Latest / The Resume Room with Fexingo: Resume Writing, Cover Letters, and Application Strategy / How to Turn a Noisy Online Side Hustle Into a Resume Asset
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we got a question from a listener named Priya, and I think it's one of the most common problems we see in the inbox. She runs a YouTube channel about vintage sewing machines, an Etsy shop where she sells patterns, and a newsletter where she writes about restoration projects. But on her resume, she's got it all crammed into one line that just says 'side hustle' and nothing else. Luna: Oh, that's a missed opportunity. She's running three separate mini-businesses, essentially, and recruiters are just seeing a blank space. Lucas: Exactly. And the frustrating part is, she's actually building real skills — content creation, direct to consumer sales, audience development — but she's hiding them because she thinks the side hustle is too messy to explain. So today, let's talk about how you take a noisy, multi-platform side hustle and turn it into a resume asset that actually gets read. Luna: And before we dive in, I want to mention something that's been on my mind. This show is completely listener-funded, no ads, and a small group of you already chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's genuinely what keeps us going, and it lets us spend time on questions like Priya's instead of chasing advertisers. Lucas: Yeah, we don't have a big network behind us, so it's listeners like you who make this possible. If that's something you've been thinking about, it's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, no pressure at all. But now, back to Priya — the first step is to stop thinking of these as three separate things. Luna: Right, because on a resume, you don't have room for three bullet points. You need to find the through-line. Lucas: That's the core idea: find the single theme that ties them together. For Priya, it's not 'sewing machines' or 'patterns' — it's 'creating and selling niche content to a dedicated audience.' Once you phrase it that way, you have a thread you can pull through every bullet. Luna: So instead of listing 'YouTube channel, Etsy shop, newsletter,' you'd write something like 'Developed a multi-platform content business focused on vintage sewing restoration.' That's one line that says a lot. Lucas: Exactly. And then each bullet underneath should be about a different skill, not a different platform. So you could have one bullet about content creation: 'Produced 50+ video tutorials and written guides that grew an audience to 5,000 subscribers across platforms.' Luna: And the numbers there — even if they're small — are better than no numbers. 5,000 subscribers is real proof of audience engagement. Lucas: Right. And here's the thing — recruiters aren't expecting you to be MrBeast. They're looking for evidence that you can build something from scratch, understand an audience, and iterate. So a second bullet could be about sales: 'Sold 200 digital pattern downloads through Etsy, generating $3,000 in revenue in the first year.' Luna: That's a concrete number that shows commercial awareness. Even if it's not huge, it's more than most candidates can say. Lucas: And then a third bullet could focus on community management or email marketing: 'Grew an email newsletter from zero to 800 subscribers through consistent weekly content and cross-promotion.' Luna: So now you've got three bullets that each highlight a different capability—content creation, sales, and audience building—all tied to one coherent story. Lucas: And that's the key. You're not trying to cram every detail of the side hustle onto the page. You're curating the most relevant skills for the job you're applying for. Luna: What if the side hustle is totally unrelated to the job? Like, say someone runs a gaming channel but wants to apply for an accounting role. Does the same advice hold? Lucas: That's a great question, and it's something we get a lot. The first thing I'd say is: don't force it. If the gaming channel has zero transferable skills to accounting, the best move might be to leave it off entirely, or only mention it in the interests section. Luna: But even in that case, there might be something — like, the gaming channel probably taught you video editing, or project management, or how to handle sponsorships. Lucas: Right, and that's where you get selective. You might extract one skill that's relevant, like 'Managed a team of three volunteer moderators' or 'Negotiated sponsorship deals worth $500 per video.' Those are real business skills, even if the context is gaming. Luna: So it's about separating the context from the skill. You can drop the gaming specifics and keep the management and negotiation. Lucas: Exactly. But the biggest mistake I see is over-claiming. Saying 'grew my YouTube channel to 100,000 subscribers' when you're at 500—that's a lie that's easy to check, and it kills your credibility instantly. Luna: Recruiters can click the link in your resume in five seconds. There's no hiding that. Lucas: So the rule is: be honest, but be smart about emphasis. You don't have to list every platform's stats, but you should frame the ones you do list in the best possible light. For example, instead of '300 YouTube subscribers,' you could say 'Built a niche audience of 300 engaged subscribers in a community of only 5,000 collectors.' Luna: Oh, that's a nice reframe. It shows the audience is small but deeply engaged, which is actually more impressive for a niche brand. Lucas: And that's the kind of nuance that separates a good resume from a great one. It's not about inflating numbers—it's about telling the real story in a way that lands. Luna: So let's put it all together. What would a full resume section for Priya look like if she's applying for, say, a marketing coordinator role? Lucas: Okay, so under 'Professional Experience,' she'd have her day job, and then a separate section called 'Content Business' or 'Independent Projects.' The first line would be: 'Founder, Vintage Sewing Content Platform — 2023 to present.' Luna: And then the bullets we just talked about, but tailored to marketing. Lucas: Right. So: 'Developed a multi-platform content strategy across YouTube, Etsy, and email, growing a combined audience of 5,000 engaged followers.' Then: 'Produced and published 50+ video tutorials and written guides, increasing email sign-ups by 30 percent quarter-over-quarter.' And: 'Managed end to end sales of 200 digital products, handling pricing, promotion, and customer support.' Luna: That's a resume that instantly tells a recruiter this person understands marketing at a practical level. Lucas: And notice how each bullet has a number, a verb, and a result. That's the formula: action, metric, outcome. If you can do that for every bullet in your side hustle section, you're golden. Luna: One thing I'd add: if you have a personal website or portfolio, link to it. That gives the recruiter a chance to see your work, which is huge for content-heavy roles. Lucas: Absolutely. And that also helps with the 'unrelated side hustle' problem. If you're applying for an accounting job, your site can show your video editing skills as a bonus, not a distraction. Luna: So the takeaway is: don't bury your side hustle under 'Other.' Treat it like a real experience, because it is. Lucas: And the way to do that is to find the unifying thread, quantify what you can, and be honest about the rest. That's the difference between a resume that gets skimmed and one that gets a call. Luna: I love that. And Priya, if you're listening, we hope this helps you get that interview.