Why Isn't My Experience as an IT Firm Owner Valued in Job Interviews? Seeking Advice

Hi, I am running a small IT firm that deals with computer sales and services, as well as the outsourcing of government and private projects. I started this firm after leaving a job in Bangalore because I was not a graduate at that time. I returned to my hometown to pursue education and started a small computer firm for survival. Now, I have obtained an MBA degree in IT.

Challenges in Job Interviews

However, when I attend interviews, my experience as an owner or director is not being considered. What can I do? I have experience in network infrastructure management and system administration.

Regards.

Highlight Your Service Offerings First

Try to list your service offerings before mentioning your designation. Provide more details about the projects and their valuations. Skill sets are the deal breakers.

Autonomy vs. Structure

Entrepreneurs are often perceived to value autonomy over adherence to structure. Focus on how your experiences have prepared you to handle the job independently.

Reasons for Transitioning from Entrepreneurship

State the reasons why you decided to start on your own and explain why you are interested in applying for a job. Present all the reasons why you would choose to remain employed rather than returning to entrepreneurship.

Please let me know if you need further assistance or have any questions.

The reality is quite different for entrepreneurs who, for various reasons, want to get into the job market again. Prima facie, there shouldn't be any problem—especially given that an entrepreneur would have many soft skills that a normal job hunter wouldn't have. However, many companies don't consider such applicants for reasons other than competence.

Recently, we had a US MNC reject one of our candidates—an IIT-M qualified, both degree and master's, individual with exceptional technical skills who was on his own for a couple of years a decade ago—during the 9/11 global slowdown—before getting into a job again and has been in jobs for the past 10-11 years just on this score. He was, otherwise, an absolute fit for the position. The MNC's HR and top management preferred not to fill the position than to even interview and evaluate him (it's still open).

The reasons for this scenario could be many, but these are what I have observed so far. Mind you, these are all about perceptions and mindsets, not 'right or wrong.'

Perceptions When an Entrepreneur Looks for a Job

1. The perception is that he/she is doing it due to monetary pressure. So once he/she manages to save a sufficient amount, he/she would prefer to go back to being on his/her own again—leaving the company in the lurch.
2. He/she would obviously be exposed to the nuances and inner secrets of the company—especially if he/she is hired in critical departments like Design, Sales, etc.—which he/she can use later to the detriment of the company.
3. In IT or Technology sectors, access to software code, patents, designs, etc., can be misused.
4. In Non-IT/Manufacturing sectors, he could be a problematic employee. Persons who have tasted being on their own have a streak of 'independence' in them—so he/she may not listen to the superiors.
5. He/she could be looking for a job to expand his/her own business at the cost of this company.

These reasons can go on and on—since the human mind, for good or worse, can conjure up 'hazaar' reasons for 'why not to do something.'

Hope you get the point.

Clarification Needed for Your Situation

Coming to how to handle your situation, please clarify/confirm the following points:
1. You mentioned you were running a small firm—was this in your name or a relative's name or jointly held?
2. Was the focus of your firm only in Networking or anything else?
3. Please mention the approximate durations of your Bangalore job and this firm—how long with each of them?

Like the saying goes: "There's a solution to every problem—we only need to find it out."

All the best.

Regards,
TS

Thank you, sir. I have been running a business for the last 7 years. My experience in Bangalore is 2 years. In business, I am involved in sales, service, offshore outsourcing, government projects, private company AMC, etc.

Questioning the Transition from Entrepreneurship to Employment

A question I would ask is: if you were doing all of this successfully, then why are you looking for a job? Why not continue doing your business?

Companies do not bother to look seriously at entrepreneurs for filling jobs. One reason is that they are perceived as non-serious candidates when they can continue to operate their own businesses. If they are unable to run their businesses, they may be seen as failures. Why hire failures?

Another reason is that no one wants to offer a job at a lower designation because they fear the candidate will leave soon for a better position. So, since you are stating that you are a director, they do not want to place you at a junior position. Yet, you may not fit their requirements at the top (perhaps there is no vacancy or they will search elsewhere, not on Naukri).

Strategies for Job Transition

One approach is to showcase your 12 years of experience as a freelancer rather than as a director and to clearly explain the reason for wanting to transition to a job.

Alternatively, consider ceasing the use of Naukri.

Given your industry knowledge, you are aware of the major players. Reach out to them directly regarding any job openings. They could have been your competitors or collaborators in the past and may be familiar with your skill sets and strengths.

