Best Entrepreneur Resume | Examples & Templates

entrepreneur resume examples & entrepreneur skills needed
Created by CakeResume

 Being the founder/co-founder of the company, entrepreneurs know the company like the back of their hands. They are responsible to lead the team, come up with business strategies, and handle problems with strong resilience.  Every entrepreneur has multiple traits that are special and unique. However, not all entrepreneurs know how to organize these traits and create a good entrepreneur resume. A well-organized entrepreneur resume can be a strong support of your past experiences while you are proposing, seeking collaborators, or even changing the career path.

How to write a resume for an entrepreneur?

It is important to understand the basic structure and guideline before starting to design and write an entrepreneur resume. Here are a few steps you can follow:

Step 1 : Understand the differences between a CV and a resume.

Both CV (curriculum vitae) and resume collect ones’ performances, achievements, and impressive experiences. However, there is still a slight difference between these two:

An Entrepreneur CVAn Entrepreneur Resume
Purposeacademia fieldsgeneral job application process
Contentdetailed info about professional liferelevant info to a specific job position
Lengthover 2 pageswithin 2 pages
Designsimple formatformat varies according to different industries

In addition, different countries may have preferences for CV or resume. Be sure to check twice before submitting your application.

Step 2 : Choose the right resume format/layout. 

Choosing the right entrepreneur resume format leads you to a more organized structure and content when creating the resume. Here are the most common 4 types of entrepreneur resume format that you can choose from according to your past experiences:

  1. Chronological: most frequently used 🌟
  2. Functional: skills and accomplishments focused
  3. Hybrid/combination: a combination of chronological and functional formats
  4. Targeted: highly-customized for a specific job position

Step 3 : Look up resume templates & resume examples online as references.

Looking up some entrepreneur resume templates might be a good idea if you are not sure how to start writing.

Simply enter “entrepreneur resume template/ entrepreneur resume sample” on the Google search bar and you’ll get lots of references. Keep in mind the good parts, see how the entrepreneur resume examples organize the content and dictions, and apply them in your resume.

Step 4 :  Tailor your resume for the job position.

Simple customization on the entrepreneur resume enables you to stand out from other competitors’ applications. Remember to highlight the relevant experience according to the different positions that you are applying for.

Step 5 : Craft a cover letter.

An entrepreneur cover letter gives the hiring manager your first impression. State your motivation with sincerity and support it with persuasive experiences, and show the proof that you are a strong and suitable candidate.

Step 6 : Proofread 

Always check twice(or more!) before hitting the submit button. You would not want to receive a resume full of spelling mistakes or titled with the wrong company.

How to put entrepreneur experience on a resume?

Most entrepreneurs have been through the process of building the company from 0 to 1.

No matter if you succeed or fail, you are full of experience and have developed multi-skills, so it is important to organize them into categories instead of putting a bunch of information on the entrepreneur resume.

Here are some important contents that you should put while creating an entrepreneur resume.

1. Resume Profile (Personal Information)

Just like you introduce yourself when meeting new people, it is polite to provide basic information for the hiring manager to know who you are.

Personal information should include: 

  1. Full Name (Always the first step!)
  2. Professional Title (shows your current status and a rough approach to your experience level)
  3. Contact info - Email address and Phone number

🙅 Remember NEVER to put these pieces of information unless there are special requirements from the company:

  1. Current salary
  2. National Insurance Number
  3. Sexual orientation, race, gender, marital status

2. Resume Headline

A resume headline is like a one-line slogan that represents yourself. Make it short and precise,( or creative!) because it is the most eye-catching line when the hiring manager quickly glances through your resume.

Entrepreneur resume headline examples:

  • Entrepreneur with 5+ years of experiences in leadership
  • Startup founder, lead 50+ employees with $1M in annual revenue for 3+ years

3. Resume Summary

A resume summary is a longer version of the headline, usually around 2-3 sentences. Entrepreneurs highlight the most outstanding achievement which is relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Entrepreneur resume summary examples:

“Creative and goal-oriented entrepreneur with 8+ years of experience in operation and business leadership. Possess great problem-solving strategy that led to a 28% growth in annual profits. Eager to drive the team with the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive in (field)."

4. Resume Objective

A resume objective is quite similar to a resume summary, but it focuses more on the career goals that you are seeking, which could be quite useful for entrepreneurs that are changing their career path.

Entrepreneur resume objective examples:

"Passionate innovator with over 10 years of managerial experience. Looking for an opportunity to lead a small startup business to grow and excel."

💡  Tips: Usually people put either resume summary or resume objective on the resume, they are not suggested to appear at the same time.

5. Skills

It is common for entrepreneurs to have multiple skills. So besides using bullet points to list all the skills you have, you can organize them into soft/hard/related skills categories.

Entrepreneur skills resume examples:

  • Soft skills: communication, collaboration, leadership, design thinking
  • Hard skills: Business development, computer skills, branding

6. Work Experience

For an entrepreneur resume, work experience is the most important section to present personal accomplishments and demonstrate leadership/management/problem-solving skills. Here are the contents you should include in this section:

  1. Organization name
  2. Job location
  3. Job title
  4. Start and end dates
  5. Description

For the description part, pick 3-4 most related experiences, and briefly present them by using figures.

