Make Your Entrepreneurial Experience Work in a Job Search

My lovely wife has been self-employed ever since we met 20 years ago. As a matter of fact, one of the first things that impressed me about her was the moxie Nancy demonstrated by moving to San Francisco from Grand Rapids, Mich., to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions. And I've always admired the drive that has led her to success in design, illustration and now in fine art.

I'm also very familiar with the stresses and strains that self-employment entails. You're first string on every project, and "delegation" generally means asking your spouse to help move your work from your office desk to the dining-room table.

Running your own business of any size takes skill, guts and brains - but how does all that great experience translate if you decide to take your game back to the corporate hierarchy?

In this package, reporter Patty Orsini fields questions from entrepreneurs weighing employment opportunities and answers from recruiters and human-resources (HR) managers who've helped senior talent make the switch from entrepreneur to employee.

"Typically, the person who has pursued an entrepreneurial career is someone who is passionate about what they do and is driven to create results," Linda Hall, president and senior partner of Wakefield Way Consulting in Rochester, N.Y., told Orsini. "Even if they have decided ... they need to pursue a corporate job, they need to keep in mind this is one more business decision."