Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the self‐employment process of Turkish‐Cypriot restaurateurs and lawyers in the UK, in particular the way they mobilize resources as a strategic choice for their career transition.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on a qualitative empirical research consisting of semi‐structured in‐depth interviews from two different sectors with 20 restaurateurs and lawyers in London.

Findings
Findings indicate that Turkish‐Cypriots in Britain deliberately draw on social, economic, cultural, and symbolic forms of capital in order to pursue their career projects. The impact of the interconnectedness and availability of one resource on the participants’ ability to acquire other resources is shown to have a key role in developing and transitioning into careers in self‐employment.

Research limitations/implications
The number of participants interviewed (20) is limited for the purposes of making generalizations and the paper has a main focus on micro‐individual experiences of individuals.

Originality/value
The limited literature on self‐employment for ethnic minorities is often conceptualized as an option to avoid employment inequalities. This paper offers an understanding of self‐employment as a career strategy for Turkish‐Cypriots in Britain.