Contract and temporary jobs are a great way for candidates to strengthen and learn skills, build a network, and add variety to their professional lives. Plus, temp and contract positions really help expand your experience on resumes and professional profiles.

The only problem is that most candidates do not know how to list contract work on their resume. Some job seekers worry about presenting employers with a resume that’s cluttered, while others are worried that they’ll look like they change jobs more frequently than their car’s engine oil. Removing all references of contract and temporary work from a resume leaves large gaps in employment, which is also problematic.

Listing your contract and temporary work experience on resumes and profiles is essential. The key is knowing how to list it correctly. In the following article, we’ll show you some of the best ways to showcase your short-term positions on your resume.

Listing Contract and Temporary Work

How to list your contract work on a resume depends on the channels taken to land the position. There is one format for candidates who applied directly to an employer with an open temporary position, and a different format if the job was acquired through a staffing agency. Below, we’ll show you the two distinct ways to format your resume to account for your contract and temporary positions.

Direct Employment Example

Lead with the exact job title and add the qualifier “Contractor” or “Temporary”. Be sure to bold this information so it stands out. Examples: Copywriter - Contractor; Copywriter - Temporary
Next, provide the name of the employer and its location (not it’s complete address). Be sure to italicize the employer’s name. Example: The Wonderful Company, Joliet, IL
Follow the employer information with your position’s start and end dates in parentheses. Example: The Wonderful Company, Silver Spring, MD (October 2020 - April 2021)
In the next line, provide a brief description of responsibilities. Example: As a copywriter, I supported the marketing department by creating content for digital and traditional campaigns, including trade show collateral, email, press releases and social media.
Call out any accomplishments or achievements you had during your tenure. Example: Increased Social Media Followers by 10%; Reduced Bounce Rate by 20%

Here is what the completed example looks like:

Copywriter - Contractor
The Wonderful Company, Silver Spring, MD (October 2020 - April 2021)
As a copywriter, I supported the marketing department by creating content for digital and traditional campaigns, including trade show collateral, email, press releases and social media.

Increased Social Media Followers by 10%
Reduced Email Bounce Rate by 5%

Staffing Agency Example

If you found contract or temporary employment by working with a staffing agency, then the format above can be used with a few alterations.

Instead of leading with the exact job title, list the staffing agency name and location first. Be sure to bold this information so it stands out. Example: Elite Personnel, Bethesda, MD
Next, include a brief description of your history or experience with this staffing agency. Example: I partnered with Elite Personnel last year during the unemployment crisis to offer my professional skills to an organization that required temporary staffing during the end of their fiscal year.
Next, follow the steps outlined in the non-agency example in the previous section.

Here is what the completed staffing agency example looks like:

Elite Personnel, Bethesda, MD
I partnered with Elite Personnel last year during the unemployment crisis to offer my professional skills to an organization that required temporary staffing during the end of their fiscal year.

Copywriter - Contractor
The Wonderful Company, Silver Spring, MD (October 2020 - April 2021)
As a copywriter, I supported the marketing department by creating content for digital and traditional campaigns, including trade show collateral, email, press releases and social media.

Increased Social Media Followers by 10%
Reduced Email Bounce Rate by 5%

Additional Resume Hints and Tips

Now that you know how to list your individual contract and temporary positions on a resume, the next step is to properly list multiple contract and agency positions.

If you’ve only had temporary or contract positions occasionally, simply list them individually and in chronological order with the rest of your recent employment history. If your recent work history features multiple, sequential contract positions (especially with an agency), it’s best to group these positions together to save precious space. If necessary, remove the achievement bullet points as well to streamline the listings.

Here is what the completed multiple contract positions example looks like:

Elite Personnel, Bethesda, MD
I partnered with Elite Personnel last year during the unemployment crisis to offer my professional skills to an organization that required temporary staffing during the end of their fiscal year.

Copywriter - Contractor
The Wonderful Company, Silver Spring, MD (October 2020 - April 2021)
As a copywriter, I supported the marketing department by creating content for digital and traditional campaigns, including trade show collateral, email, press releases and social media.

Content Specialist - Contractor
The Big Organization, Arlington, VA (December 2020 - March 2020)
Wrote and managed the weekly blog while the full-time content specialist was on sabbatical.

Your work experience, whether full-time or temporary, is essential information for employers and staffing agencies. Now you know the best ways to include this vital information on your resume so you can increase your future job opportunities. If you’re ready to take the next step and look for your new temporary or contract position, contact the team at Elite Personnel.

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