No matter why you took on a temporary job or how long you had it, it is a part of your work history. And that means it deserves a spot on your resume.
While incorporating temporary or contract roles into your resume is generally the same as any other job, there are a few tips you need to know to help these jobs shine. Here’s what you need to know.
Why You Should Include Temporary or Contract Jobs on Your Resume
If you’re worried about including temporary or contract work on your resume, don’t! These days, it’s not unheard of for people to take on temporary and contract work for all kinds of reasons:
Fill in resume gaps
Learn new skills
Try out a new career
Earn supplemental income
Temporary jobs also demonstrate to the employer that you have current skills and experience, which can make it easier for you to land a job.
How to List Temporary or Contract Work on Your Resume
— Pick and Choose
One of the best ways to help your resume stand out from all the others is to tailor it to the job you’re applying for. While that means including specific keywords from the job posting in your application materials, when it comes to temporary work, you may want to only include the temp roles that are relevant to the role.
For example, if the posting is for a business development representative, you may not need to include your temporary job as a package handler or nanny. Consider skipping them in favor of more relevant work experience.
— How to List Your Temporary or Contract Jobs
There are two main ways to list your temp work on your resume: by agency or job type. It doesn’t matter which one you choose as long as you are consistent.
If you go with the agency method, list the name of the temporary company first, then all of the temporary jobs you worked for that agency. It’s similar to if you worked multiple positions for the same employer:
Staffing Agency | Location
Job Title (Temporary or Contract): January 2019 – April 2019
• Information about your work and achievements
• Information about your work and achievements
• Information about your work and achievements
Job Title (Temporary or Contract): August 2018 – November 2019
• Information about your work and achievements
• Information about your work and achievements
• Information about your work and achievements
If you’ve worked a similar type of job for multiple staffing agencies, you can group them by job type, then list the position and agency name:
Customer Service Representative (Temporary or Contract)
Name of Staffing Agency | Location
Name of Company: Dates of Employment
• Information about your work and achievements
• Information about your work and achievements
Name of Staffing Agency | Location
Name of Company: Dates of Employment
• Information about your work and achievements
• Information about your work and achievements
— Should You Say Temporary or Contract?
It’s important to indicate that the job was temporary or contract. This explains any gaps in your temporary work history and helps a hiring manager understand that you’re not someone that quits a job at the first sign of trouble.
It can also help a hiring manager understand why you may have a few months’ experience as a social media manager, a few more as a customer service agent, and yet a few more as a virtual assistant. While this work history seems all over the place, you can use your resume and cover letter to explain how this portfolio of jobs makes you the perfect candidate for the job.
Finally, you may want to call it “contract” instead of “temporary.” While the words essentially mean the same thing in this context, “temporary” sometimes carries a more negative connotation than “contract” does.
— Talk Accomplishments, Not Duties
One other fantastic way to help your resume stand out to hiring managers is to transform your job duties into accomplishments. The best way to do this is using the STAR method, and it works for any kind of job—even temporary ones! Instead of listing your duties and tasks, talk about the challenges you faced on the job, how you tackled them, and what the positive outcome was for your employer.
— Choose the Right Format
As a temporary or contract worker, you may have a lot of different skills and experiences spread across a number of employers, along with gaps in your employment history. This can make it tempting to use a functional resume, so you can group your skills into relevant categories and help the hiring manager focus on that.
However, you are often better off with a chronological or hybrid resume. For starters, applicant tracking systems (ATS) often have a hard time reading functional resumes, making it less likely you’ll get an interview. Even if you’re positive the company doesn’t use an ATS, functional resumes are often a red flag for employers. Whether it’s true or not, there’s often the perception that you’re trying to hide something.
All Work Counts
All of your previous work history—temporary, part-time, seasonal, full-time—counts as a job. And while you may not need to include all of it on your resume, when temporary or contract work is your most recent experience, including it the right way can make a crucial difference in landing your next role.
And no matter what kind of job you’re looking for, FlexJobs can help. Our extensive database of remote, hybrid, and flexible jobs includes temporary and contract roles. Join today and get instant access, or take the tour and learn more about all the ways a FlexJobs membership supports your job search.
collected from jobflex
