How To List Contract Work on Resume?
Contract work is increasing, offering a flexible way to earn money, whether it is your side gig or main job. Knowing how to showcase this experience on your resume is key.
It is not just about filling gaps in your work history but also about highlighting your skills and versatility.
From freelancing to virtual assisting, we will dive into how to put contract work on a resume.
This includes real-life examples and handy tips to ensure your contract roles stand out and reflect your professional journey. Remember, it is all about presenting your diverse experience clearly and concisely.
Why Should You List Contract Work on Your Resume?
- Adding contract work to your resume showcases your diverse skills.
- It highlights your ability to adapt to new environments quickly.
- Deepti Sharma, a career coach, emphasizes the importance of including contract roles in your resume.
- Your resume should tell a complete story of your career journey, including contract jobs.
- Listing contract work helps fill gaps between full-time jobs.
- It presents you as a versatile and adaptable candidate.
- Remember, contract work is a valid experience – use it to market your skills effectively.
Tips on How To List Contract Work on Resume
Here are the practical tips to put contract work on your resume:
1. Decide on a Listing Method
When adding contract jobs to your resume, clarity is key, especially if you are targeting digital marketing jobs.
clarity is key. Organize them in reverse order, starting with the latest.
This helps show a clear timeline of your work history, making it easier for employers to understand your experience. Be sure to include the name of the company where you worked, your role there, and how long each contract lasted.
This method presents a well-rounded view of your professional journey, particularly for those who have tackled various contract positions.
2. Tell a Story
When you include contract work on your resume, it is key to tell a story.
If you have been at one company for a while, your story tells itself.
But with various projects from different places, you need to connect the dots. It is your job to show how all these experiences link together and highlight your journey.
3. Pick a Suitable Resume Template
Choose a resume template that matches your format. A two-column design works well. It gives you space to list your contract jobs and includes a section for a brief professional bio and top skills.
4. List Your Achievements
When listing contract work on your resume, focus on the impact you made, not just the time you spent there. This is particularly relevant if you’re addressing roles like freelance digital marketing, where people often ask if freelance digital marketing is legit or not.
A smart way to do this is using the “X-Y-Z Formula,” suggested by a former Google senior VP, Laszlo Bock.
This means you describe your achievement (X) as a result of doing (Y), which led to (Z).
It is a powerful way to show your value to the job, making your resume more appealing to recruiters. Remember, it is your accomplishments that make you stand out.
5. Group It Together
Make your resume short, clear, and professional to catch a recruiter’s eye.
Recruiters quickly decide, so your resume must be easy to understand at a glance, or it might get rejected when you add contract work groups similar jobs together, like by the type of project or industry.
This helps highlight the skills and experiences that matter for the job you want next.
6. Customise Your Resume For The Prospective Employer
When applying for a job, it’s smart to tweak your resume to fit your desired job.
Look at the job description carefully. Please focus on the parts of your contract work that show you have the skills they need.
If you have done many different things in your jobs, that is great – use it to your advantage. Customizing your resume for each job takes more effort, but it is worth it. You are more likely to get noticed this way.
7. Use Resume Bullet Points
Use bullet points to make your resume’s work experience section easier to read. Having 2-4 bullet points for each job you list is best. This format helps highlight your key responsibilities and achievements clearly and concisely.
8. Use Your Contract Work To Your Advantage
When putting contractor work on your resume, highlight the unique skills you have gained, such as those from the top digital marketing certifications.
Being an independent contractor means being adaptable and wearing different hats in diverse work settings.
Use your cover letter to show these strengths and explain why you are ready to join their team.
This is your chance to tell them why you are shifting from independent projects to joining their company.
Best Formatting Tips for Listing Your Contract Work on Your Resume
- If you are a freelancer, list your work under your business name. This could be something straightforward like “Alex Smith Design Services.”
- For short-term jobs, list them as you do your regular jobs, but add “temporary” in brackets next to the title.
- Give them their dedicated section if you have done many contract jobs, especially to fill employment gaps.
- Aim for clarity if you need clarification on formatting. Think about what is easiest to understand for someone reading your resume.
- Do not hesitate to ask a friend for their opinion or put yourself in the reader’s position to ensure your resume is clear and effective.
Contract Work on Resume FAQs
List contract management under your skills or work experience section. Specify your responsibilities, like negotiating contracts, overseeing compliance, and managing relationships, along with notable achievements.
For a federal resume, detail your contract work in the work experience section. Include the contract duration, your role, duties, and any accomplishments. Be specific about the projects you handled and the impact you made.
Contract review skills for a resume include analyzing contract terms, identifying risks, ensuring legal compliance, and effective negotiation skills. Highlight your attention to detail and ability to understand complex legal language.
Demonstrate contract management skills by citing specific examples of contracts you’ve managed. Include how you ensured compliance, maintained strong vendor relationships, resolved disputes, and achieved cost savings or efficiency improvements.
Conclusion
Do not leave out any contract work you have done when making your resume. It is always better to show you have been working, even if it is just a temporary job. Job searching can be tough, but a good resume and cover letter can help.
Do not worry if you have done a lot of short-term jobs.
Most people who hire think it’s better to see contract work on a resume than no work at all.
Make your resume stand out by using strong words to describe what you have done, highlighting your achievements, and ensuring it matches the job you’re applying for.