Adding temporary employment can seem a little tricky if you’re trying to use a standard template to fill in the content of your resume, as this may portray you as a “job hopper”. It’s actually very easy and is just a matter of getting familiar with a bit of formatting and structure within the content of your resume document.
Here are a few steps to keep in mind when incorporating your temporary employment history, or “temp assignments” into your resume.
- Place the name of the staffing agency first and the corresponding dates of employment.
- Below that, include a one-line summary of how many assignments you completed, in what areas or industries, and for how long in each.
- List the clients you worked for, starting with your most recent, along with corresponding dates, duties and accomplishments.
- Continue listing your previous work experience, as applicable, just as you would in a traditional chronological resume format.
Click on the image below for a more detailed and visual description of this process:
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Comments on: "How To Incorporate Temporary Employment On Your Resume" (4)
I don’t agree, I had did this for the 5 jobs I had with 1 temp agency and each employer I would show that resume to acted like I was a job hopper or was confused by it. I ended up just showing 1 temp job as if I did that the whole time I was with that employer and had better success.
Hi Dre, it’s unfortunate that this method didn’t work for you as it served to be an effective presentation layout for my clientele. When I was a hiring manager and recruiter, this method was successful with not only showing how long the job candidate was employed with the staffing agency [see first line in resume for ABC Staffing from 2007 to 2010] – (which told me that the agency clients were happy with the work the employee was contracted for) – but also what type of experience/work the staffing agency elected to fill with job candidates and how that was relevant to the permanent position he/she was applying for in my department. There is not a single method that will work well for everyone. This particular method was attractive to hiring managers I worked with and recruited for as well. There are plenty of ways to market yourself as a job candidate. Feel free to get creative and try alternative methods! Ask recruiters/HR folks what method they prefer their job candidates to lay out their experience on the resumes they receive, that way there’s no question! Thank you for your feedback and best wishes on a successful job hunt! ~ Christine
I don’t agree either. I have to change my resume, also I have a 1-year gap. The best way to showcase your temp work on a resume is to put it under one umbrella especially if you have a few short term temp jobs, like me. The temp jobs will go under the heading of Consulting with my name i.e., Jane Doe Consulting. I will list the achievements I accomplished and the dates worked I will only put the years, i.e, 2013-2015 I haven’t worked since 2014 but I have been marketing myself during this time. In other words selling myself with potential employers.
Any thoughts?
Hi Diane, great perspective! Please keep in mind that there is not one single way to format/market your resume. As an executive-level to entry-level hiring manager and contract recruiter, I certainly understand the frustration with figuring out how to best market a resume with employment gaps. One rule is to avoid making up something to try to cover something else up – i.e. employment gaps. “Jane Doe Consulting” could be construed as providing false information on your resume as this “firm” does not legally exist. Here are other good examples on how to “gather” your temp work – https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-list-temporary-jobs-on-your-resume. This is a short but simple write up on other ways to present your contract career highlights. With regard to your employment gap, did you volunteer – personal or professional? I had a 3-year employment gap when I lived overseas but managed to incorporate volunteer time targeting my career goals and was able to fill up the white space on my resume for the next stage in my career once I returned to the States. Additional marketing strategies to consider are being an active participant on LinkedIn and within LinkedIn groups targeting your professional goals either asking questions or serving as a field expert. Ensure your LinkedIn profile is solid. Look online for some good examples. Do some FREE online training to perfect your skill set or areas you may need improvement in. This would be good material to discuss during an interview. Maintain a positive profile on the “inter webs”. Delete/remove any “private” material that may be associated with your given name or a screen name that you may use for multiple sites. I hope I’ve helped a bit. For more resources (and some coming soon) please visit https://resumesrightaway.wordpress.com/free-printable-resources/. All the best in your job search! – Christine