that case, you can note the talent you acquired or even that you are proficient in certain software. Adding these to your skills section could help you stand out from the crowd.

Startup or self-employment on resume example:

Not sure how a startup resume looks? We have an example to give you the inspiration that you need. Take a look at the resume example below and emulate its style: 

Your resume's title — distinct from your work experience job titles — should use whatever title you held: co-founder, CEO, president, or founder. If you didn't have a formal title, you can use the most relevant title for your experience and current career target. 

Including your startup, self-employment, or small business on a cover letter

It's really hard to emphasize your enthusiasm to join a company after a failed startup on your resume. This is why a cover letter is a great place to state your case. You can use this space to explain what happened to your startup and what you learned along the way.

The hiring manager will be questioning how long it will be until you want to launch another startup. Take this opportunity to put their mind at rest. You don’t want to look unstable. If the reader thinks you’re a flight risk, for example, they are likely to overlook your resume.

Of course, you can better explain yourself at an interview. However, you need to win over the hiring manager in your cover letter. You want to emphasize that you want to stay and grow with the company for the long term. There are some points you should include on the cover letter which will help lead to the interview.So, you should emphasize these two points on a cover letter:

The fact that you're excited for the opportunity to work for the company and be part of a team

Your skills and knowledge gained from your startup are relevant and perfect for the position

Here is an example:

After working on my startup XYZ for the past 2 years, I've gained a deep knowledge of marketing, customer acquisition and sales. I'm very enthusiastic about joining [company name] where I'm confident that my skills and knowledge will help grow the company for the long term. I feel my experience fits in perfectly with the position open and would be grateful for the opportunity to interview.

Should you mention why the startup or business failed?

Answer: Only if it was acquired. 

If your startup failed for other reasons, it's best to leave it that part off your resume. As we have mentioned, the hiring manager won’t be surprised that a startup failed and it doesn’t have to be negative. However, you don’t need to highlight the reasons on your resume. Still, you should come up with a solid answer if they ask you why it failed at the interview.

Final words 

Ready to get started and work on your startup resume? In this guide, we have given you the tools that you need to succeed. Follow our advice on when you should include this experience in your application and how to position your experience correctly. Remember, the aim of the game is always to boost your chances of landing that all-important interview. 

Looking for a new job? If you want to climb the career ladder, check out our free resume review tool now. Get the insights you need to beat the competition! 

Recommended reading: 

How To Write A Resume After Being An Entrepreneur (+ Example)

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Resume Example

Entrepreneur Resume Example & Guide  

Charlotte Grainger, Editor & Content Writer, Charlotte Grainger, Editor & Content Writer

Charlotte Grainger is a freelance writer living and working in Sheffield, UK. She has a passion for career development and loves sharing tips and advice. Follow her on Twitter

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How to include not-launched-startup experience in resume?

On June 2012, two of my friends (let's say john and smith) and I worked full time on building a mobile application from scratch. Long story short, john left the team in July, and smith and I did not get another developer to replace john's role. Smith and I agreed to continue working toward the launching date (planned September, 2012). However, we weren't able to launch the project and had to postpone project launching indefinitely. Smith and I worked on this project full time for 13 weeks total.

Smith and I are claiming 50% each for the rights of project we have worked on, and we still have not made any progress since last summer as we had to attend university classes full time.

This summer, I am thinking about applying for summer internship as a mobile application developer. How should I explain this experience in my resume? Is it helpful/harmful to include such experience?

Few points here:

• I worked on building a mobile application last summer for 13 weeks; it has not yet been launched (indefinitely postponed).
• I would only like to share technical details about the project (e.g. programming languages, project management, tools we used) with my employer.
• I would not like to share resources about the project (e.g. logo, app name, objective of the app) with my employer.

6 Answers 6

List it as a side-project, disclosing only what you have done and the target industry of the app.

Don't say what it does, don't say the name, don't say whether it was commercial or not. Be prepared to have to disclose more information in an interview, or to reject questions politely.

Basically, do the same as what you'd do if you were to list a project protected by a rather strict NDA. And keep in mind that it technically isn't "employment", so be upfront about that (hence the listing as "side-project").

• Would you recommend me to list the reason I wasn't able to successfully launch? It was because of my lack of proficiency in server-side programming knowledge. –  J. Berman Commented May 24, 2013 at 9:13
• @J.Berman: did it prevent you to launch because you need to learn more, or because you hit a roadblock, hadn't foreseen the problem, and the whole problem got more canned than it got "postponed"? I'd say you don't necessarily need to mention it. It could be interesting to talk about it in an interview and explain what happened and what you learned from it. But on your resume, that'd probably do more harm than good. You usually don't list entreprise projects that fail either, or you don't mention if they failed or didn't meet expectations on ROI... :) –  haylem Commented May 24, 2013 at 9:15
• John (who left the team early) was responsible for building server side codes. I knew I was not going to build sever-side API before I started the project with them. As John left the team, Smith and I decided to use SaaS or hire server-side guy upon completing full local functionality. This app was running great on local phones (tested UI & performance). Because of this app was intended to be a social app, we weren't able to launch it without server-side part. –  J. Berman Commented May 24, 2013 at 9:24
• @J.Berman: Yeah I don't see much value in explaining that in a resume. Just say what you did. But if your app was never released at all, even to a few users, then it's not very valuable in any case. It's a bit like the case of students telling me "but I worked so hard on this!" or those handing over a 30 page paper for an assignment that could have been done in 3: if it's all off-topic or doesn't deliver, it doesn't matter. It's 'E' for effort , but it won't get any higher than that (but it may very well go lower...). –  haylem Commented May 24, 2013 at 11:14
• Of course, in the professional world, we (should) value what you learn and not just what you delivered, but it's hard to quantify and qualify. –  haylem Commented May 24, 2013 at 11:14

The point of a resume is to get you an interview. To do that you should only list those items that apply to the position you are applying for and that you want to talk about during an interview.

Personally I do not think I would list this project. It points out that you failed to work with a team to meet a release date. It is quite possible that this should not be seen as a negative but the truth is business managers look for a record of success. This does not help you build that record. In addition it appears that there was difficulty with the team and that also looks bad. It happened during your time at the University so you will not be expected to show work history so there should be no problem with the gap that might appear if it happened post graduation.

If you talk about the project during interviews emphasize what you learned from the project, do not bad mouth your team members in any way, and be prepared to talk about how you would tackle the problem differently. If you can not do that then I would refrain from speaking about it during interviews as well.

I agree with @Chad's starting sentence, but I think the answer is more nuanced than his assessment.

Your resume is nothing more than an advertisement of your skills and qualifications, intended to land interviews. As Chad says, you will want to customize your resume for each job application. Some positions—particularly corporate ones—may not appreciate the experience gained through a failed entrepreneurial venture. Others—particularly small businesses—will understand that you've gained invaluable leadership training and management skills, and that your experience has given you an understanding of cash flows, marketing, personnel management, and handling stress.

To that point, if you think that the person reading your resume will appreciate such experience, definitely list it. When doing so, list your intended product and your responsibilities. Do note that anything on your resume is fair game for questions during the interview, so you'll need to be ready to provide good answers to questions such as, "why did the venture fail?" and "what role did you have in the failure of the venture?" If you can think of good answers to questions of that nature, feel free to list it. Good luck!

Given your few points here , I would not list this project at all.

Take a look at it from an interviewer's perspective. How would you trust someone genuinely did what he claims he did, but does not want to back up his/her claims with additional details ?

What if you were to list this as a not-launched project (and if you are not in the state of California) and the future mobile app employer actually employs you and makes you sign the standard agreement contracts (which basically means any work you do when employed is the employers IP) ? How do you prove your IP owner ship if someday you finally launch this app. This, IMHO, just leads to a lot of unnecessary questions and a difficult position to be in.

If I were you, I would mention the skills on the resume and in the interview mention developing a mobile app(s), out of interest.

• I was never officially hired as a software developer. I've only worked on my own projects and never released it. If I am questioned with technical details regarding the projects I've worked on, I am very confident I can answer them all. But, how do I prove it on resume that I actually have such experience? My work can be found nowhere on the Internet (which is why I'm trying to get an internship, rather than working on my own project again). –  J. Berman Commented May 24, 2013 at 22:07
• Ironically, you cannot actually prove it. You can only mention that you are either an expert/inter/novice user of the skills required for such projects. To prove you have the said grasp of the subject, you will have to fare well in the interview. Again, articulate your answers after you've put yourself in the interviewers place, how does he know the candidate isn't fudging ? –  happybuddha Commented May 25, 2013 at 22:26

I wouldn't include this, you risk coming across as too committed to your own interests. It's good to have side projects but being defensive about the details makes you sound like you're committed to doing your own thing over and above, say, projects at work.

• 1 Depends, if he was employed at the same time, then "side-project" may indeed give a wrong idea. It's all about how he presents it though. Doesn't need to say he was going at it 80hours a week or anything. If he wasn't employed at the time, then that's fine, that sounds like a valuable sabbathical to me. –  haylem Commented May 24, 2013 at 9:17
• I agree that it's good to have worked on something while not employed. However, if you're not even willing to share the objective of the app, I would take that to mean that you potentially still see this as your number one priority. That might worry me as a recruiter, as I'd want work projects to take priority. –  Matt Commented May 24, 2013 at 9:21
• @Matt This project was a "main-project". I wasn't employed nor attending classes while I was working on the project. And, I have no intention to work on this project if I get hired. I would just like to appeal my experience as a junior mobile developer because my university does not teach anything about mobile development (therefore this experience takes up huge portion of my mobile development experience). –  J. Berman Commented May 24, 2013 at 9:31
• I completely understand wanting to communicate this experience. I am talking purely about the future here. As an employer, an unspecified, unfinished project gives very little to go on. You may be better off discussing it as dedicated, structured self-driven learning, describing functionality x, y and z which you can now implement. Since you're not giving detail about the app, I'd feel that the context of an unfinished app adds little value to the discussion and may come across as defensive, which some recruiters won't like. –  Matt Commented May 24, 2013 at 9:44

I personally feel that it is ok to write any experience that allows your skills to shine rather than keeping your resume shallow and full of keywords (which everyone does these days).

You can explain on your resume what you learned so far from your mobile application development experience and what tricks and skills you picked up which shapes the way you look into development roles in the future. You can also keep in mind what you can offer to a company based on your experience while constructing your resume which you feel might land you bonus points from the company reading your resume.

