Sample Resume with Temporary Positions: The Best Guide

Including temp work on your resume can be tricky which is why we have curated this guide to help you figure it out! We will talk about what a sample resume with temporary positions looks like?

So let's dive in!👇

Why should you include temporary jobs on your resume?

Temporary job shows your ability to adapt quickly and perform well without having to go through lengthy training and also a long time at one job to learn it well.

Having done a temporary job also means that you have had diverse exposure from working in various industries, for various clients and their company.

Most importantly, having done temp work on your resume shows that you have learned many skills and performed well from the first day of the job.

You may have done various jobs such as supervisor, personal assistant, HR manager or any other roles which allowed you to get exposure to a wide range of industries, make sure you reflect the same throughout your resume.

Right format

Without the right format, your resume is likely to be rejected by the ATS because it will fail to read your CV. You need to choose the right format for your professional CV.

There are various options for resume format such as functional, reverse chronological and combination or the hybrid. You might want to go with the combination or reverse chronological. Make sure to include transferable skills and work experience on your resume.

Trivia

(Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/220682/us-total-annual-temporary-employment/)

What does a sample resume look like?

Now, we will talk about how does a sample resume look like when you list temporary work on your resume👇

Header

The header should include your contact information.

• Your name
• Your contact number-mobile number with area code
• Your email address-formal and professional email ID where you are active regularly
• Your LinkedIn profile link-only if your LinkedIn profile is well curated and you are active on the platform regularly.

Ensure the accuracy of the details so that the hiring managers can reach out to you without any issues. The hiring manager will not bother to reach out to you through more efforts in case you are not reachable through your mobile phone number and/or your email address.

Profile summary

Your profile summary says a lot about your resume, because it is the highlight of your CV. You need to write your position or role that you are pursuing or have the most experience with. You need to describe details such as total years of work experience, a little generic background (worked in reception area or in managers' roles, industry (of your employer) and so on.

You need to describe details using bullet points and conclude with mention of what kind of opportunity you are looking for.

In case you have done a lot of contract work, and position is always different, you can mention that you are a contractor or work on contractual basis. Always present it in positive light i.e. Contract work in different industries helped you learn many skills and gain knowledge.

Temporary workers often make the mistake of not mentioning the name of staffing agencies or employment agency, through which they worked. You should always include them so that the next employer knows you have worked with reputable agencies and they may contact them for references as well.

Professional experience

Your professional experience (employment history) should be described in reverse chronological format along with the details of your job title, employer name, dates of employment, details of job duties and more. You need to describe the job experience details in bullet points.

When you have had temporary work experience, you should add a brief description of what all you learned and any new career path you thought of pursuing. You should add details of clients, company and agency through which you worked.

You can mention the industry of the employer in the employment history as well because it will reflect the diverse exposure you have had. It will also show how you have learned a lot from many experiences instead of just jumping from one project to another for any reason.

You should provide a time frame in case of temp experience or temporary work where you were assigned with projects, it will showcase your ability to work with time management skills.

Education

Your education may be relevant and important if you have relevant courses in your curriculum. You should note the degrees and courses along with the name of the education institutes where you pursued them.

Avoid adding the dates and years of degrees and courses as it can lead to bias and decrease your chances of getting the job you want and are applying for.

Skills

The skill section is for your top strengths that you need to highlight on your professional resume. You should list your top skill that are relevant. You can use bullet points describing your best abilities.

You need to list the skill that are really necessary for the role you are applying for. Most importantly, you need to pick skills from the job description because they have exactly the skills that the hiring managers are looking for.

Extra

Your language proficiencies, personal interests and any other details and profile information that is relevant and speaks to your professional abilities, you should include them in separate extra sections on your resume.

These extra details can help you stand out and increase your chances of getting the job you want by convincing the hiring managers that you are capable, you will be able to handle the responsibilities because you have skills and knowledge along with the necessary experience.

The keywords & ATS

You may have heard of applicant tracking systems or automated software used by the hiring managers. They use them to scan and filter the resumes they receive to shortlist them without having to go through them manually.

These software are run on the parameters of the relevant keywords. The keywords that are related to your role, your responsibilities, your job description, job duties, job title, industry, company, potential employers and so on.

You need to ensure that your temporary work and temporary job have the aspects such as responsibilities, skills and experience aspects that are relevant to the role you are applying so that the keywords are covered.

Do not stuff the keywords, use them throughout your resume in a meaningful and sensible manner. List temp jobs that are relevant in a bit more detail than the rest while also reflecting your ability to learn new skills quickly.

Importance of cover letter

Cover letters are not always mandatory however they are always advised to be enclosed along with your resume in the job application because they add great value. In some scenarios such as a seasoned professional with a lengthy resume, one might not need a cover letter.

However in most cases, cover letters are always advised to add more value to your job application and increase your chances of getting the job you want. Especially when your professional experience consists of temporary work or temp jobs, you need to write a cover letter.

Writing a cover letter allows you to explain the gaps in the work history on your resume. It helps you focus on the skills and responsibilities that provide you diverse exposure through temp work experience and employment.

On your resume you list temp jobs and list temporary work but the cover letter allows you to paint a clearer picture with proper explanation and description. You can also talk about agency experience and working with various companies and clients.

Conclusion

In conclusion, to ensure the work history section on your resume is presented in the most efficient manner even with the temporary work and jobs without creating an impression or quitter or expert of nothing. For that, you need to reflect the skills you learned and exposure you had.

You need to keep in mind the aspects discussed above and include the important parts of your short term jobs and temporary work experience. That includes your responsibilities, skills, diversity of position and clients, employers and agency and so on.

After reading this guide article, you are ready to write your resume with temporary work experience. Now you may want to check out our resume examples, templates and resume writing guides collection! Good luck!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it wise to include temp jobs on my resume?

You need to understand your next role and the relevance of your past temp jobs, if there are relevant aspects and relevant skills, you should definitely include them on your resume.

How can I ensure temp jobs seem impressive on my resume?

To ensure temp jobs look good and instead of making you seem like a quitter, you need to present your temp jobs' details in an efficient manner, using numbers and action verbs. Mention how your contribution made a difference and what all you learned.

How do I explain job gaps due to temporary jobs?

You need to clarify that you worked with a staffing agency or on contract basis hence your projects, jobs and contract work projects have gaps in between. List temporary jobs with the agency details.