The University of Florida estimates that staffing companies employ 2.3 million people every day, which means if you work temp jobs, you're not alone. Temporary assignments can fill employment gaps during down economies, or they can be a career adventure seeker's best friend, allowing you to experience new working environments on a regular basis. In either scenario, there are tips for incorporating temp jobs into a resume that will make you shine brighter in a sea of applicants.
Highlight Your Adaptability
Some job seekers with a lot of temp jobs on their resumes worry that employers won't take them seriously for a long-term position. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of short-term work, focus on how quickly you are able to adapt to new work environments or how much experience you have thinking on your feet and solving problems in a short period of time.
Use Specifics
Whenever possible, incorporate concrete facts and figures into your duties summary to stand out even though you may have only worked in the temp job for a very short period of time. For example, if you had a three-week assignment organizing hospital records, state how many you filed, what system you used to complete the task and, if possible, a percentage indicating how much your contribution increased efficiency.
List Temp Assignments Based on Job Length
For temp jobs that lasted less than three weeks, it is more common to list the staffing agency you worked under then the name of the employer to which you were assigned. If the temporary position lasted longer than three weeks, list the employer's name first followed by name of the staffing agency in parentheses. If the temp job was long term--a year or more--it might not even be necessary to list its temporary status, though if the job was temporary and you were later hired on permanently, always list that scenario to show you are a valuable employee.
Consider a Functional Resume
When you've worked several temp jobs, putting them in chronological order in a resume lessens the impact of your accomplishments because the page gets cluttered. Instead, break each job down into achievements or skill sets, then list each of those individually followed by the jobs in which you demonstrated those attributes.
Don't List Every Temp Job
If you've landed a slew of temporary assignments from an agency, you don't have to list every temp job you've ever had in your resume. Pick and choose the ones that best jive with the new position to which you are applying. When describing your duties in each listing, focus on the ones closest to what the prospective employer is looking for in a candidate.
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