Basically what I am trying to say is, try to avoid the negative of things you cannot change (experience with your team) but still find a way to give yourself some light by molding how you tell your story.

• 1 nvm didn't realise it was 2 years ago. Hope it all worked out! –  Anum Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 5:02

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Virginia Franco Resumes

Customized Career Documents that Get Interviews - Resumes, LinkedIn Profiles, Cover Letters and More

How to Transform Your Failed Startup into a Career Win on Your Resume

November 13, 2023 by Virginia Franco

Many of my clients come to me because their startup endeavors didn’t pan out, with the hopes of returning to Corporate America for some stability and a steady paycheck. With the right wording, a failed startup can easily translate into a positive experience for your resume sure to impress hiring managers, recruiters and decision-makers.

Jack-of-all-Trades

When it comes to staffing, no company is leaner than a startup. As a result, most entrepreneurs wind up wearing many hats. From payroll to HR, PR to sales, operations to administration – employees at startups do it all.

Position yourself as a jack-of-all-trades, integral to running all aspects of a company, and you suddenly have showcased your skill diversity.

Order from Chaos

Those first hired (or who establish) a startup often face a “Wild West” atmosphere lacking continuity. When you transform chaos into order, you have created an infrastructure.

Highlight your talent for establishing controls and processes by noting your efforts at creating a sales, marketing, communications or finance foundation from the ground up.

By the Seat of Your Pants Flexibility

Many entrepreneurs tell me startup work is exciting because you never know what to expect. Essentially, survival in a “fly by the seat of your pants” environment means a talent for remaining flexible in an ambiguous work environment – a highly desirable job trait!

Influencing, Buy-in and Funding

Obtaining funding is often a critical component to getting a company off the ground. Ultimately, the skills vital to obtaining financial support are often the same needed to succeed in sales and even project management.

If your compelling presentations and persuasive cases succeeded in getting some much needed cash, be sure to note this success.

Failures Become Success

Entrepreneurial endeavors often don’t work out. With some self-reflection and introspection, however, it is easy to see how the experiences learned can position you for a variety of roles.

BOOK NOW for your free resume consult.

[email protected]  |  VirginiaFrancoResumes.com  | Call/text 704-771-8572

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Positioning A Failed Startup Into A Positive Experience On Your Resume

1. Ability To Don Many Hats

2. creating order from chaos, 3. extreme flexibility, 4. influencing, related posts, about the author, 3 spooky secrets every job seeker should know.

The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?

It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume ? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?

Are you feeling spooked yet?

Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.

1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List

Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job . You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.

An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.

Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.

2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers

In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers . You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter .

A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience —adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview .

Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter . To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.

3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things

You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).

Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer .

Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.

Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?

As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.

We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.

The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.

If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp , a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.

In this video workshop, you'll learn:

• How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
• The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
• How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
• The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
• And, a lot more hacks for job search success!

Let us show you the secrets to getting a new, better-paying job you actually love. Sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp today.

Are you ready to land the job of your dreams (and leave the job of your nightmares)?

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Employment Gap on a Resume - 13 Simple Ways to Explain It

Employment gaps are not uncommon, yet they’re quite scary. Mainly, that’s because recruiters assume the worst when they see them on a resume. 

In most cases, however, employment gaps are nothing to be scared of. There can be many justifiable reasons why someone has an employment gap, from going back to school and deciding to travel to taking time and caring for their growing children. 

So what we’re getting to here is this: employment gaps are not a big deal, as long as you know how to explain them well on your resume

To learn how to explain an employment gap on a resume, we’ve put together this guide for you. Here’s what we’ll cover:

13 Best Ways to Explain Employment Gaps

• Good Reasons for an Employment Gap

Sample Resume with Employment Gap

And more! So let’s dive right in! 

During your job hunt , you’ll have three separate chances to explain an employment gap:

• On your resume
• On your cover letter
• During your interview

To best convey the employment gap (and reasons behind it), you’ll need to touch on it in all 3. So below, we’ll explain the best way to explain an employment gap on your resume, cover letter, and during an interview:

6 Ways to Explain an Employment Gap on Your Resume

#1. be honest .

Your resume is the first thing that recruiters check, so it’s crucial that you’re honest! 

After all, you don’t want to omit a two-year-long employment gap from your resume, for example, only to have it be revealed during your interview. 

As such, it’s super important that you’re honest about your employment history - or lack thereof - right there on your resume. 

What’s important here is to understand that potential employers will find out about your employment gap - especially if it was a lengthy or recent one. As such, trying to hide it will only damage your application and give recruiters even more reason to believe you have something to hide. 

And, if you’re feeling anxious about it, remember that recruiters are also humans and will probably be understanding if you are straightforward about your employment gap - and about what caused it! 

#2. Remove the Employment Gap (If It’s Outdated)

Here’s some good news: if your employment gap is old, you can safely omit it from your resume entirely.

Say, for example, your employment gap is from 10 years ago. Chances are - especially if you’re a seasoned professional - that you won’t even be including jobs from 10 years ago on your resume. After all, you want your resume to be as relevant as possible (and stay within the recommended 1-page resume length). 

As such, it’s totally OK to omit employment gaps that stretch long before your recent employment history (or that are quite short, like 6-month-old employment gaps while you were between jobs). 

#3. Explain the Gap

When it comes to resumes, simply writing down the dates of your employment gap won’t cut it - it would only leave things open to recruiters’ interpretation. 

Take the following example:

Work Experience

Digital Marketer  Airfield Baumax  02/2012 - 04/2015

Marketing Assistant  Walmart 05/2007 - 07/2009 

The only thing that this candidate makes clear to recruiters is that he was not working for a 3-year period. Apart from that, recruiters have no way of knowing whether the employment gap was due to a valid reason or because the candidate decided to be a couch potato for some years.

This is why it’s better to actually write out the exact reason for the employment gap in-between your work experience entries.

Here’s an example that does it right:

07/2009 - 01/2012

From September 2009 to January 2012, I backpacked through Europe and East Asia. This had long been a goal of mine to achieve before turning 30.

#4. Take Advantage of a Different Resume Layout

If your employment gap is longer than just a few short months, you could benefit from using a different resume layout altogether. 

For example, the functional resume format and the combination format put more emphasis on your skills and competencies rather than on your work experience, which is a great way to shift focus from your employment gap. 

That said, taking advantage of a different resume layout does not mean you should omit the employment gap from your resume altogether . Lying is never the right way to go here, and will always end badly for you (even if you manage to get the job).

#5. Use Your Time Away Effectively 

If you’re suddenly in between jobs and are worried about how this will reflect on your future job applications, get proactive! 

Instead of simply explaining your future employment gap as a “career break” or “job searching,” start a personal project and create something more valuable to put on your resume. 

For instance, you can join one or more online courses related to your profession while you’re on a break from work, or start that project you always wanted to work on but never had the chance to! 

That way, you’ll have much more to talk about than simply stating you were looking for jobs or taking a self-discovery break and you’ll be effectively showing recruiters that you’re constantly growing - even outside the office!

#6.  Show That You Never Stopped Learning 

Highlighting your skills and acquired knowledge is also a great way to cover past employment gaps. Sure, you might’ve not been working, but you could’ve still been working on developing yourself as a professional or individual.

You could, for example, mention something like this on your resume to address your employment gap:

06/2012 - 09/2013

Took a year off my career to focus on personal and professional development. Over the duration of the year, I managed to:

• Start my own marketing blog.
• Read 20+ books about digital marketing.
• Attended 5+ networking events.

3 Ways to Explain Employment Gaps in Cover Letters

Want to go more in-depth into your employment gap? Your cover letter is your chance to do so. 

Unlike your resume, which barely leaves you 2-3 sentences worth of space to explain yourself, you can be way more comprehensive in your cover letter . 

Specifically, you can use the body of your cover letter to give more details about your employment gap.

Here are the best ways to do it:

• Give a valid explanation. The whole point of mentioning your employment gap on your cover letter is to justify it the best way you can. For example, if you had an accident, writing “took 1 year off work because of injury” won’t be as convincing as writing “took 1 year off work after a car accident that required me to do intense physiotherapy sessions to fully recover.” 
• Highlight new skills . Additionally, it’s super important to highlight any new skills acquired during your time off. The good thing about the cover letter is that you have a better chance of explaining the skills and what motivated you to acquire them (e.g. “due to organizational changes, I was laid off from my previous job. However, I used the time it took me to find a new job to catch up on industry-related trends and readings, get online certifications, and network with professionals in the field.”) 
• Don’t overshare. Last but not least, it’s important to know that just because you have more space on your cover letter it doesn’t mean you should overshare the details of your employment gap. If, for instance, you took a one-year break to deal with burnout , you don’t have to give too many details about how that went. So, instead of writing, “took a year off to recuperate from burnout, during which time I consulted 3 different therapists and several support groups,” you can just write “took one year off work to deal with work-related burnout and re-asses my professional goals.” If you think it’s important to share more information, talk about how you grew professionally not about what you went through personally. 

4 Ways to Explain Employment Gaps in Interviews 

If your resume and cover letter make a good impression, chances are you’ll be called for an interview. And, even if you have already explained your employment gap, there’s nothing keeping recruiters from asking you again about it. 

Here’s what you can do to address an employment gap during your interview effectively:

• Rehearse in advance. Your best bet is assuming that you will be asked about your employment gap. That way, you can take the time to prep your answer in advance and won’t be taken back if recruiters actually ask the questions during the interview . 
• DON’T badmouth your former employer. If your employment gap is due to getting fired, bashing your former employer won’t help you get a new position - if anything, it might make you look immature. Instead, try to highlight all the steps you took to bounce back from getting fired and show recruiters why you’re the ideal candidate for this position.
• Focus on what you did right. Now, if you lost your job unjustly (or due to reasons outside of your control), the way to make a great impression is to focus on how you were a stellar employee before the employment gap! That way, you can shift recruiters’ attention to your strengths, instead of simply telling them you lost your job and there wasn’t much you could do about it.
• Be confident. Sometimes, how you say things is just as important as what you say. If recruiters ask that you elaborate on your employment gap and you suddenly get super nervous about it, you’ll probably raise some serious red flags. So, make sure to polish your communication skills in advance and start your interview with a show of confidence. 

Here is an example of how you can address your employment gap during an interview:

Unfortunately, I lost my job due to cuts within the company. During the time I was looking for jobs, I took online courses to hone my skills, stayed updated with all industry trends and developments, and focused on my mental wellbeing. I am now in perfect shape to put all I learned into practice throughout my new endeavors. 

