Describe Your Duties And Achievements
Its the most crucial part of your temporary job description because it makes the employer understand what you can do and whether you can cope with the tasks. Use bullet points to indicate 3-5 of your primary duties and connect them to your desired position. If you want to create an impressive resume, you can also include some of your main achievements.
For example:
Madison WI
Contracted by the staffing agency to provide information services on a temporary basis for banks and credit unions in Madison.
all Center Operator
Chase Bank
- Handled over 60 calls per day to provide information about bank services and help clients with their requests.
- Worked with difficult clients, recorded their complaints, and found the relevant solution to the problem.
- Optimized information directory that reduced the total call duration by 10%.
If you have been working with a staffing agency for quite a long time and have had several contacts, you can include additional descriptions in the reverse-chronological format.For example:
JKL Staffing Agency
Montgomery AL
Contracted by the staffing agency to provide clerical duties on a temporary basis for law firms in Montgomery.
Legal Assistant
- Conducted legal research and prepared reports for senior colleagues
- Participated in interviewing clients and prepared conversation records
- Organized the process of assembling case materials, which greatly facilitated the work of senior lawyers.
How To List A Staffing Agency On Your Resume
Employment agencies, or staffing agencies, help candidates find short-term as well as temporary work . Hiring managers consider these positions credible and noteworthy work history so if you have worked these types of assignments, you should include them on your resume. This can be tricky when trying to determine who you list as the employer, deciding how to list multiple assignments and how to include who you worked for while still keeping the focus on your experience and achievements. Here are a few tips on how to list agencies you have worked for in an appealing way.
Do You List Temp Agency On Resume
Keep the following pointers in mind. If youve had multiple temp jobs for different staffing firms, list the client company first, followed by the relevant staffing agency, the location, and the dates. On the following line, list your job title, responsibilities, and any achievements. Then repeat this for each company.
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Should You Include Contract Work On Your Resume
Yes, in most cases you should include contract work on your resume. Any legitimate work experience that helps prove you have the right skills for a job should be listed on your resume. Working as a contractor also shows recruiters that youre capable of adapting to new work environments quickly, which is an attractive trait in a job seeker.
Additionally, contract work that helps fill gaps in your employment is crucial to include. It proves that you werent idle while in between jobs and that your resourcefulness led you to find other avenues for paid employment.
The main issue with including contract work is a little bit dated since the gig and freelance economy have been thriving in the recent job market.
Still, listing contract work on your resume can be cause for alarm to some employers.
For the most part, a recruiter or hiring manager prefers to see steady work experience where someone works for a number of years at a single location before moving on.
This is because hiring anyone is essentially an employer making the following bet: Will this person Im hiring remain with my company long enough to make up the money Im going to spend on training them?
For this reason, it can be a bit of a red flag when employers see too many seasonal or contract-based work experiences on your resume.
Regardless of whether or not thats true, its a look you want to avoid when youre constructing your resume.
If You Were An Independent Contractor
If youve done a lot of freelance or contract work directly, rather than through an agency, theres nothing stopping you from creating your own firm and listing your experience under that heading.
Using a grouped firm name even if it’s your own looks more professional than a collection of unrelated freelance or temporary jobs, and listing your work under one heading gives you the opportunity to emphasize the most relevant skills youve picked up. It also shows recruiters that you have focus in one specific discipline or industry.
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Example Of Temporary Employment Listing On A Resume
The following example can help you to better understand how to list temporary employment on your resume. Simply use this template and substitute the information from your positions. As you do so, donât forget to rely on sound resume-writing techniques, emphasizing value and achievement!
Social Media Consultant, Best Company USA
– Crafted comprehensive social media campaign to increase online customer acquisition
– Led in-house effort to increase new customer engagement by 43%
– Implemented online sales pipeline that increased company revenue by 12% in Q4 2017.
Branding Specialist, Stronghold Services
– Collaborated with Strongholdâs marketing team to rebrand the companyâs online and offline market presence.
– Successfully introduced new marketing program that increased sales force production by 23%
How To List Jobs On A Resume And The Dates Of Employment
A resume is marketing tool, and like any marketing tool, it must present the product in this case, the applicant in such a clear, compelling fashion that the potential employer takes notice. He starts to see the candidate as a solution to his current problem, which, of course, is the vacant position. To encourage this sort of reaction, devote the top third of the first page of your resume to the most relevant information in your work history.