Entrepreneur work experience examples:

Entrepreneur at DWX Corp.                                   Jan 2014- present

  • Led a team of 40 employees and direct all operations
  • Implemented new strategy and boost 20% sales rate
  • Acquired 5000 new customers within the first three months of business

7. Education

It would be great if an entrepreneur has an education in business or management background. However, no need to worry if you have other educational backgrounds. It is a big chance to highlight that you are a cross-field learner and are flexible to adapt to different fields. Link your experiences through course works you have enrolled in, or honors you have gained.

Entrepreneur resume education examples:

Washington University, 2014-2018
Bachelor of Economics

  • Coursework: entrepreneurship and innovation, business management
  • Awards: 3rd place in ABC Entrepreneurship competition, 2017

8. Additional information to put on an entrepreneur resume 

In a creative entrepreneur resume, the additional information is the section for you to stand out from other candidates. Here you can add experiences that highlight the personality traits an entrepreneur might have, such as creativity/ collaboration/ or problem-solving skills.

Entrepreneur addition information examples:

  • Leader of the Student Council
  • Collaborate with 3 universities and held a graduation party with 3000+ attendants

Tips for writing the best resume for startup founders.

    You have already made huge progress in crafting an entrepreneur resume. Here are some useful tips for you to write an excellent startup founder resume or business entrepreneur resume :

    Tip 1 : Customize the resume for the job.

    Customization can be either a simple adjustment of profile or exclusion of a large irrelevant section. This action enhances the visibility of your entrepreneur resume, making sure that it is unique and suitable for the specific job you are applying for.

    Tip 2 :  Use Keywords (from Job Description) in resume.

    Keywords enables the hiring manager to catch the main point on your entrepreneur resume. 

    Tip 3 : Quantify results on resumes.

    Give numbers to support your work. Numbers are more persuasive than a lengthy description without any key points.

    Tip 4 :  Choose an ATS-friendly resume format/layout

    Keep the entrepreneur resume design simple. A fancy format might be ATS-unfriendly.

    Online resume builders like CakeResume, provide service in building a professional entrepreneur CV.

    Tip 5 :  Adopt resume action words (verbs).

    Craft your entrepreneur resume with action words, instead of passive words.
    Action words make your statement clear and strong.

    Tip 6 : Provide your startup website/social media

    Providing links of your business allows hiring managers to know more about your achievements

    How to write an entrepreneur cover letter?

    Now you are almost done with the entrepreneur resume, it’s time to work on the entrepreneur cover letter. Follow the structure below and create a cover letter that can catch HR’s attention in less than 20 seconds!

    1. Contact Details

    Always remember to provide contact information in the beginning. This includes your full name, email address, phone number, and your personal website links (optional).

    2. Introduction

    Make a polite greeting to leave a good first impression.

    💡 Tips: Greeting HR with the right name can be a bonus!

    3. Motivation (Intention to apply)

     Demonstrate your motivation with passion, also show them how much you understand about the company.

    4. Qualification

    Here comes the most important part of the cover letter for an entrepreneur! Choose the most impressive 2-3 achievements and promote yourself to HR. Elaborate how qualified you are with a list of your experiences that matches their requirements.

    5. Closing

    Finally, make a sincere closing and thank HR for reading your cover letter.

    Entrepreneur Resume Sample (Text Format)

    Jack Simpson

    Entrepreneur with 5+ years of experiences in leadership

    Mobile: (+01) 123-4567
    Email: [email protected]
    Personal website: jacksimp/cakeresume.com

    Resume Summary

    Creative and goal-oriented entrepreneur with 5+ years of experience in operation and business leadership. Possess great problem-solving strategy that led to a 28% growth in annual profits. Eager to drive the team with the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive in the financial field.

    Work Experience

    Co-founder at CMM Company,  Dec 2017 - Present

    • Run a business and skilled in all aspects of management 
    • Coordinates budgets for branding, employment, and business development
    • Assisted launching of new products. Increased annual sales by $3.1M

    Entrepreneur at DWX Corp.,  Jan 2015 - Oct 2017

    • Led a team of 40 employees and direct all operations
    • Implemented new strategy and boost 20% sales rate
    • Acquired 5000 new customers within the first three months of business

    Education

    2010-2014, Bachelor of Economics
    Washington University
    Coursework: entrepreneurship and innovation, business management
    Awards: 3rd place in ABC Entrepreneurship competition, 2013

    Skills

    Soft Skills

    • Communication
    • Collaboration
    • Leadership
    • Critical-thinking
    • Problem-solving

    Hard Skills

    • Business development
    • Computer skills
    • Branding
    • Budgeting
    • Analytical skills

    Language

    • Mandarin
    • English
    • Japanese

    CakeResume provides the right entrepreneur resume templates & formats for entrepreneur talents to showcase their skills and experiences. Sign up to create the best entrepreneur resume Now!

    --- Originally written by Annie Chao ---

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