7 Good Reasons For an Employment Gap

There can be countless reasons behind an employment gap and, as long as it’s not related to something like, say, jail time, it shouldn’t hinder your chances of getting employed.

That said, here are some great examples of good reasons for an employment gap:

• Family reasons. Family is super important and most recruiters are guaranteed to be understanding if your employment gap is due to family-related issues. What’s important here is to show that whatever family reason you had for taking time off work, it’s over now (e.g. if you took time off to raise your kids, make a point explaining they’re all grown up and off to school now).
• Self-discovery. Did you take some time off work to redefine your life path and career choices? That’s totally OK - as long as you can convince recruiters that you now have your answers and won’t be leaving this job again after a year or two.
• Illness. Any illness you may have suffered that’s hindered you from working is a totally legitimate reason to explain your employment gap. Just make sure to mention you’re recovered and fully able to work.
• Injury. Just like with illnesses, injuries that render you incapable of work are perfectly fine reasons to explain an employment gap, so mention them without hesitation.
• Failed business or initiative. You may be hesitant to mention a failed startup or business initiative as the reason behind your employment gap, but there’s no reason to! If anything, it shows you have initiative and aren’t scared to act on it. So, as long as you show recruiters how you bounced back, you shouldn’t hide this valid reason.
• Burnout. The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon that can take a serious toll on someone’s physical and mental health. As such, don’t hesitate to tell recruiters that you took some time off to improve your well-being after experiencing burnout in the workplace .
• Education. No one minds an employee who’s always looking to expand their knowledge, so if you took a break from work to get another degree, go ahead and mention that on your resume.

7 Other Resume Resources

Building a strong resume is hard enough without having to explain an employment gap. Struggling with other aspects of building a resume? Check out some of our top resources: 

• How to Write a Resume . The ULTIMATE beginner’s guide on how to make a resume in 2024. Includes tops of tips, resume examples, and more.
• Free Resume Templates . Want to avoid the hassle of formatting your resume from scratch? Just pick one of our 8 free resume templates and get started with your resume within minutes.
• Career Change Resume . Is your employment gap due to a career change? Learn how to write an awesome career change resume with these 9+ examples.
• What to Put on a Resume . Here are the most important sections to put on your resume and win the job.
• Resume Tips and Tricks . This article covers every single practical resume tip you’ll ever need to create a compelling CV.
• Essential Resume Skills . Want to stand out from other applicants? You’ll need to include the right skills on your resume. This article covers the most in-demand skills in 2024.
• Resume Examples . Struggling to write a resume for your field? This article covers resume examples for almost all popular roles in 2024, including jobs in IT, marketing, healthcare, and more.

FAQ on Employment Gaps 

Do you still have some questions on everything employment gap-related? Find your answers below!

#1. How long is too long of an employment gap?

Any employment gap on your resume that you can’t explain to recruiters can cast a shadow on your job application. 

That said, shorter periods of employment gaps (e.g. time between jobs, illness or injury recovery, etc.) are much more acceptable than, say, 3-year-long gaps in your recent work history. 

So, while there is no specific time limit for a super long employment gap, the longer it is, the harder it will be for recruiters to ignore it.

#2. Is an employment gap bad?

That entirely depends on the reason behind your employment gap. 

If your employment gap is due to illness, failed business, family emergency, and the like, then an employment gap is definitely not bad! All you need to do is be honest with the recruiters and prove that you’re a trustworthy employee. 

That said if your employment gap comes from less socially acceptable reasons, like serving time for a crime or being away in rehab, your employment gap will be more difficult to explain - and, in turn, can be more harmful to your job application.

#3. How do you explain a gap in employment due to being a stay-at-home parent?

Taking time off work to be a stay-at-home parent falls under family-related reasons for an employment gap. 

The best way to explain such an employment gap is to write down the exact period you were off, titling it as a “planned career break.” Underneath, you can include one or two sentences on why you took it (e.g. took three years off work to care for my growing children, who are now in elementary school). 

On top of that, you can also mention any personal projects or other work-related experiences you had over that period. For example, if you took some online classes or started a personal project, that’s a great way to inform recruiters that you weren’t completely idle during your employment gap.

#4. How do you explain a gap in employment due to COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic cost 114 million people to lose their jobs over 2020. So, if you were infected and quarantined due to COVID-19 (or if you were unlucky and had more severe health issues due to the virus), then note that on your resume as an “illness-related employment gap” or simply due to COVID-19.  

In one or two sentences, you can explain you had to take a break from work due to COVID-19 and that you’re now fully recovered and ready to work again.

Similarly, if you were working for a business that got impacted due to COVID-19 (such as an airline company) you can, in one sentence, mention you were laid off due to the impact of the pandemic and mention what you did in the meanwhile to find a job or hone your skills. 

#5. Why do employers not like gaps in employment?

Employers don’t like gaps in employment when said gaps are due to criminality, abuse or addiction, or simple laziness. In such a case, employers assume you’re not a reliable employee and that you may demonstrate the same patterns of behavior while working for them.

On the other hand, if there is a reasonable explanation for your employment gap, employers won’t think twice about hiring you, as long as you’re a good fit for the job.

Key Takeaways 

And that’s a wrap! By now, you should know everything about employment gaps and how to tackle them so they don’t hurt your job application.

Before you go, here are the main points covered in this article:

• There are three places where you can explain an employment gap: on your resume, cover letter, and during your job interview. 
• To explain an employment gap on a resume, be honest, elaborate on the gap, show that you never stop learning, or use a different resume layout to remove the gap altogether. 
• Explain an employment gap on your cover letter by highlighting new skills and offering a valid explanation as to why you took it. 
• If you have to explain your employment gap during your interview, rehearse in advance, show confidence, and don’t badmouth your former employer. 
• Some valid reasons for an employment gap are family reasons, illnesses, and injuries, taking time to discover yourself or pursue your education, and even a failed business.

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Write a Failure Résumé to Learn What Makes You Succeed

by Bill Taylor

By any measure, Johannes Haushofer is an astounding success. He graduated with honors from Oxford and has not one but two PhDs, in economics (from the University of Zurich) and neurobiology (from Harvard). Now an assistant professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton, he has published so widely and presented at so many conferences that his academic CV runs a full seven pages.

Partner Center

Creating a Failure Resume (The Why and How of It)

By: Author Nicole Booz

Posted on Last updated: March 15, 2024

Categories Career , Confidence

Typically, we use a traditional resume (or CV) to showcase the very best of our professional history. We use our resume to show off our skills, we pepper it with appropriate action verbs to illustrate our contributions to past employers, and we attempt to paint a picture of ourselves within it to show just how perfect we are to prospective employers.

But because our resumes are meant to highlight our successes, they leave out a very important part of personal and professional growth: failure .

Failure is where change happens;  Failure is where we learn life’s biggest lessons. It is in our failures that we experience the most growth. However, failure is also a source of embarrassment for many of us.

Looking at our own failures can be uncomfortable. And a professional failure can feel embarrassing. We often take it to mean that we weren’t good enough or that we didn’t try hard enough. While that may have been true at the time, it’s not the end of the story. 

On the contrary, failure provides a unique opportunity for us to learn and respond. When things go well or go right the first time, we lose the opportunity to take a new approach. We lose the chance to have a different experience or gain a new perspective.

Enter the failure resume. What is it? Simply put, a failure résumé highlights all of your past failures and unsuccessful ventures. Failure is one of the essential parts and missing truths of growth. At first sight, it seems like successful people never fail, but that is simply not true. Many professionals have their own failure resume they keep track of on top of their regular resume. Failure is the best teacher, after all.

And ultimately, the path the success is not a straight line.

Glossing over your failed attempts at success will only hinder you more in the future. Dr. Melanie Stefan, a lecturer at Edinburgh Medical School, has a relatively new TED Talk on the topic as well if you’d like to watch more. She made her own, listing graduate programs she didn’t get accepted into, degrees she ultimately didn’t finish, rejections from several orchestra auditions, and even harsh feedback from a previous boss . These are just some examples of things you can list on your failure resume. 

The last year may have been on of the hardest of your professional life. Any failings in the last year (personal failures included) are likely more circumstantial than anything. You are not your failures.

Why you should make a failure resume:

There are many good reasons to make a list of your career failures. And remember, you should be brutally honest when making it because it’s just for personal use. Being honest and objective can have a great impact on your success story. Failure is an important part of our learning process.

1. It will help you identify your weaknesses.

The pesky question we all dislike involves talking about our weaknesses. Interviewers are tired of hearing that your biggest weakness is your “dedication to work” because you “get so caught up in working hard that you forget to eat.” Your failure resume will aid you in determining your genuine weaknesses and additionally how you can actively work to overcome them.

When you look at your past failures, a pattern will likely start to emerge. Maybe you’re a strong self-starter but often fail to finish many of the tasks you set out to complete. 

2. It will give you more examples.

One of the best ways to illustrate the things you’ve learned over your career is to provide examples. Looking at your professional history with a different perspective will help you remember things you’d forgotten about.

We all have bad days . But that doesn’t mean we are bad people or unsuccessful. It’s easy to get caught up in the false narratives in your head. You need to approach your failure resume with a practical approach. It is one of the essentials parts of growing. 

3. It will teach you about failure.

We see failure as something to be avoided, and though a successful outcome is the favorable one, it doesn’t mean you cannot embrace failure as an opportunity. Getting in the habit of reframing your failures will teach you how you can be successful in the future.

Once you know these failures and weaknesses, one of the great things you can do is implement small changes in the way you present yourself to other. For example, once you know what your failures are, you can present your strengths more positively to hiring managers for future jobs .

How to create your failure resume:

First of all, make a copy of your resume..

Go through each position you’ve ever held, every school you’ve ever attended and make lists of things you wish had happened differently, things that didn’t pan out the way you intended, and things that didn’t have a favorable outcome.

It may be that you wish you had majored in Computer Science rather than Communications, or that you ended up with an ‘F’ in a math class that you never needed in the first place. Both of these things count as failures .

Take time to consider your shortcomings.

Maybe a project didn’t pan out because you rushed it, or perhaps you didn’t reach an important deadline.

Your failure resume is just for you – no one else ever needs to see it. Be brutally honest and specific when considering where you fell short.

You can include all of the degree programs you didn’t get into, every unsuccessful application, harsh feedback from co-workers or selection committees, when you didn’t get a new job, when you didn’t get the research funding or when you bombed a presentation. It all counts!

