7 CV Tips and Tricks for Temps & Contractors

​As a temporary or contract worker, you may have a unique set of challenges when it comes to writing a CV. After all, you may have a variety of different jobs and experiences on your resume, and it can be difficult to know how to highlight them in a way that is both relevant and appealing to potential employers.

Here are a few tips for writing a CV that will help you land your next temporary or contract job in 2023: 

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1.      Relevance is key:

Ensure your CV focuses on relevant work experience. Avoid including unrelated jobs, even if they were interesting, as the skills you gained probably aren’t transferable. You want to include work experience which is relevant to the role you’re applying for. Organise similar roles together, prioritize the most important ones, and include dates and durations for each.

2.    Use a consistent format:

When you have a variety of different jobs on your resume, it can be helpful to use a consistent format to make it easy for employers to scan your CV and find the information they're looking for. For example, if you have a lot of temporary work experience, you may want to group it together into one section on your CV. This will help employers to see that you have a consistent track record of work, even if it wasn't all in permanent positions.

3.      Emphasise your temp credentials:

To excel as a temp or contract worker, it's crucial to demonstrate technical and soft skills, such as adaptability, communication, and being able to learn quickly. Make sure to highlight these qualities in your CV's career summary to grab employers' attention right away.

While technical expertise is important, soft skills are increasingly valued in contracting. These are less teachable traits that reflect your personality and can distinguish a good contractor from a great one.

When updating your CV, weave in the soft skills that have benefited your contracting career. Incorporate this information into your personal statement and key skills section.

4.      Make your skills stand out:

Instead of just listing your job skills, showcase how you've applied them at work by highlighting major accomplishments using the STAR technique: Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

Include a skills and technology grid under your personal statement on your CV. Recruiters and hiring managers need to see your relevant skills upfront, as they don't have time to train contractors. Use this section to highlight your systems and technology skills, along with any relevant certifications.

5.      Make your work availability clear:

As a contractor, your recruiter needs to know your availability, which is crucial. Clients often want to start projects promptly, and your recruiter aims to find the right contractor with the right skills at the right time. To ensure clarity on your CV, mention your departure from your previous organization and your availability near your contact details. Also, include your expected completion date for your current assignment in your work history to avoid potential misunderstandings about your availability.

6.      Label your temporary or contract work experience:

Failing to indicate whether past jobs were permanent or temporary on your CV can cause issues. When applying for a temporary position, add "(contract)" or "(freelance)” after each job title. This helps employers understand your contract work experience. It's especially crucial if you've had multiple short-term roles because not specifying might make hiring managers think you've left a series of permanent jobs quickly, which could raise concerns about your reliability.

7.      Use keywords throughout your CV:

Many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for keywords related to the job they're hiring for. Be sure to include relevant keywords throughout your CV, including in your job titles, work experience, and skills sections.

Google and other search engines use complex algorithms to match search terms with relevant content. If you're aiming for an administrative role, relevant content includes skills like typing speed, excel proficiency, and teamwork. If your CV highlights your unique selling points in the first paragraph, Google will notice it.

As a contractor, you're likely aware of the advantages of temporary work, such as gaining diverse experience and expanding your professional network while improving work-life balance. Because contract positions are in high demand, having an impressive CV is crucial to stand out from the competition.