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Relate jobs and dates of employment chronologically — the standard method of recording previous work experience on a resume. Start with the most recent job and work backwards from there. If youre concerned about any gaps in your resume, opt for simply listing the year for the job instead of the months and years of service.
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Highlight the names of the companies followed by the dates of employment, and then job titles held in each organization. After each job title, detail the responsibilities of the position and your accomplishments on the job.
3
Identify the skills and competencies the potential employer seeks by referring back to the job posting and adding keywords related to these skills and competencies throughout your resume. If, for example, a company is seeking someone who can create marketing materials to increase sales, include any pertinent information that emphasizes your success in doing that.
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References
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Multiple Client Companies For One Staffing Agency
If youve worked in one job title for multiple client companies for one staffing agency, list the staffing agency, location, and dates first. On the following line, list your job title. Then list out the client companies in chronological order and include a brief description of your job duties at each company.
Examples Of Contract Work On A Resume
Heres a quick example of one way you can list a single entry of contract work on your resume:
Example 1: Single Contract Work Entry
Brainstormed, workshopped, and ultimately executed ideas for both inline and blog content.
Protected famed comic book author Stan Lee from numerous assassination attempts originating from an international cabal of out-of-work comic book artists/hitmen headed by Steve Ditko.
Note: When listing multiple projects under the same company, remember that you only need to list the companys name and address a single time.
Lets take look at a full sample resume with a hefty amount of contract work.
Example 2: Full Resume With Contract Work
John Pilgrim
B.S. in Marketing GPA 3.8University of Connecticut, Storrs, CTDeans List for 8 semesters
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Provide Your Job Title
List your exact job title. You can choose to include this below your company’s name and location or on the same line so that it receives as much attention as the company that you worked for. Alternately, if you feel that your job title is more impressive than the company, you can feature your title first with the company directly beneath.
The Best Way To List Contract Jobs On Your Resume
Contract work can be an excellent way to gain experience in a new career field or a way to survive gaps in employment. But how do you list contract jobs on your resume or in an interview? Many people have concerns about listing temporary or contract jobs on their resume, believing it will make them look flighty or unable to hold down a long-term position. However, that is far from the truth. These jobs can be an incredible boost to your resume, showcasing your ability to learn systems quickly and hone a wide variety of skill sets.
Hiring managers see resumes with contract experience frequently. Many see long-term contract work as equivalent to a full-time job and understand that, over the past several years, this sector of the job market has shown growth while other areas have struggled.
Contract work doesnt have to be a hindrance to the possibility of a full-time position later in your career. Choosing to list contract jobs on your resume is a smart plan and can highlight the wealth of skills you have gained through working in a variety of environments. Follow these basic steps, and youll have a permanent job in no time!
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Include Only Relevant Temporary Experience On Your Resume
If you have extensive temporary employment experience, you shouldnt include all of it on your resume. The recruiter wants to get only relevant information. For example, there is no need to mention that youd worked as a nanny for two months if you are applying for an administrative employee position. In this case, it is more interesting for a recruiter to know that youve temporarily worked as an office clerk.
Secondly, if you describe all your temporary jobs, your resume will be too long. The longer it is, the less chance the recruiter will read it to the end.
How To List Temporary Employment On Your Resume
Of course, you need to know how to format temporary jobs on a resume if you want to maximize their impact. There are several key things to keep in mind when youâre listing these types of short-term jobs:
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A reverse chronological resume may be a good option. While you could use a more creative format to focus on skills, the fact that you had so many different jobs could confuse the employer. With a chronological resume, you can demonstrate consistency in the use of your skill set. See our great post, How to Write a Chronological Resume, to help you with this format.
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This resume format also provides an easy way for you to highlight your accomplishments. Simply list several beneath each job, emphasizing the skills used, new skills developed, and value that you provided to the company.
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Donât forget the staffing agency. If you were working for a temp agency, list that company as the employer. That can help to demonstrate job consistency, especially if your temporary positions were all obtained through the same agency.