Put a positive spin on each of your failures.

After you have gone through and listed every failure you can reasonably think of, go back through and put a positive spin on each of your failures.

Here are a few examples:

1) “I wish I majored in Computer Science rather than Communications.” → “My Communications degree gave me a foundation for public relations. I can use this to show others how a degree in Computer Science  is useful.” Insert public affiars or communication or graphic design — whatever the case is, it’s like you can use your current degree in the way you want.

2) “I earned an ‘F’ in math class because I wasn’t prepared for the material.” → “I wasn’t prepared for a class at this level. Next time I am unprepared for something, I will seek out ways (such as a tutor or a mentor) to make sure I understand the basics.”

3) “The first project I ever led failed because I didn’t communicate well enough.” → “My communication skills weren’t developed enough when I lead this project. I have since learned how to use the team calendar/management software to keep my team up-to-date and on task.”

4) “I didn’t turn a proposal in on time and my team lost a big contract.” →   “I will never procrastinate on a proposal again. I have learned how to set mini-deadlines for myself and complete my work at least a week prior to the due date.”

Success is important, but identifying your failures is arguably a more productive way to understand the ways you’ve grown in your career. One of the biggest failures is not taking the time to learn from both our professional life and personal failures.

Even Successful People Fail

One of the most important lessons I really want you to remember is that people who we have thought of as “successful” have failed. 

Think about J.K. Rowling and her terrible comments on social media . There are people at Columbia University, Princeton University, Stanford University who fall in their research consistently (and see it as a good thing).  

Have you ever made a failure resume for yourself? What have you learned from your failures? 

[Tweet “Here’s how to make a failure resume (and why you should):”]

This post was originally published August 2014. Updated September 2021.

About the Author

Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.

Website: genthirty.com

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Ultimate Guide: Startup Experience on a Resume (5 Best Examples)

The best startup experience shows how you made a direct impact on the company’s growth. They’re also telling of your personality and job skills…

In this article

Here’s what your experience at a startup company might’ve looked like: 

• You founded and ran a startup yourself
• You worked at a startup and supported its growth
• You worked at a startup and it’s now out of business

It can be worth writing about any of these experiences on a resume because they’re telling of your character aside from your level of technical skills in your role. 

Now, there are 10 steps to write about startup experience on a resume properly. Read this ultimate guide to stand out in your next job application! 

Note: If the startup you worked at failed, it’s not necessary to mention it unless you’re asked by recruiters. But even then, you’re still able to draw from valuable experiences or insights. 

The Difference Between Job Experience in Startups and Big Companies

Here are a few main differences between working at a startup and a big company: 

• Company Culture: Startups are more entrepreneurial-focused, where innovation and creativity are strongly encouraged. On the other hand, big companies would have a more established structure and procedures to follow. 
• Job Responsibilities: Employees are typically given more admin tasks and autonomy in startups because they’re often bootstrapped. In contrast, employees in big companies will have more specialized roles and specific responsibilities. 
• Professional Development: You’re in the trenches of innovation when working for a startup. This means you’ll have to learn new skills and technologies quickly to execute projects that directly impact the startup’s bottom line. In contrast, big companies will have established training and skills development programs. 

Important Reminder: Not all startups are the same. There are different stages of company growth to consider that affect the culture and workflow structure. 

5 Best Resume Examples With Startup Experience 

We listed the top startup resumes below, including why they secured a job interview. 

Chief Product Officer Resume

Why Hiring Teams Love This Resume

The Chief Product Officer resume template has an aligned work and academic background. All of these can link back to growing startup companies and building products. 

Here are the top reasons why this resume with startup experience works: 

• Founder Experience: The candidate was once a founder, meaning they have firsthand experience running a company. Their background in startup companies gives potential employers confidence that they have a strong sense of business acumen.
• Certifications: All certifications listed apply to startup companies. This, alongside their experience, shows they have industry knowledge in building a startup.
• Transferable Skills: This resume showcases transferable skills and traits that are beneficial across all industries. One example is the ability to lead cross-functional teams.
• Key Business Tasks: Securing funding, preparing reports for investors, market research, and so forth. This all implies the candidate is conscious of company goals and objectives.  

Director of Global Partnerships Resume

The Director of Global Partnerships resume template tailors their startup experience in a way that’s relevant to the job they’re applying for. 

Here are the top reasons why this resume works: 

• Career Progression: The professional development arc is clear. From professor to director, the reader can see that the candidate has continuously developed their skill set. 
• Quantitative Achievements: Statistics are used to highlight achievements. Numbers are also used to describe job responsibilities. This emphasizes the impact the candidate has made. 
• Tailored Summary: The summary is concise and tailored to the company they’re applying for. All it includes is the candidate’s area of expertise, followed by an objective. 
• Strong Communication: Interpersonal skills are essential for the position they’re applying for. In this resume, they highlight various achievements and job responsibilities from startup work experience that demonstrate a high level of communication skills. 

Financial Analyst Intern Resume

The Financial Analyst Intern resume example does a great job of highlighting the candidate’s character with the extra resume sections. What’s also impressive is how the startup experience is tailored to the company’s needs. 

• Relevant Experience: The candidate’s career timeline revolves around the analyst role, positioning themselves as a good fit for the job.
• Startup Consultant: Experience as a startup consultant indicates expertise in startups. The description has also been tailored to fit the job description, further positioning the candidate as the type of analyst hiring managers are looking for. 
• Quantified Job Responsibilities: Professional work experience is limited but compelling, thanks to the numbers used to specify key tasks. 

Strategy Analyst Resume

The Strategy Analyst resume example is focused on startup experience. This is effective when applying specifically for startup companies.  

• Startup-Focused Summary: Provides a clear overview of the candidate’s track record, core competencies, and goals.  
• Relationship Building: Experienced in cooperating with clients, teams, and company directors. This is an ability that startup companies value.
• Stakeholder Communication: The candidate’s experience in startups shows they can communicate effectively with stakeholders. 

Startup Founder Resume

Why This Startup Resume Is Perfect 

This Startup Founder resume example has the perfect startup experience mainly because it’s results-oriented. 

The bullet points under the candidate’s experience as a CEO and founder are impressive, as is their experience as an independent startup consultant. 

• Entrepreneurship: The candidate has hands-on experience growing a startup company from the ground up. 
• Desirable Achievements: Achievements such as “securing over $650,000 in investment” and “$8,000,000 in valuation” are compelling. These are results that other startups are aiming for, which makes the candidate look like the ideal fit. 
• Focused Work History: The candidate has consistent work experience in technical roles. This highlights their areas of expertise. 
• Expert Positioning: The additional section of “consultancy” reinforces their positioning as an expert in the realm of startup companies. 

How to Write About Startup Experience on a Resume Step-by-Step

Here’s a general resume sentence formula to follow: 

• Use an action verb related to the skills you applied
• Mention an achievement or project outcome you worked towards
• Include the timeframe of the achievement or project outcome
• Share details related to the tasks you executed  
• Mention further details related to business goals or responsibilities

Focus on showing startup-related skills by writing about the impact of your contributions. To be specific, we’ll go through the exact steps below. 

1. Focus on Impact-Driven Action Verbs

Impact means how your efforts made a positive change at a company. 

Every bullet point typically begins with a resume action verb that describes the impact you made. 

You could use an adverb to start a resume bullet point but use these sparingly. Otherwise, it may look like another resume cliché. 

Once you know what action verb to use, write about what you did to make an impact. 

Quantify your responsibilities when you can to emphasize the significance of your efforts. Make the before and after results clear to the reader. 

Examples of Impact-Driven Resume Action Verbs 

• Accelerated
• Conceptualized
• Facilitated
• Spearheaded
• Streamlined
• Transformed

Examples of Resume Adverbs

• Exponentially
• Independently
• Meticulously
• Progressively
• Successfully
• Tenaciously

2. Specify Key Tasks You Performed 

Key tasks are duties that are tied in with business goals and objectives. Use concrete language when describing key tasks to clarify how you provided value. 

Compare the two following resume sentences:

• Handled customer inquiries.
• Managed a high volume of customer inquiries via email and phone, providing timely and effective solutions.

See the difference? 

Both have the same meaning, but the latter resume sentence example specifies the exact situation the candidate dealt with. This highlights their skills to the hiring manager. 

Specify key tasks and responsibilities by writing about the exact situation you handled. It makes your startup experience on a resume look twice as powerful, especially because you’re working in a more fast-paced environment under pressure. 

Write Tailored Resume Sentences in 10 Seconds

Tell us the job title you’re writing about. Our AI Resume Writer will generate sentences based on the best resume practices. 

Try AI Resume Writer for free. 

Here’s how it looks from the inside: 

3. Mention Admin Job Responsibilities 

If you’ve had any experience in a startup, you’ve probably held multiple admin job responsibilities. 

Writing about admin tasks on a resume shows a degree of technical proficiency, which many companies value in candidates. So, use your startup experience to describe how you improved processes or resolved technical issues. 

Here are a few examples: 

• Managed office logistics, including scheduling meetings, coordinating appointments, and overseeing office supplies, ensuring seamless day-to-day operations.
• Handled travel arrangements, expense reports, and accommodation bookings for the executive team, optimizing travel efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Streamlined document management by implementing a digital filing system, reducing retrieval time by 40%, and enhancing data accessibility for the team.
• Resolved scheduling conflicts and optimized the calendar by implementing a shared calendar tool, resulting in a 25% reduction in double bookings.

4. Use Numbers to Specify What You Did

Having the exact numbers or data would be ideal. An estimated figure also works. Including an accurate estimate is better than nothing. 

Still completely unsure about the data? Then, skip this step. An alternative is to mention the goal or objective you worked towards. However, using numbers to specify the result or responsibility is ideal. 

Here’s how to use numbers on a resume: 

• KPIs: Include metrics for specific achievements and outcomes. This includes percentages, dollar amounts, time saved, or other relevant figures. 
• Baseline Numbers: Share a baseline or starting point that sets the context for the impact you made. 
• Heavy Workload: Include a number to specify large volumes of work completed in a project. 

5. Focus on Job Achievements 

A list of job achievements in a previous role shows more about your skill level than writing about your to-do list. 

Achievements serve as a preview of the expertise you have to offer. The candidates capable of making a tangible difference are the types of workers hiring teams are keen to interview. 

