Working in temporary jobs can be beneficial for your career. You can use the experiences you gained from these short-term jobs to learn about the potential career paths you may want to take and get permanent full-time positions in your job search. Temporary jobs also allow you to network with people who may help your career later on.

Make sure you’re highlighting your temp experiences in the best way possible on your resume. If you have been working in temp or contract positions, you may be wondering if you should include temporary jobs on a resume? 

Yes, you should include them because they help potential employers and hiring managers to see just what you have accomplished while working temp or contract jobs. 

How to List Temporary Work on Your Resume

To make it easier for employers to see that your short-term jobs were meaningful and are beneficial to you and the company, you should be strategic when listing your temp work on your resume.

1. Label Your Jobs as Temporary or Contract

You can include each of your short-term or contract positions separately in your resume. If your time with the company is short, include the words “temporary” or “contract” next to the job title and your start and end dates. Make sure you use a consistently formatted resume with bullet points:

John Doe Company, New York, NY

Customer Service Representative, Contract, 11/20XX – 5/20XX

• Responded to incoming calls quickly and escalated calls when needed.
• Ensured confidential information was up-to-date on 24,000 customer accounts.

Jane Smith Company, Jersey City, NJ

Retail Sales Associate, Temporary, 6/20XX – 9/20XX

• Answered any questions customers had about products and helped them find the ones they needed.
• Achieved continuous sales by maintaining and organizing merchandise.

2. Group Your Temp Experiences Together

You can put your temp and contract jobs together if they have taken up much of your work history. If your temporary jobs were from freelance or contract jobs or the same staffing agency as your employer, this strategy can be especially effective. A summary connecting all your work under one theme will help make all your experiences seem more connected:

Davis Staffing Agency, Greater New York City Area, NY

Collections Specialist, Contract, 8/20XX – Present

Served as a collections specialist for various financial service companies throughout New York City for Davis Staffing Agency on a temporary basis, contacting customers on late payments and reconciling customer accounts. 

Fletcher Financial Corporation, 1/20XX – 5/20XX

• Identified and resolved short payments and reductions.
• Contacted customers on outstanding payments via outbound phone calls and emails.

Williams Private Financial Company, 9/20XX – 12/20XX

• Collected and reconciled customer accounts, resolving account discrepancies.
• Managed cash and credit card reconciliations.

Temporary Jobs Can Benefit Your Job Search

Highlight your achievements in every position on your resume so potential employers can see if you are a good fit for the position. During an interview, you can talk about how your temp jobs helped you grow and learn new things. 

If you are looking for new job opportunities, whether temporary or permanent, JobsFuel can help. Our simple online search tool allows you to explore jobs in any location and at any experience level. Explore our informational blog series for more on how to craft a winning resume and land your dream job.