@Saswatabanerjee—your suggestion of "showing your 12 years of experience as a freelancer rather than a director." I don't think that will work either, since, based on our experience, it's ONLY A GRADE DIFFERENCE from the company's perspective between being a Director and a Freelancer. In fact, some companies would prefer dealing with a formal Director/entrepreneur rather than someone who has been working as a freelancer. The logic behind this is that the latter is tough to control/restrict once they join the company (unless they are okay with any freelancing).

@Spider.net_institute—please reply to this question that was asked earlier: You mentioned you were running a small firm—was this in YOUR name, a relative's name, or jointly held?

Regards, TS

All my friends who are in salaried jobs complain the other way around: that if they were in business, there would be no limit to earning.

Considerations for Career Transition

Consider, as I posted earlier: talk to the stronger competitors and see if any of them would be happy to have you join them, probably with your existing clients becoming theirs. If you want to really change completely, then update your CV to show your current work as a Freelancer, or present yourself as an employee and show someone else in your family as the owner.

Yes, TS, you are probably right. However, in this case, he has not been getting interviews when marked as a director/entrepreneur; perhaps being a freelancer may help him. Reconsidering the matter after your post, I tend to agree. If I were the recruiter, I would still be apprehensive of someone who has not been accustomed to obeying office rules and structured organization setup/reporting for 12 years. (Sorry Spider, that is the truth).

@ Saswata Banerjee - "......or show it as an employee and show someone else in your family as the owner." That's what I was leading to—the reason why I asked the posting initiator to confirm the ownership of his company—as per PAPERWORK. He hasn't yet answered, so let's wait for it.

Regarding your remarks, "All my friends who are in salary jobs complain the other way round: that if they were in business, there would be no limit to earning"—like the saying goes, 'the other side of the hill is always green.' The set/super-set/sub-set of focus areas/spots for an employee are TOTALLY different than for someone who is on his/her own. This posting is proof enough of that. Also, having worked for 16 years in top-notch companies [and creating benchmarks in the process] before starting off on my own, I can vouch for it.

Regards,
TS

I will upload my CV. Please suggest what I can do to secure a job. In my profile, I changed the company name due to privacy reasons. The firm is under my name, and all IT returns and documentation are in my name.

Thank you.

Resume Feedback and Suggestions

After reviewing your resume, here are my remarks and comments.

In a single word: DOWNPLAY. The general psychology or tendency of many people who have been or are on their own is to "highlight" whatever they did—nothing wrong per se. But it ought to be played out depending on the situation.

And another line: DON'T LIE. But that DOESN'T ALSO MEAN that you need to put the whole show on display.

1. Please remove all and any references to the ownership of the company ['Director', 'Owner of Little Firm'] and focus on your role rather than your position. Since you seem to be a Technical Lead/Head in this firm, mention and stress that fact. Strictly speaking, the nomenclature/designation of 'Director' applies only to limited (private or public) companies, even though this is very loosely used nowadays.

2. I presume that all the projects you mentioned have been done on behalf of your firm. If yes, please remove the references to the relationship with the clients ['Contractual', 'Freelancer']. How does it matter to the hiring company your relationship with the clients—as long as the projects are real and you have documentation?

3. Also, it may be more appealing if you list out the projects in a structured way—Project Name, Client, Description, Environment, Duration, Role and responsibilities, etc.

4. I am not sure what you mean by 'certification courses'—does it mean that you have the certifications or just did the courses? Hope you understand the difference. If you do have the many certifications you mentioned, just mention "Certifications". And you can separate the Diplomas into another heading after Qualifications.

5. I suggest adding the University from where you graduated in the resume.

As far as the resume is concerned, that should do. You can clarify the exact nature of your association with the firm during the interviews when asked—if not asked, maybe you don't need to volunteer.

Regarding building up the service documentation, I guess it's you or someone else who needs to sign them. I am still unable to figure this aspect out for now.

I suggest waiting for others to respond.

All the best.

Regards,
TS

Certification Courses and Resume Presentation

I suggest that you remove references to certification courses where you only completed the courses. Such loosely used words could lead recruiters to conclude that you are trying to misrepresent the facts. Currently, you are facing an uphill battle—my suggestion is to avoid adding to the effort. I hope you understand the point.

Particularly, the 'Ethical Hacking' part. Holding a CEH certification is excellent, but it can also set very high expectations. As you are aware, this field in Network/System Administration is highly sought after in any resume.

Perhaps, you could list non-certified areas/skills under a separate category titled "Other Technical Skills."

All the best.

Regards,
TS