Here are some examples of job achievements on a resume: 

• Maintained a 99% accuracy rate in data entry tasks, minimizing errors and ensuring data integrity.
• Achieved a 20% reduction in response time to customer inquiries, improving customer satisfaction.
• Created an organized email management system, reducing email backlog by 30%.
• Implemented inventory control measures that reduced overstock by 15% and stockouts by 10%.
• Managed and updated company social media profiles, increasing online engagement by 25%.

Best Types of Job Achievements for Startups

• Project Objectives: Reaching or exceeding the project goals and objectives.
• Quality Assurance: Ensuring work meets quality standards and expectations.
• Risk Management: Mitigating project risks to prevent issues and delays.
• Budget Adherence: Staying within the allocated budget.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Timeline Adherence: Meeting deadlines and being timely at work.
• Innovation: Unique solutions or ideas that lead to further company growth or competitiveness.
• Client or User Feedback: Positive testimonials from clients or end-users.
• Resource Management: Making the most use of project resources accordingly.
• Documentation and Reporting: Creating project documentation and reports.
• Problem Solving: Resolving complex roadblocks.
• Knowledge Transfer: Sharing knowledge and best practices with fellow team members.
• Compliance and Regulations: Meeting regulations and compliance standards.
• Job Awards: Recognition of excellence as an employee or startup. 

6. Include Business Achievements  

The difference between job and business achievements is that the latter focuses on the bigger picture. This means looking at your impact across stakeholders and overall company goals or objectives. 

Let’s say you’re writing a mid-level marketing resume. 

You could mention project outcomes, like how you completed tasks ahead of deadlines and mentored new employees. Or, you could take it a step further by mentioning the project's impact on the company by bringing up revenue figures. 

Here are a few examples of business achievements on a resume: 

• Generated $1.2 million in new business revenue through effective client relationship management and successful cross-selling of services, exceeding annual sales targets by 25%.
• Increased website traffic by 50% within 6 months by optimizing SEO and implementing content marketing strategies, boosting online sales by $500,000.
• Reduced customer wait times by 30% through process improvements, leading to a higher customer satisfaction rating of 95% and a 20% increase in repeat business.
• Led a team of 10 engineers in completing a project 2 months ahead of schedule, saving the company $100,000 in development costs and enabling an earlier product launch.
• Founded Rezi at the age of 22. At 23, successfully globalized into South Korea, growing to be South Korea's leading English resume company, the most awarded global startup in South Korea, and securing over $650,000 in investment, grants, and awards.

Best Business Achievements for Startups

• Company Goals: Hitting or surpassing company targets. 
• Revenue Growth: Increasing the startup's monthly or annual revenue. 
• User Acquisition: Mention the number of new customers or users you brought in.
• Cost Reduction: How you optimized processes to increase efficiency and savings. 
• Team Productivity: Positively influencing the team's performance and productivity.
• Funding and Investment: Raising funds for the startup and winning over investors.
• Customer Satisfaction: Improving customer satisfaction or retention rates. 
• Partnerships: Strategic partnerships you established.
• Scalability: How you helped a startup become more scalable. 
• Time Savings: Executing initiatives that save time, allowing you to focus on the more important tasks at hand.
• Market Penetration: Entering new markets to expand the startup's reach. 

6. Mention the Timeframe of Results or Tasks 

Achieved something in less time than expected? Mention it by including a timeframe of the result. 

On top of saying that you helped a company achieve something like more website traffic, share how long it took to get those results. 

• Secured $1.5 million in seed funding for the startup within a 6-month timeframe through strategic investor outreach and persuasive pitch presentations, enabling rapid growth and product development.
• Tripled customer base from 10,000 to over 30,000 active users in 3 months by spearheading targeted email marketing campaigns, resulting in a 200% increase in monthly revenue.
• Implemented cost-saving initiatives that led to a 15% reduction in operational expenses within the first 4 months of tenure.

7. Further Relevant Details 

The next step is to add further relevant detail by bringing up other factors involved in the task or achievement you’re writing about. 

Think of it as sharing the secondary factors of a core responsibility you carried out. 

If necessary, start another sentence within the same bullet point to expand on the primary task or achievement you want to highlight.

• Analyzed data from 10,000+ monthly active clients on Salesforce, SAP, and Excel and used outputs to advise pricing and marketing strategies, helping sales representatives better understand their clients' needs and tailor their sales approach.
• Assisted with identifying investment opportunities in the market, reviewed investment opportunities, and acted on the recommendations of the investment committee.
• Selected into a Global Expansion Program in China, receiving funding and support from accelerator partner Hanwha. Exploring territory in Beijing and Shanghai, extending company reach to universities, recruiters, and incubators.

8. Don’t Forget About Collaboration Skills 

Being able to work at a fast pace requires good collaboration skills. 

Writing about tasks, projects, or accomplishments you were solely responsible for is ideal. But what’s also ideal is showing that you’re a team player. 

Here are a few things to write about on a resume to show collaboration skills: 

• Mentoring new employees
• Successful group projects
• Cooperating with different departments
• Working closely with a particular person such as the content manager or CEO
• Implementing given feedback
• Building rapport with clients and customers 

Or, you could start a resume bullet point with an action verb that indicates how you worked with other team members. The words “collaborated” and “liaised” are good examples.

Here are a few more resume sentence examples to highlight your ability to collaborate: 

• Collaborated seamlessly with cross-functional teams, including product development, marketing, and sales, to ensure alignment and successful product launches.
• Promoted knowledge sharing within the startup by conducting internal training sessions and workshops, fostering a culture of continuous learning.
• Identified and cultivated strategic partnerships with other startups and industry stakeholders, enhancing collaboration opportunities and expanding the company's network

9. Edit Your Resume for Job Description Keywords

Job description keywords are essential for getting past the applicant tracking systems . 

Companies use applicant tracking systems to assess large volumes of applications and find qualified candidates. This is based on whether or not your resume matches the company’s job description. 

To match the job description, you need resume keywords . 

Let’s say you’re applying for a startup marketing position. On the company’s job description, you may find sentences similar to the following: 

• Develop and execute innovative digital marketing campaigns to drive brand awareness and customer acquisition through various channels, including social media, email marketing, and content marketing.
• Analyze marketing data and performance metrics to identify trends and opportunities, optimize marketing strategies for better ROI, and report regularly to stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with the sales team to generate and nurture leads, create sales-enablement materials, and develop marketing strategies that align with sales goals and objectives.

Keywords are the words related to the core responsibilities of your role. That said, here are potential keywords for each job description sentence above: 

• Digital marketing, campaigns, brand awareness, customer acquisition, social media, email marketing, content marketing.
• Marketing data analysis, performance metrics, trends, ROI optimization, reporting, stakeholders.
• Sales collaboration, lead generation, lead nurturing, sales enablement, marketing strategies, sales goals.

Our AI Keyword Scanner Finds Keywords Instantly

Tell us the job title you’re applying for. Then, copy and paste the job description into our AI Keyword Scanner to curate a list of the top job resume keywords employers from the company are expecting.  

Try AI Keyword Scanner for free. 

See an example of how this looks below! 

10. Tailor Your Resume Based on Company Pain Points

Take your resume up a notch by tailoring it to the company’s needs. 

Write resume bullet points that prove you can solve the problems that the company is looking to solve. Make it clear that you’re the person with the specific expertise they need to help them reach their goals and objectives. 

For example, instead of just writing the following: 

• Managed product development from concept to launch, ensuring adherence to timelines and budget constraints.
• Led a small team in a fast-paced startup environment, ensuring project deadlines were consistently met.

Tailor it to the company’s needs by refining the resume sentences like so: 

• Orchestrated the end-to-end product development process, consistently delivering high-quality products ahead of schedule which led to substantial cost savings of 20% below budget, enabling the company to seize market opportunities swiftly.
• Led a small team of 6, consistently meeting project deadlines by implementing efficient workflows and proactive communication strategies to streamline project delivery. 

Refine Incomplete Resume Sentences 

Feel like the sentence you wrote could be better? Optimize it by highlighting the bullet point and using our AI Bullet Point Editor to rewrite it for you. 

Try AI Bullet Point Editor for free. 

Or see the example of how this looks below: 

The Best Startup Skills to Showcase on a Resume

The top startup skills to write about on a resume that’s applicable to almost all job seekers include the following:

• Adaptability
• Critical thinking
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing
• Project Management
• Stakeholder Communication

Tip: While the below skills are universally applicable, select the ones that are most relevant to the job description you’re applying for! 

Examples of the Best Startup Hard Skills

• Programming Languages: Technical proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, and C++. 
• Data Analysis: Your ability to analyze data and form actionable insights to improve decision-making. 
• Project Management: Organizing multiple things at once. You could also include tools for this such as Asana, ClickUp, and Trello.
• Digital Marketing: The ability to promote a product or service to a target audience. This could include particular areas such as content marketing, SEO, and social media. 
• Financial Modeling: Monitoring costs and forecasting revenue. 
• Research: Good research skills are paramount to all startups. This includes competitor research, interviews, market research, and product research.

Examples of the Best Startup Soft Skills

• Adaptability: The ability to meet arising needs or challenges in a timely manner. 
• Critical Thinking: Analyzing potential risks and opportunities to put together an effective strategy.  
• Teamwork: Cooperating with team members to ensure success. 
• Stakeholder Communication: Liaising with various stakeholders such as customers and investors. 
• Leadership: Taking the initiative to lead projects with minimal supervision. 
• Problem-Solving: Finding new ways and methods to solve a complex problem. 

Why Companies Value Startup Experience on a Resume

Hiring managers value candidates with a positive track record and strong work ethic who can take the initiative. 

Qualities such as self-motivation and creativity are also desirable. 

Above all, startup experience shows you can work in a flexible environment and take on more responsibilities when needed. 

Use startup experience on a resume to stand out from other candidates by focusing on the following:

• Career Storytelling: Tell a story by describing what you did and the context of your role. Highlight your challenges, how you faced those, and the outcomes achieved. 
• Results-Oriented Approach: Emphasize accomplishments by highlighting the results of a task you carried out. Prioritize business achievements you were significantly responsible for. 

These are things that hiring teams love to see in candidates with startup experience. A few more of the main things they would love to see include the following:

• Practical and diverse skill set
• Self-driven character
• Full ownership and accountability
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Experience in fast-paced environments 
• Industry knowledge
• Team player

Practical and Diverse Skill Set

Show that you have practical skills and expertise in specific areas. Make it clear that your skill set extends to other key tasks, not just your main job responsibilities. 

