About Michelle Penn Expertise As a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and experienced job search consultant, I can answer questions about resume and cover letter strategies, conducting an effective job search, networking, interviewing, and other general career topics for entry-level to C-level job seekers.
Experience Former Resume Writer Supervisor for an outplacement firm, as well as experience as a professional resume writer and career coach.
Organizations Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches
National Resume Writers' Association
Education/Credentials Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches
BA in English
Question 1. I have allot of contract work alot of my jobs are 2 months to 1 year I want to group then together by contract agencies. How do I make this not sound so redundant? I have done the same thing for say 15 years at different short term agencies job = 15 years. If I put the job once with no redundancy I sounds like i have done that for only 1 year or so.
2. How many bullets points per job.
3. What makes it look cludderd and confused when you have so many jobs.
Thankyou for you help. If need can you help me further??
Answer Jennifer,
Thank you for your question! Including temp or contract positions on a resume can be a challenge. Grouping your jobs by contract agency is an excellent strategy as that may also show some stability, assuming you were working through the same agency for awhile. Here is how you can minimize the redundancy:
* Rather than focusing on your day-to-day responsibilities, focus on your achievements.
* Use numbers. While your duties may be similar, the size and scope of projects and assignments are often quite different.
There aren't any strict rules about the number of bullet points to use for each job. There are actually two schools of thought on this: (1) you can list every responsibility and accomplishment in a bullet, or (2) you can give a brief description of the job in paragraph form, and then list your accomplishments in bullets beneath the paragraph. There are pros and cons for each method; you will have to determine which is the most effective for your individual background.
Certainly, if not done correctly, your resume could look very cluttered with so many contract positions. However, it sounds like you're on the right track. Group positions together when possible. If your first 5 years of experience do not add a lot of value to your resume, you can omit that information as well. I have put together some general tips on resumes at http://www.resumeresultsonline.com/resumes-and-cover-letters.html.
