Temp work is becoming more common for employees and employers. This limited-time employment may provide support for a specialized project, an employee’s absence, or an increased workload.
Odds are you have worked at least one temp job during your career. No matter how long you held it, be sure you include the temp job on your resume. This provides an accurate representation of your work experience. It also shows the skills you used and the success you achieved in the position.
Follow these guidelines to properly explain temp jobs on your resume.
Use a Reverse-Chronological Format
If you held one or two temp jobs, list them separately as you would a full-time job.
- Include the name of the staffing agency, its location, and the duration of your employment.
- Begin with your most recent position and work backward.
- This provides a clear timeline of your work history.
If you held three or more temp jobs, group them together.
- List the name of the staffing agency, its location, and the duration of your employment.
- Provide a brief description of the type of work assignments you completed.
- You may want to list each company, your role, and the dates of employment.
Choose a label such as “temp” or “temporary” next to the title of each temp job.
- This clarifies why you held the roles for a short time.
- Remain consistent with your labeling.
List Your Relevant Responsibilities
Use the job posting to determine which of your skills and duties to emphasize on your resume.
- If listing your temp jobs separately, include three bullet points describing your significant duties.
- If grouping your temp jobs, list each role and its relevant responsibilities.
- If you held multiple temp jobs through one staffing agency, you may want to list three to five of your most significant duties across the roles.
- Include numbers to show the impact you had, such as how often you completed a certain task.
- Demonstrate that you have the skills and experience the hiring manager is looking for.
Emphasize Your Achievements
Include one or two bullet points describing an accomplishment from each temp job you listed.
- Demonstrate how you added value to an employer.
- Show how you can create similar results for your next employer.
- Focus on solving problems and making an impact.
- Include numbers to clarify your impact, such as the average number of clients greeted per day.
Find Your Next Job
Job Store Staffing® offers temp, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire jobs for top employers in Colorado. Visit our job board to see which roles you want to apply for today.