• Practical Experience: Focus on core work responsibilities that you had hands-on experience with. Use the right action verb that depicts how you directly contributed to a meaningful outcome. 
• Diverse Skill Sets: Startup workers often wear multiple hats, which means they gain a wide range of skills and experiences. For example, admin and leadership abilities. Both of these are transferable skills to almost every job position. 

Self-Driven Character

Personality traits typically matter more to startups who are considering their next hire. They need someone committed to helping them hit the ground running. That said, a work history of startup experience means you’ve demonstrated some desirable traits. 

Here are a few examples:  

• Customer-centric focus
• Resourcefulness

Full Ownership and Accountability

Companies want candidates who take full ownership of their roles. This is especially true in startup environments since workers typically have more autonomy. 

Now, this doesn’t mean taking full responsibility for whether the startup fails. That’s ultimately the fault of those in executive job positions . However, that doesn’t mean you can’t adopt a similar mindset. 

Startup experience allows you to show that you’re the type of person to go above and beyond. You can highlight that you care about the company’s overall success by showing that you take full accountability and contribute to the overall business strategy. 

Entrepreneurial Mindset 

An entrepreneurial mindset is often shown by workers in startups. Here are some main qualities that startup employees can emphasize:

• Innovation: Coming up with new ways to reach goals and objectives. 
• Risk-Taker: Identifying potential consequences and taking calculated risks.  
• Self-Starter: Being driven and ambitious enough to take the lead. 

Most companies value a culture of innovation and growth. Highlighting any of these qualities can help you stand out in a competitive job market. 

Experienced in Fast-Paced Environments 

Working in fast-paced environments requires a few things: 

• Adaptability: Wear multiple hats and adjust when needed. 
• Time Management: The ability to organize your schedule and prioritize your workload. 
• Handling Pressure: Completing tasks to a good standard despite the pressure of deadlines and customer expectations. 

It’s not out of the ordinary for startup environments to feel chaotic. Being able to work your way through the chaos is telling of your character and adds to your unique selling points as a candidate. 

Industry Knowledge 

The advantage startup companies have over big companies is that they’re quicker to adapt to trends. But, adapting to those trends and consumer sentiments requires industry knowledge in the first place. 

Your advantage from having startup experience in the industry is that you understand what it takes to grow from scratch. Even if the startup failed, you’ll understand why it failed. These lessons can be translated into the company you’re applying to for further success. 

Team Player 

Team players are those who can cooperate with colleagues, contribute skills or ideas, and communicate openly to meet company objectives. 

Whether it’s a small company with a small team or a large company with multiple departments, the ability to work as a team is always going to be an important skill.  

Use Cover Letters When You Don’t Have Enough Space On a Resume

Cover letters are an option when you don’t have enough space to talk about everything on a resume. 

After all, resumes should only include what’s most relevant to the job description. 

It makes sense to list all startup experience on a resume when you’re applying for a startup company. If that’s not the case and you’re applying to a large company but have startup experience, then only include what’s most relevant to the job description. 

If you’re interested in writing a cover letter to expand on certain details, check out our cover letter writing guide here. 

Use Startup Experience to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market

Startup experience on a resume gives you more room to talk about job responsibilities directly tied to company growth. 

And business achievements you were solely or significantly responsible for are impressive to any company looking to make their next hire. Whether your efforts helped secure funding from investors or scale customer growth, these are things that can make your application stand out. 

If you’d like to try our AI resume builder to speed up the process of creating tailored resumes, you can sign up here at resumA.I. for free . 

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How to Put Startup Experience on Resume

Professional researchers from Zety confirmed in one of their studies , “Every job offer attracts around 250 resumes on average. Between 4 and 6 people get the interview invitation and only 1 person on average gets the job”. The question is – will you be that person?

Do you have some entrepreneurial experience? It doesn’t matter if your business was effective or not, putting a startup on a resume can raise your chances of getting a job. Many people do not do that as they consider that startup experience does not count as work experience.

Leveraging your startup experience in your CV can give you a competitive edge. For those in the tech industry, crafting a CV for professional engineer positions requires finesse. Our guide will equip you with valuable insights and tips to build an impressive CV that speaks volumes about your skills and experience.

However, you should highlight everything that confirms your expertise and describes your personality.

Unfortunately, just like for everything in life, there are certain exceptions. That is the reason why we invite you to read this article until the very end and learn how to put the startup on your resume. Let’s go!

Should I Put Startup Experience on My Resume?

You could probably understand from the intro of this article that putting startup experience on a resume is a good choice. The same rule counts in case you failed to become a successful entrepreneur. Employers are aware that 90% of startups fail, so they would not consider that as your shortcoming.

Many people do not know how to put a failed startup on a resume. It is pretty simple – you should try to turn the negative outcome into an advantage. Having enough courage to become a startup owner confirms that you are a true leader that possesses good critical thinking skills and creativity.

That is the reason why you should describe the tasks you were handling while running your startup and confirm your expertise. Check out the example below.

Source: workshiphq.com

Are There Certain Moments When I Should Not Put Startup Experience?

Indeed, there are certain scenarios when you should not include startup experience in your resume. For starters, do not do that if your business is still active. The employer may believe that you are only trying to get certain money for a couple of months. After you manage to improve the performance of your business, you could potentially leave.

If you were an entrepreneur, then you know that no one wants to hire new employees that quickly. Hiring new people, again and again, is an expensive and time-consuming obligation.

Also, you should not put startup experience on your resume in case you ran a company in the same niche. Some employers may think that you only want to gain additional knowledge and improve your skills. That would mean that he or she is training someone who can become a direct competitor one day. Would you have the desire to hire someone like that?

Now that we made everything clear, the next thing you probably want to know is how to add startup to your resume. Answering that question requires in-depth analysis. Let’s find out some useful tips together and help you write a startup resume appropriately!

How to List Startup on Resume?

Can you put startup experience on your resume? Yes. However, another concern that you will probably have is how to do that properly. The entire process is not as tough as you think, but you will need to go through a couple of stages to reach the final goal.

Start with the Basics!

Starting with the basics is the first useful piece of advice you should apply. Start with your first and last name, add your role in your previous business, and how long you successfully ran the startup.

Speaking of the role, it is going to be enough to say that you were a founder, co-founder, or CEO. You can start this section like in the sample below.

Source: Resumekraft.com

Now Highlight All the Relevant Points

Writing the entire history of your startup is going to be unnecessary. The development process is not something that hiring managers want to know. They only want to know more information about the tasks you handled while you were working and your work experience.

Before we move to the main point, there is another thing that we have to say. You do not even have to mention the reason why your business failed. That is another piece of information that is going to be irrelevant to the potential employer.

If you highlight all the good things that you have done in the past, the hiring manager will know what your expertise is. He or she would potentially assume that lack of entrepreneurial experience is the main reason why you failed.

So, what exactly should you talk about here? First of all, you need to remain realistic and talk only about facts. Writing things like “I worked hard on my goals” or “It was not a problem to stay in the office 20 hours a day” is useless. Let’s focus on another example of a startup resume and analyze it together.

Source: blog.penelopetrunk.com

  The document above is a good example of how to put startup experience on a resume. As you see, this candidate didn’t even hesitate to mention that he tried to become a business owner three times in only 14 years. However, the candidate did not mention the reasons why his business field. Instead of that, he turned his failure into an advantage!

For instance, mentioning the amount of money you raised on the investors is a pretty good thing. That piece of information only confirms that you truly possess certain skills.

On the other hand, don’t forget to mention the collaborations you established as a startup owner. That confirms your communication and negotiating skills are at the highest level.

Additionally, you can talk about the skills that were necessary to complete the tasks you had. You can also talk about the rewards you managed to earn as a business owner. If you have a copy of a certain certificate, you can apply that together with your resume.

Everything Else Can Be Written In a Cover Letter

As you could see, all the relevant points were short. In case you want to add something, your resume is not the right place to do that. Write a cover letter where you can say a few more words about your achievements, skills, and tasks.

Once again, do not talk about the entire history of your business, and do not mention the reason why you failed. These are all irrelevant pieces of information!

Key Takeaway

After reading the previous part of the article, you will probably understand how to list startups on the resume. Talk only about the positive side of your startup experience and focus on your skills and achievements. However, before we end this part, there are a couple of things that every candidate should know.

What Do Startups Want?

The young entrepreneur council published a useful article on Forbes for all job seekers. They said – “Startup owners appreciate six different qualities such as willingness to take risks, adaptability, and others”.

However, when you closer, there is a simple answer to this question – startup owners want someone who they can trust. Find here how to add side projects to your resume.

So, what exactly does that means? For starters, your entrepreneurial experience can mean a lot to them. That sort of experience doesn’t only confirm your expertise; it also confirms your personality. You will be the type of person that can adapt to different challenges, take the risks when necessary, etc.

What Can You Do to Make Startup Want You?

No one says that you need to highlight everything you did in your previous startup. Knowing how to add a startup to a resume won’t mean a lot if you do not know which information is relevant for the potential employer.

However, to know which points are good, you will have to research the company before applying for a job.

You should primarily check their website and try to figure out their core values. It is also good for you to know whether you possess the personality that will help you adapt to a new team easily.

After you do that, try to prove through your cover letter that you are ready to take responsibility and cover all the gaps that your future company has. Check out closely which skills you can offer to help them out. Read more here about a resume with entrepreneurial experience.

What Do Startup Companies Want in Resumes?

They do not want confusing phrases and terms, that’s for sure! The resume needs to be clear for the person that reads it. Many candidates would try to prove their expertise by using professional terms and phrases throughout the cover letter and resume.

Instead of that, startup companies want to see proof of expertise. The CEO or hiring managers do not necessarily have to be familiar with the tasks you handle.

Because of that, your work experience and entrepreneurial experience (achievements and rewards) would be a lot more interesting to them.

How to Put a Family Business On Your Resume?

The simplest way to answer this question is – don’t overthink it. Use all the previous tips that we provided you with. Talk about the tasks that you handled, the achievements you had with your family business (if there are any), etc.

The example below is the way how you should do it. You will see there are big differences from the basic startup resume.

Source: online.resumehelp.com

However, don’t forget that a family business on a resume won’t always be a reliable reference for the employer. Instead of mentioning your parents, aunts, and cousins, you should say a couple of words about the clients or suppliers that your family business collaborated with.

If the employer wants to find out more about your entrepreneurial experience, he/she will have the opportunity to get more information from the people you worked with.

You now know how to list startup experience on your resume. As we said, it doesn’t matter if you managed to expand your business or you failed after a year or two.

