While there are many ways to list contract work experience, you can use this template for your resume: However, if you don`t consider these jobs, it becomes difficult to explain the employment gaps, which is much worse. There is also no longer any stigma attached to procurement. After all, we live in an on-demand economy. Plus, contract work that helps fill gaps in your job is crucial. This proves that you have not been idle between jobs and that your ingenuity has led you to find other ways to get paid employment. If you`re still looking for ways to improve your resume and possibly use a recruitment agency, contact Hire Integrated today for help with your job search. You should use 10 to 15 years of work experience as a general rule of thumb to determine the ideal length of your resume. Typically, you want your resume to be between 1 and 2 pages. If you are a recent graduate, try to keep it on 1 page. If you have a lot of experience, feel free to use a little more space.
Formatting a resume with contract work can be tricky, but we recommend the functional resume format if you don`t have enough full-time work experience. It focuses on your skills and qualifications rather than your work experience. While you should definitely list your contract work on your resume, there are a few things to keep in mind: one year you might have worked as a freelancer for a telecommunications company, the next year you might work in the transportation industry. Each of these experiences will leave you with unique skills that other candidates may not possess. Structuring your contract work by industry is a great way to ensure that the company`s hiring manager isn`t confused by jumps. Plus, it`s a great way to show how adaptable you are! There is, of course, another good reason for job seekers to include this information. Without these postings, your resume will be littered with job gaps — and it will certainly raise an eyebrow or two. The best way to ensure that a hiring manager understands that you have been actively employed is to list these contract jobs. You can`t use a cookie-cutter resume for every position. Adjust your skills, accomplishments, and maybe even your perspective based on the job.
You`ll often find clues about what you should include in your resume in the job description and on the company`s website. Contract work often requires you to be a complete worker and work on several different projects at once. After reflecting on some of your experiences and accomplishments, choose a few that qualify you for the next opportunity. When listing commissioned work, you should always do so in chronological order. Instead of forcing your work experience and contract work experience to fight for the reader`s attention, try creating different sections for each type of experience. This helps break down your resume into easy-to-digest sections instead of forcing the reader to make connections on their own. Plus, it also shows the reader that you have a variety of experiences under your belt! DesignShack is a company that seeks to emphasize the importance of contract and freelance work in its hiring process. It seems that many software engineers worry that including contract work on their resume will overshadow their other work experiences in a way that negatively affects their chances of being hired. In other words, they don`t want their resume to seem too cluttered or difficult to understand. As you can see in this example, it makes perfect sense to separate your work experience into contract work and standard employment. Let`s look at a complete example of a resume with a significant amount of contract work.
Working as an independent contractor is a great way to gain more experience. The projects you`ve worked on can also add unique skills that can add value to a future employer. In the employer section – which could be a recruitment agency or your own contracting company – write a short blurb that contextualizes your experience. This works best if you`ve held a number of temporary or contract positions with similar titles or responsibilities, but if not, try to find a common theme to tie your work together. This approach involves presenting a meaningful and consistent work history, so focus on highlighting your most relevant accomplishments from each task.