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List individual temporary employment positions beneath the staffing agency. That will help the employer to better understand your job history and creates a more impressive job narrative.
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Why Is Resume Employment History Important
Your resume employment history is one of the most important sections on your resume because it details your previous accomplishments and provides functional proof of your skills. For example, while you can list the programs that you’re proficient in as part of your skills section, it’s the details in your work history that will demonstrate what you’ve achieved while working with these programs. Your employment history tells hiring managers many things, including:
- How long you typically stay in one job
- Whether you’ve been consistently promoted
- What tasks you have experience with
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The quantifiable benefits that you’ve brought to previous employers
Temp Jobs Belong On Your Resume
Listing your work through a staffing agency will benefit you in many ways. Employers usually dont like to see gaps in employment and if there are gaps, they want you to have a good reason for it. Work through an agency is still work and shows that you were motivated to stay employed. There are many reasons why people take temporary work or work through an agency and it is becoming more and more common. Employers are familiar with seeing it on resumes and will typically treat it like any other kind of work. It is also an added opportunity to demonstrate your employable skills and how you have used them. This includes soft skills as well such as flexibility and adaptability.
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Need Assistance Finding Temp Or Permanent Work
So, do temp jobs look bad on a resume? Definitely not, especially if you are following the guidelines above! Whether you wish to continue with temp work or pursue more permanent opportunities as part of a full-time career, we are here to help. We place talent such as yourself in excellent companies covering a wide span of industries. Through our conversations, we can help you identify the path that makes the most sense for you at this stage of your career.
In addition to helping you come up with a plan, we also provide:
- Resume consultation and guidance
How Long Does It Take To Feel Comfortable In A New Job
Related Stories. Most of the employees surveyed recalled it taking about two or three months before they felt like they could be themselves at their new workplace, though some said it took much longer: Nine percent of the employees said it took up to a year, and another nine percent said it took even longer than that.
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Put Remote For The Location
Another option for a completely remote position is to forgo, including the employers city and state for the location. Instead, youd list remote or telecommute, showing that you werent heading into a physical workplace while handling those duties.
There are other approaches you can also use. For example, Remote City, State or City, State shows that you were telecommuting but also allows you to provide a pertinent detail about your employer.
How Do I List My Employment Through A Temp Agency
How to List a Staffing Agency on Your Resume
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Document The Skills You Used
Think about the specific skills that you utilized in each position, and how to convey that information when you list contract work. Review the job postingâs requirements to identify job-related keywords and focus on skills that fulfill those needs. This can help you illustrate your skills in a way that is both relevant and timely.
The Challenges Temporary Employment Poses For Your Resume
Temporary employment can present some interesting challenges for your resume. Obviously, most employers will be reluctant to hire anyone who looks like they simply jump from job to job.
Companies generally value stability, after all. If you have moved from job to job with any great frequency, it may be hard to properly convey your ability to provide reliable value to any new company.
Of course, you almost certainly have valid reasons for your temporary employment. Perhaps youâve been focused on contract employment for several years.
Or maybe you were caught up in the aftermath of the recent financial crisis and forced to pursue temporary jobs where you could find them. Whatever the reason, it is vital that you know how to list temporary employment in a way that doesnât make you look like youâre a poor hiring risk.
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How To List Temp Jobs On A Resume
Many workers are accustomed to working at one employer for years, sometimes until retirement. However, in 2011, staffing agencies employed 2.8 million people per day, according to a survey and news release by the American Staffing Association. For that entire year, 12.9 million people sought assignments as temporary and contract workers. Temporary jobs have become the norm for many Americans, which can result in frequent updates to resumes. You should give as much weight and attention on your resume to temp jobs as other full-time and permanent jobs in the work history section.
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List the name of the client company followed by the name of the temporary agency, like so: “ABC Corporation , Any City, Any State, 2010 to present.” State your job title and duties while temping for that particular client on the lines that follow. Some companies use temporary staffing services over extended periods, where people can work for several months or years at a single client on behalf of the staffing agency.
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References
Focus On Your Accomplishments
Rather than placing attention on the number of positions youve held, focus instead on the skills utilized in those positions. Hiring managers are more likely to be impressed by the tangible change you enabled than your job title, so play up any big wins or reputable results that you achieved during your time in contract roles.
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