I was an employee, then did my own thing for 6 years, then recently went and got a job again.
I felt no push-back at all for doing my own thing; in fact, I think it was a positive for most people.
If it was only 6 months instead of 6 years then maybe that would have made a difference (?), but generally I've found that people saw it as a positive sign that I was able to be self directed, work in ambiguous circumstances, etc.
Also as pointed out elsewhere here, the ease of getting a job is often a lot more about your network and who you know rather than your exact experience.
While I was looking for a job I feel like I had a good chance at several types of companies; both startups and FAANGs viewed my independent time as a positive.
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I was an employee, then did my own thing for 6 years, then recently went and got a job again.
I felt no push-back at all for doing my own thing; in fact, I think it was a positive for most people.
If it was only 6 months instead of 6 years then maybe that would have made a difference (?), but generally I've found that people saw it as a positive sign that I was able to be self directed, work in ambiguous circumstances, etc.
Also as pointed out elsewhere here, the ease of getting a job is often a lot more about your network and who you know rather than your exact experience.
Good luck!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. If you don't mind me asking, what is your job today?
I have a job at Google now
While I was looking for a job I feel like I had a good chance at several types of companies; both startups and FAANGs viewed my independent time as a positive.