A more relevant fact for the potential employer is the tasks you handled and the achievements you had as an entrepreneur. Your entrepreneurial experience is going to say a lot about your habits, personality, and way of thinking.

Do not write confusing phrases and long stories in your resume. Make a bullet list with all the relevant facts about your experience and keep it simple. Do not do that only if your business is still active or you worked in the same industry as your future employer.

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Your Failed Startup Should Definitely Be on Your Resume

Is it okay to mention my failed startup on my resume.

This question originally appeared on Quora : Is it okay to mention my failed startup on my resume?

Answer by Gayle Laakmann McDowell , Acquisition Interview Consultant and Author of Cracking the PM Interview & Cracking the Coding Interview , on Quora ,

You should absolutely list it. Startups can fail for any number of reasons, which can be a mix of your fault and not your fault. While there might be some people who are ignorant of just how hard it is to be successful, most people in the industry are not. After all, if VCs aren't able to predict which startups are successful, why should it reflect that poorly on you that you weren't able to predict this? Sure, it's great if you were successful, but even an unsuccessful startups shows initiative, a variety of experience, and many other positive traits. It's not just a mildly positive thing to list; it'll likely be the best part of your resume.

Answer by James Hu , Creator of Jobscan.co; Ex-Microsoft & Groupon & Start-up Founder, on Quora ,

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Failed startup 3 reasons it deserves to be in your cv.

This post has already been read 4107 times!

I’ve been asked the question about including a failed startup or project on a CV or Resume on Quora not once but twice.

Both times, I’ve endorsed its inclusion because I believe it shows a lot about the calibre and qualities of the professional in question that might not otherwise be noticed including leadership skills and the willingness to pursue an idea.

For the professional who took on the adventure of a startup dreaming he would be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or even Jeff Bezos, worked the hours and then found certain things didn’t go the way he or she had expected and instead of an Entrepreneur of the Year Award, found they were saddled with a startup that had gone belly up, it is painful.

If you’ve been a successful employee and a star performer before your startup endeavour, having a pet project failing hits our sense of self-esteem, confidence and fear of lost credibility.

Nobody likes to be a failure – I don’t.

But at the same time, an initial failure can lead to a future success.

Edison’s story of untold success post startup failure

The prolific inventor Thomas Alva Edison was expelled from school because he was considered unteachable.

Imagine, if his mother had not believed in him, perhaps we wouldn’t have had the various inventions that provide essentials in our modern life or it would have taken longer.

If you think Edison got the light bulb to work on his first attempt, then guess again. It took lots more than a hundred.

In spite of all of his failures, Edison was a prolific inventor who had amassed several patents by the time he died, including the light bulb and the movie projector.

It’s all about the mindset, robust planning, getting help when required and having a mentor or coach who can guide you through the uncharted waters of a startup.

Not every startup is a success and many fail despite a successful launch. That’s the way it is.

According to an article in FastCompany,  “Why Most Venture Backed Companies Fail,”  75% of venture-backed startups fail with 30 to 40 percent of those liquidating assets where investors lose all of their money.

In a more recent article, I read that according to Forbes, 90% of startups fail .

There are often various factors at play in a successful startup as well as in its failure. Some of these factors could be related to you while others are not your fault.

Predicting the success or failure of a startup is difficult even for seasoned Venture Capitalists so why should a budding entrepreneur take the full fall for failure?

I remember back in the early 2000s, when a number of highly respected colleagues who had years of experience in the banking and finance sector and enviable credentials lost money during the dotcom bubble.

It took them some time to recover the losses but the wealth of experience they acquired helped them bounce back with bigger and better ventures.

In case you were too young to remember the dot com bubble, here is a short 1 minute video about it.

Sure, it’s great if you were successful, but even an unsuccessful startups shows initiative, a variety of experience, and many other positive traits.

It’s not just a mildly positive thing to list; if you position it properly, it can become the best part of your resume and a point that might intrigue the interviewer to ask you about it giving you a chance to showcase your true experience and qualities that can be transferred to the job you’re applying for.

The same goes for professionals who start a business but find they cannot make it work and want to go back to a regular job with a steady income.

Here are 3 good reasons for including your failed startup in your Resume or CV.

Reason 1 – You have gained experience that you otherwise would not have gotten in a job

Let me explain, the experience in itself is a small success because you now know what works and what doesn’t and you would have a better idea of where things went wrong and what you could have done differently.

It could have been a good idea, perhaps even a great idea which sounded good enough on paper for a venture capitalist to invest seed money. But the market might have changed, or the product/service might have been ahead of its time.

Think objectively about the reasons why your venture failed.

Then consider and make a list of all that you learned and what you would do differently.

After that, decide how you will present this information in covering letter, curriculum vitae and interview. The latter is important because this question will definitely come up in an interview.

Make the most of the opportunity to shine.

Reason 2 – Employers are looking for accomplishments

Accomplishments matter more than the job description because they indicate your caliber rather than what you have been trained to do.

Even in the days when I was in the corporate world, my CV highlighted what I had achieved in a particular position. The interviewer already has an idea about what the previous job would have entailed. They are looking to see if you added value to the previous organization.

For example, being able to say that you had reduced the debtor cycle from 180 to 45 days. This means you improved the cash flow of the company which adds more value than saying you managed the debtor list.

Likewise, in the case of the failed venture, not everything would have been a failure.  Focus on what you did achieve.

For example, the number of clients you acquired and closed successfully. The training and employment you provided during the startup. Or even the amount of investment capital or funding you raised in the market.

Reason 3 – Those soft skills are valuable to your future employer

Employers want measurable skills but in today’s world, soft skills matter as you rise up the corporate ladder.

The best way to demonstrate them is to incorporate them into your CV along with tangible facts or better yet, include them while wording your hard skills.

Let me put it into perspective.

The  Davos Forum , also known as World Economic Forum, is held every year in Switzerland to discuss and analyze the main issues of international concern. This meeting is attended by the most important leaders worldwide.

The topic for 2016 was key competencies and skills that companies will demand in 2020 . Based on a study carried out in 15 countries 10 top soft skills were identified.

These skills are relevant to any professional who wants to stay in the job market and get ahead in their career.

While formulating your CV or Resume, consider these skills and look for instances where you can demonstrate the skills while documenting your accomplishment statement (which is what we did in Reason 2).

For example, you could write about your skills of cross-functional co-ordination where you worked across departments to ensure that all contracts complied with business requirements.

The wording you use can incorporate soft skills like people management and co-ordination with others.

Update September 2023: What Skills are Relevant in 2023 and Beyond

The needs of the market change as we undergo technological advances and new industries. As professionals, while our existing skills are important, we need to be ready to upskill or upgrade our skills as required.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report finds analytical thinking, creative thinking and AI and big data will be top in-demand skills by 2027.

Leadership and social influence and curiosity and lifelong learning are among other skills expected to see growing demand.

Six in 10 workers will require training before 2027, but only half of workers are seen to have access to adequate training opportunities, according to the report.

In the future jobs market, it will pay to have skills that are in demand.

The World Economic Forum has predicted these likely skillsets – and how demand for them could grow – in its  Future of Jobs 2023 report .

The report further states that between now and 2027, businesses predict that 44% of workers’ core skills will be disrupted . This is because technology is moving faster than companies can design and scale up their training programmes.

Here are some key growth skills for workers and employers wanting to stay ahead of the change curve.

Final words

If I haven’t already convinced you that it is fine to include your failed project in your CV, then here is a statement of fact that you need to consider.

Your startup might have failed but, and this is an important but, you had the courage to step out of your comfort zone and take initiative on an idea. You worked to make it happen or at least hit some milestones. Your investors liked your idea enough to invest money in it.

You have already proven that you are a leader and can not only think of creative solutions but are able to do the critical thinking to plan and implement those solutions.

Startups have chaotic environments often requiring on the feet thinking. You’ve done it and survived.

Positioning this information properly, you’ll demonstrate many traits that employers would find valuable. If an upgrade of skills is required, they would sponsor it because you’re valuable.

Besides that’s the kind of hands-on experience worth sharing proudly, right?

PS. Want to polish up your CV? Click below to pick up my 19 tips with my compliments.

Tags: Job hunt , Resume/CV writing , Skills Posted in Business Coaching , career coaching , resume writing | 16 Comments »

16 Responses to “Failed Startup? 3 Reasons it deserves to be in Your CV”

Congrats on a great post. That thing about Edison being expelled is SO COOL! I love knowing things like that. I’m def sharing that tidbit at my next party!

I love little trivia too, Liz. Excellent conversational pieces at parties while also inspiring us to not give up on ourselves but keep moving forward in positive motion.

Very well articulated and good food for thought. Times are changing and so does the process of hiring, it’s okay to show your failures to our prospective employers. The important thing being how are you showcasing the learning out of the failures and whether it has really made you a better version for the job in hand. All in all, just be natural!

Thank you for sharing your insights and knowledge about the present hiring process, Rahul, and for confirming that we do not have to worry about showing our failed startups to prospective employers as long as we showcase our learning.

These are some great tips here! I love how your approach is based in authenticity.

Thank you Zeenat for your kind words. If more than 1 person asks me a question on Quora, then I know there are others who would also benefit from an answer and even solution.

As someone who’s started and ended a couple of business ventures, this is a very insightful article. Afterwards I’ve had a few interviewers question why I “failed” (their word) my business as if I would poison theirs. Silly people. Failing can be contagious only if you believe it is! As always, thanks for sharing your insight and pearls of wisdom.

I wonder if those interviewers thought failure was contagious like the flu, Cindy. 🙂 I’m grateful you’ve shared your experience with us. Most probably the question is being asked on Quora because the querant has had a similar experience.

It’s always best to be honest and up front with a potential employer. With today’s technology and social media, it will all come out anyway. Employers value honesty and experience.

I agree with you 100% Barb. Employers do verify what the candidate is asserting and one of the first things HR would do is run a Google search on you as well as a LinkedIn check – apart from other verification processes if the job position is sensitive. I’d written about that in my post on staying in integrity and not sprucing up the CV with false information . I guess this is the other side of the coin. 🙂

I LOVE this. As someone who has failed and restarted, I never considered THIS approach. Thank you. Sharing.

I’m happy, Laura, to provide you with a different perspective on a failed startup. You aren’t alone, there are so many others who take it as a sign of failure and worry about showing it in resumes or even mentioning their experience, when in fact, it is a feat to be admired. Not everyone has the motivation and drive to follow through an idea and try to make it work.

