How to List Contract Work on a Resume — With Examples

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Contract work can sometimes come with a stigma of instability and ‘job hopping’ because of the lack of a permanent position. 

Although, not much anymore as hiring managers know that contract work is as legitimate as any other work, especially with freelancing being so common now.

So, whether you have just started or have been doing contract work for a while, and whether you are doing it solely or with an agency, you may be wondering if you should list it on your resume. 

 

Should you list contract work on a resume?

You should add contract work to your resume if you have a regular working schedule or if it is relevant to the job description. Also, despite its stigma, contract work comes with traits that a recruiter will definitely appreciate. The only time you shouldn’t list it is when it is irrelevant.

 

Yes, if you are doing contract work regularly or if it is relevant

When contract work is a major part of your professional life, you most likely do not have a permanent position as most do. 

Adding contract work to your resume will help explain job gaps.

It will also show the recruiter that despite not having a permanent position, you still have a good work ethic.

If you do not work by contract regularly but you find that it is relevant to the job description, put it on your resume.

You would not have to dedicate too much space on your resume for it, but presenting any relevant hands-on experience is still advantageous.

 

Yes, to demonstrate extensive skills and good traits

Not only does contract work portray your skill proficiency in a particular field, it also comes with a set of desirable traits. 

Willing to learn, being able to adapt, and having exposure to different environments are all appealing characteristics of a candidate.

To show your versatility, list contract work on your resume.

 

No, if you have more relevant work experience

If your resume is already exceeding the 1 to 2 page standard but you have more relevant experience or achievements to add, skip the contract work. 

Recruiters will be more interested to see permanent position experiences or relevant awards than unrelated contract work.

 

How to list contract work on a resume?

You can either dedicate a section to your contract work or put it with your work experience. You can also mention it in your professional summary. When listing, you can group it by industry, agency, or technical skills. Don’t forget to only add noteworthy quantifiable achievements.

 

Create a ‘Contracting Experience’ section

If you take up contracting work regularly or if you have built an extensive portfolio apart from your work experience, dedicate your contract work its own section.

Title it ‘Contracting Experience’ or just ‘Contract Work’

 

List contract work along with your work experience

If you have not acquired many contracting jobs, you can just list your contract work with your other work experiences. 

You can also list it along with your remote work, your volunteer work, or your internship experience on your resume.

If you choose to do so, you can either do it chronologically or write whichever is more relevant first- your work experience or contract work.

 

Mention contract work in your professional summary

If you notice that a lot of requirements in the job description correlate to your contract work, add it in your professional summary.

This is right on top of your resume and most likely the first thing a recruiter will read.

So, adding contract work in that section tells the recruiter straight away that you are qualified because you have relevant experience.

 

Group your contract work experience by industry

When creating a separate section for your contract work, you can list it in three different ways.

The first would be by industry if you have done a diverse range of contracting.

As with everything, start with the most relevant industry first.

 

Group your contract work experience by agency

If you worked for an agency, group your contract work accordingly. 

Include the name and location of the agency, and 1 to 2 sentences of description if you have enough space for it.

 

Group your contract work experience by technical skills

If you are applying for a technical position, it might suit you better to group your contract work by skills to be more precise about your proficiency.

List the contract work experiences like you would any other experience but separate them with a subheading of which skill they correlate to.

 

Add results-oriented and quantifiable achievements

As you can see in the examples above, it is important to only mention achievements that market you as an ideal candidate.

Many make the mistake of turning the bullet points into a job description but what the recruiter is looking for is your contribution.

The best way to demonstrate the depth of your impact would be only listing results-oriented and quantifiable achievements.

 

Contract work in a resume example (1):

 

Work Experience:

 

Digital Associates – Texas, Houston 

Digital Associates is a contracting agency aiding clients in developing digital marketing programs.

 

Lead Blog Editor – Contractor

abc.com | June 2019 – Aug 2019

 

• Increased traffic by 40%
• Added search engine optimization for over 50 posts. 
• Edited 100+ blogs with 10,000 words each.

 

Copy Writer – Contractor

XYZ Inc. | Feb 2019 – June 2019

 

• Created content for over 200 email marketing and upselling initiatives.

• Coordinated the composing of 25 product development proposals out of which 21 have been approved.

• Wrote 150+ online articles that received an average of 200,000 reads monthly.