Typically, when professional employees move from one job or one workplace to another, each job or employer represents a distinct chapter in that person’s working life. So it isn’t difficult to format each of these positions in the “work history” section of a formal resume; most candidates simply create a subheading for each job and then follow the subheading with a list of the most important responsibilities and accomplishments he or she completed while working for that company. The subheadings can be arranged by chronology or by their relevance to the position in question.
But if you’re in the process of drafting your resume, how should you format your previous jobs if you spent some time working for a temp agency? Temp agencies tend to deploy their staff of workers into short term positions, one after another, and while the employee steps into and out of each workplace, she’s always technically managed and paid by the staffing company. So when it comes to resumes and “work history”, is this one job or five?
Relevance Means Everything
The answer will depend on the relevance of each job to the specific position the candidate hopes to step into. In other words, if you’re applying for a marketing position with a design firm, each temp position that involved either marketing or design (or any specific relevant task) should receive its own subheading on your resume.
Other roles you may have played during your tenure as a temp won’t need to be showcased in detail. For those roles that carry minimal relevance, a single subheading listing the temp agency as an employer will usually suffice.
How Can I Determine the Relevance of a Temp to a Target Position?
This is a matter of insight, careful reading, and common sense. Before you apply for any open position, search the post carefully for any indication—stated or implied—of the kind of tasks the position will entail and the skills it may require. Then compare these tasks and skills with the demands of each of your temp positions. Use your judgment to sort and highlight the jobs and tasks that may be of interest to your potential employers. For more information on how to do this, and for help with your specific job search, reach out to the MA staffing experts at Techneeds.
If you are looking for temp jobs in New Hampshire, contact us today.