Awesome blog Vatsala. So inspiring and encouraging tooooo. Thank you for sharing. I most appreciate it.

Thank you Leila!

Very good idea that gives food for thought. I can definitely see the value of especially including what you learned from the whole experience, and otherwise find ways to share how the experience has helped you grow or given you new skills and insights. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for sharing your insights, Marianne. No experience ever goes waste and can always be used to help others along the same path.

I believe the world would be a better place if high achieving professionals accepted setbacks and challenges to their careers as Wake Up Calls to embark on a Journey where their empowered course correcting actions create a New World Order that encompasses achieving their career aspirations & potential with authentic life balance.

If you’re a driven, passionate, talented and ambitious professional  who’s hit a speed breaker in your business or career and want to create your desired breakthrough to reclaim control of your situation, then you’ve come to the right place because we can work together on customized strategies and tactics that deliver results.

When my clients first reach out to me, they are not in a very happy place, needing clarity about themselves, their desires, chosen vocation and what will give them peace of mind. They are drawn to me for the very reasons that I highlight in Who Is Karmic Ally Coaching .

Lack of recognition at work, inability to project themselves with confidence and frustration are just some of their professional problems that are playing havoc with other areas of their life. They know they need to take radical steps to change the status quo but they also know they need support and accountability to get them their desired result.

I really get it, because I’ve experienced that dark night of the Soul. I know firsthand the outcome of getting lost in my work rationalizing decisions that were detrimental to other aspects of my life.

Like you, I’ve struggled with and won battles of stress management, corporate politics, life balance and career decisions to emerge in a place where I can confidently say that I live my desired life according to my personal Manifesto and have created a business that provides me with a platform for my desired lifestyle and self-expression for myself. I want that for you too!

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• Should You Put Your...

Should You Put Your Professional Failures on Your Resume?

5 min read · Updated on December 15, 2021

What happens when you experience a professional failure? Here's how to determine if it needs to be on your resume and, if so, how to address it.

As much as you'd like to succeed professionally 100% of the time, it's just not possible. Everyone's bound to experience some degree of professional failure. It could be a slight hiccup — like a failed project or proposal. Or maybe it's larger in scale — a demotion, a job dismissal, or a failed startup.

Whatever it is, it doesn't mean your career is over. It's important to take time to reflect on what happened. What could you have done differently? What have you learned? It's of the utmost importance that you take the time to learn from your failure. By doing so, you'll find that your career is propelled forward both quickly and wisely.

But as you're trying to move on, you'll quickly come to wonder: Should I put my failed business on my resume? Do I include my other career failures? If so, how do I address it?

Should you put your career failures on your resume?

Whether or not you choose to include your failures on your resume will depend on a lot of factors, but remember that it's ultimately your decision. There's no universal rule that forces you to advertise your every mistake — in fact, you probably shouldn't.

Before you decide, take some time to put your professional failure into perspective. In the moment, it's going to feel like a massive roadblock — one you'll never overcome. But once you create some distance, it'll feel less significant in the context of your entire career.

If the failure is a short-term blip in your career, you might not worry about including it on your resume. Instead, you'll simply have a short employment gap, which you can then address in your cover letter or during your interview if asked. A few examples of incidents like this include being let go after two months with a new company, taking six months to try freelancing full time, being demoted after three months in a new position, or getting hired at a startup that flops after you're there only four months.

If your failure is longer term or includes failed business ventures, then it's worth including on your resume. This can include anything from working at a company for six years before being let go or running a startup for four years before you ran out of funding. Whatever the case, you can't let this single failure define a long-term endeavor. After all, you've likely acquired new skills and gained a wealth of knowledge along the way.

How to include your professional failures on your resume

If you decide to include a failure on your resume, you'll want to be strategic about how you do so. Of course, you'll need to be honest, but as you take the time to process your experience, think about it in a positive light. Ask yourself what you learned, what new skills you acquired, and how you can use these experiences to excel in another position at another company.

If you want some help with this process, consider writing a “failure resume.” It's basically a resume — for your failures. Now, this isn't what you'll send to potential employers; this is just for you.

New York Times editor Tim Herrera is a big fan of failure resumes. He suggests: “...instead of focusing on how that failure makes you feel, take the time to step back and analyze the practical, operational reasons that you failed. Did you wait until the last minute to work on it? Were you too casual in your preparation? Were you simply out of your depth?”

Once you've taken the proper time to reflect, here are two more tips to keep in mind when adding a professional failure to your resume.

Avoid using the words “failure” or “mistake”

It's essential to position your failure as an experience of growth. Instead of dwelling on the negative, focus on the positive: what you learned and how it can help you in a future position. If you were fired from your job , you don't have to explicitly state that in your resume — use these tips on what to put on a job application if fired .

Offer more context in your supporting materials

Use your cover letter to better explain your failure, what it taught you, and how you're moving forward. No need to focus on it too much — you can address it more in the interview if asked. But still, your cover letter is a great place to explain what happened and how it benefited you.

In conclusion 

No one likes failing, but once you take some time to process what happened, you'll be able to reflect on what you've learned and how it's helped you grow in your career.

You're under no obligation to list your failures on your resume. However, if you leave it off, expect hiring managers to ask about the employment gap. If you decide to include it, don't label it a failure — simply focus on what you learned and the new skills you acquired.

Need some help finessing your resume to showcase you in the best light? Start with a free resume review and go from there.

Recommended Reading:

How to Answer “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job” — Even if You Got Fired

Why Failure is the Most Critical Component to Long-Term Success

How to Repair Your Reputation at Work After a Mistake

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Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

From Bland to Beautiful: How We Made This Professional's Resume Shine

See how your resume stacks up.

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More From Forbes

Three reasons ceos fail and how to avoid doing the same.

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Sumeet Salwan, human-capital entrepreneur & Cofounder of CEO.works .

CEOs—even the successful ones—are under pressure to deliver in a daunting business environment where every company is in some state of transformation. Is it any wonder time-in-role is on the decline for so many?

The median tenure of CEOs in the S&P 500 has dropped 20% in the last decade, from six years to 4.8 years, according to a 2023 Equilar study . In fact, CEO turnover spiked in the first quarter of 2024, with 15% of outgoing CEOs lasting less than two years in the role, up from 9.6% since 2019, according to the Russell Reynolds Global CEO Turnover Index . One could argue the very existence of such an index illustrates the growing challenge.

After spending the bulk of my corporate career at two large-scale companies, I now advise CEOs and other C-suite leaders about growing and transforming their businesses. And after more than three decades, you recognize patterns. Based on my observations, here are three main reasons CEOs don’t succeed and how your company can avoid having its CEO become one of these statistics.

1. The company picked the wrong guy.

Yes, I said “guy,” because unfortunately, the ranks of CEOs are still mostly inhabited by men. Women only lead about 10% of Fortune 500 companies, and their tenures are nearly three years shorter (subscription required) than male counterparts—4.5 years compared with 7.2.

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Netflix’s best new movie has a near-perfect 97% critic score, ‘dancing with the stars’ week 2 scores—who went home in the double elimination.

The broader point here is that too often, hiring is based on emotion: chemistry, common connections, an amazing resume. The underlying bias in the process is akin to falling in love and looking for “The One.” Instead, I have found that the process delivers better results if it is treated like a major investment decision: by conducting multidimensional due diligence with an almost skeptical mindset.

It’s important to start with an assessment of the biggest challenges the CEO will face—rebuilding a broken culture, streamlining the supply chain, improving financial discipline, integrating two disparate companies, you name it—and then assess each candidate’s skills and experiences against these jobs to be done. Speak to people who are likely to give you an objective view of the person’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Scrape publicly available information to see what the candidate accomplished or couldn’t get done in prior roles.

All of this should allow you to overlay the specific work challenges of the CEO role and context risks on a structured profile of each candidate. Also, consider the supporting team: Are there people on the team who can and will reliably fill the gaps? How do you incentivize those people to be sure they will stay?

Picking the wrong person can be costly. Not only can the transformation stall and cause all manner of financial pressures on the business, but there’s often a large payout to the CEO who did not deliver. One only needs to look at Boeing to see what can happen: The company has a long road ahead to repair its reputation and finances after a line of top executives appear to have prioritized the stock price over safety .

2. The CEO didn’t put enough talent on the problem.

When a company brings in a new leader, they’re often seeking a new way to address existing challenges. I have worked with hundreds of CEOs, and I’ve never met one who didn’t know what the problems were. They can rattle them off quickly. That’s the good news; as the old saying goes, “Recognizing you have a problem is 50% of the solution.”

It’s the other 50% where many get in trouble. Why? In my experience, CEOs figure out quickly they want to double or triple the value of the company, but many do not have the talent inside the organization to get there. Inevitably, they fall back on outdated playbooks that involve changing leadership at the top of organizations or building entirely new ones. Both approaches can be valuable and important, but they typically take too long and increase risk in already ambitious goals, all while the clock ticks.

If you are a CEO entering a new position, consider this approach instead: Quickly pinpoint the pivotal work necessary to be done and where you need stunning talent to do it. What are the 20 or 30 roles that will create the most value, and how can you ensure you have the right talent in place? CEOs looking to bend the value curve need to understand quickly where they’ll get the most bang for their buck and ensure these key positions have the right talent in place to deliver.

3. The CEO is trying to do too much.

Doing too much too soon can be worse than doing nothing at all. Organizations can mobilize very quickly to beat back perceived threats, and that’s what too much change at once can cause. Confusion and rejection will undercut a new leader’s ability to make progress and build trust. We’ve all experienced some version of this: A large program management office is created, with dozens of projects launched simultaneously. There are red-green-yellow scorecards, twice-monthly check-ins in the boardroom, people working late nights and weekends—and the team gets stuck.

It takes courage to leave value on the table—at least at first—and choose to focus on the three things that will deliver 80% of the value for now. It’s an important lesson, because humans are just not wired to do too many things at once. In the book The Myth of Multitasking , author David Crenshaw delves into the drawbacks of trying to do too much at once, citing significant research about how it produces cognitive overload that impairs performance, reduces efficiency and increases mistakes.

The Takeaway

In today’s ultra-dynamic business world, I find that the CEO who succeeds is the one who focuses on the fewest things that deliver the biggest returns by marshaling talent at the source of the problem, not just at the top. Consider how your board can implement layered, objective risk assessments to ensure you understand the three-to-five big needs of the business and evaluate candidates for CEO and essential talent against those tight requirements.

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