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Self-employed to employed CV example

A CV for moving from self-employment into a job writes your business like any other role: your title, your trading name, the dates, and the work in numbers.

Show that you can work to someone else's plan, and say who can vouch for you when there is no former manager. This example is a self-employed painter and decorator applying to a housing association's maintenance team.

Creative design1 page
Self-employed to employed CV example: fictional example, page 1. Full text is available below.
Read the example as text
Dean Fowler
Painter and Decorator
Bristol · 07700 900244 · [email protected] · CSCS card (Skilled Worker)

Profile

Painter and decorator with 14 years in the trade, the last ten self-employed. Prepares and finishes walls, woodwork and ceilings in occupied homes and offices, works safely at height, and leaves every room clean. Has worked to contractors' schedules on refurbishment sites. Looking for a salaried decorator post with a maintenance team.

Experience

Self-employed Painter and Decorator Fowler Decorating, Bristol · 2016–present

Complete about 60 jobs a year for homeowners, landlords and two building contractors; about half are repeat customers.

Price each job: measure rooms, work out paint and paper, and quote in writing.

Strip, fill, prime and paint, hang wallpaper and apply varnish and wood stain.

Worked as a subcontractor on two refurbishment sites of 40 flats each, finishing to the contractor's programme.

Hold public liability insurance and keep the accounts.

Apprentice, then Painter and Decorator Avon Decorating Contractors, Bristol · 2012–2016

Qualifications and training

Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating (2014)

CSCS card, Skilled Worker (renewed 2025)

PASMA towers for users (2024)

Asbestos awareness (2025)

Skills

Surface preparation and filling

Brush, roller and spray finishes

Wallpaper, including patterned and lining paper

Working safely at height, on towers and ladders

Fictional example for a self-employed decorator moving into a salaried job. Every person and employer in it is invented. Replace every detail with your own.

What contractors and housing maintenance teams look for, and where this CV shows it

The job asks you toWhere this CV shows it
Work out the amount of paint or wall covering needed for a jobMeasures rooms and works out materials for each quote
Strip off old wallpaper or layers of paintStripping, filling and priming before every finish
Apply coats of paint or hang wallpaperAbout 60 jobs a year, including wallpaper
Add special finishes like stains, varnishes or marblingVarnish and wood stain
Tidy up after finishing, and clean your toolsLeaves every room clean in occupied homes

The left column follows the National Careers Service job profile for a painter and decorator.

Average pay: £21,000 a year for a starter and £32,000 for an experienced painter and decorator, working 37 to 42 hours a week (National Careers Service, checked 14 October 2026).

Facts checked against National Careers Service: Painter and decorator on .

Skills to list for this job

The skills the National Careers Service lists for a painter and decorator, in CV wording. Put down only the ones you can show, each with where you used it.

  • Thorough, with close attention to detail
  • Working well with others
  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Flexible and open to change
  • Taking feedback and working well under pressure
  • Customer service
  • Public safety and security
  • Business management
  • Basic computer and hand-held device skills
Choose them in the editor

From the National Careers Service profile, checked 17 October 2026.

Inside this example
  • Profile: 52 words here
  • Experience: 88 words here
  • Qualifications and training: 22 words here
  • Skills: 23 words here

How to write yours

01

Write the business as a role

“Self-employed Painter and Decorator | Fowler Decorating | 2016–present” reads like any job line, so the reader does not have to work out what you did.

02

Show the size in numbers

Jobs a year, repeat customers and the size of sites you worked on tell an employer the scale of your work.

03

Show you work to someone else's plan

Subcontracting to a contractor's programme is the evidence an employer wants that you will fit a team's schedule.

04

Name who can vouch for you

Without a manager, a contractor you worked for or a regular customer can give a reference. Ask them first.

Rules and checks for a decorator's CV

Do I need a CSCS card?

You'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to work on a construction site (National Careers Service). Give the card type in your contact lines.

Do I need to be able to work at height?

The National Careers Service says you'll need to be able to cope with working at height. Name your tower or access training with the year.

Which qualifications should I list?

College routes include the Level 2 or Level 3 Diploma in Painting and Decorating (National Careers Service). Give your qualification's full name and year.

Creative and one page: the colour band carries your name and CSCS card, and the plain body keeps the work easy to scan. If an employer's form asks for plain text, switch to the Plain design in the editor.

Guides for this CV

Turning duties into results Explaining a gap in your CV Personal details, photo and references How to write a cover letter

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