How do I list work experience on my resume if I’m an independent contractor?

bananabo

So I’ve been self-employed for the past 4 years and I’m not sure how I should put that type of work experience on my resume for law schools. I do contract work for companies to make custom pieces for them and I’m not sure if I should list all my clients and how long I’ve been working with them? Or if I should just put that I’m an independent contractor and have a small description for what I do? And how do I make a distinction on my resume from my independent contract work and my past employment work?

emily.odermatt

Company X, Company Y, etc.
Independent Contractor
Start Month/Year - End Month/year

• Job Description 1
• Job Description 2

Or you can make a separate section, if you must

bananabo

@emily.odermatt
Thank you! Should I list all of the companies/clients that I have worked with or just the major companies? The issue that I am struggling with is that if I list all the companies/clients I've been an independent contractor for, then my resume would be too long and would be repetitive. But if I only list the major companies, then it might come off that there's an employment gap since the time that I worked at major company X and major company Y was a two year difference but it doesn't mean that I wasn't working during those times, I was just working with individuals instead of companies.

And for jobs that I were employees of, should I put "employee" after the company, or is it implied that I'm an employee if I don't put "independent contractor"?

emily.odermatt

"etc."