How to List Temporary Work on a Resume: Contract, Temp, and Freelance Jobs
In today’s workforce, temporary positions, contract roles, and freelance work are increasingly common—and increasingly valued. Whether you’ve worked through staffing agencies, taken on short-term contracts, or built a freelance career, this experience belongs on your resume when it’s relevant to your career goals. The key is presenting non-traditional employment in ways that highlight your skills and achievements while addressing potential employer concerns.
Why Include Temporary Work?
Before diving into formatting specifics, let’s address why temporary work should be included on your resume:
Skills Development
Temporary positions often provide exposure to different companies, industries, and technologies. This breadth of experience can be more valuable than tenure at a single employer.
Filling Employment Gaps
Temporary work during job searches demonstrates initiative and continued professional engagement rather than extended unemployment.
Demonstrating Adaptability
Success across multiple temporary assignments shows you can quickly learn new environments, integrate into teams, and deliver results with minimal ramp-up time.
Relevant Experience
If your temporary work is directly relevant to your target position, excluding it means hiding valuable qualifications from potential employers.
When Temporary Work Might Hurt
There are situations where temporary work presentation requires extra care:
Too Many Short Tenures
Multiple temporary positions without longer-term employment can raise stability concerns. Strategic presentation helps mitigate this.
Unrelated Temporary Work
If your temporary work was in fields unrelated to your current career goals, you may want to minimize or aggregate it rather than detail each position.
Very Recent Temporary Work
Being currently in a temporary position while seeking permanent employment requires thoughtful framing.
Basic Formatting Approaches
Option 1: List Each Position Separately
Best when: Temporary positions were with different companies for significant periods, or each position demonstrates unique relevant experience.
MICROSOFT CORPORATION — Redmond, WA
Contract Project Coordinator | March 2024 - August 2024
(Contract via Robert Half)
• Managed cross-functional team of 8 on enterprise software rollout
• Coordinated implementation schedule across 3 geographic regions
• Created project documentation reducing onboarding time for new team members by 40%
• Project completed 2 weeks ahead of schedule and under budget
AMAZON — Seattle, WA
Temporary Operations Analyst | September 2023 - February 2024
(Via Aerotek Staffing)
• Analyzed warehouse operations data to identify efficiency improvements
• Developed reporting dashboard used by 5 fulfillment centers
• Recommendations implemented resulted in 15% improvement in pick-pack efficiencyOption 2: Group Under Staffing Agency
Best when: You had multiple assignments through the same agency, particularly if individual assignments were short.
ROBERT HALF — San Francisco Bay Area
Contract Administrative Professional | January 2023 - Present
Provided administrative support to multiple Fortune 500 clients including:
Salesforce (June 2024 - Present)
• Executive assistant to VP of Sales Operations
• Manage complex calendar and travel for 3 executives
• Coordinate quarterly sales meetings for 200+ attendees
Google (January 2024 - May 2024)
• Administrative support for engineering team of 45
• Processed expense reports and maintained department budget tracking
• Coordinated team events and offsites
Apple (January 2023 - December 2023)
• Reception and administrative duties for Cupertino campus building
• Managed visitor check-in for 100+ daily guests
• Supported office management with facilities coordinationOption 3: Create a Consulting/Freelance Business Entity
Best when: You have ongoing freelance or consulting work that you’ve treated as a business.
MARTINEZ DIGITAL CONSULTING — Remote
Founder & Digital Marketing Consultant | March 2022 - Present
Independent consultancy providing digital marketing strategy and implementation
for small to medium businesses.
Selected Clients and Projects:
• E-Commerce Client: Developed SEO strategy resulting in 180% organic traffic
increase over 6 months
• Healthcare Startup: Built email marketing program from scratch, achieving
28% open rates and 5% conversion
• Restaurant Group: Managed social media presence across 5 locations, growing
total following from 5K to 45K
• B2B SaaS: Created content marketing strategy generating 50+ qualified leads monthly
Specialties: SEO, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Social Media StrategyOption 4: Aggregate Similar Temporary Roles
Best when: You’ve had many short assignments in similar roles and listing each would create resume clutter.
VARIOUS STAFFING AGENCIES — Chicago, IL
Temporary Accounting Professional | 2022 - 2024
Completed multiple temporary assignments in accounting roles across diverse
industries including manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services.
Key Responsibilities and Achievements:
• Accounts payable/receivable processing for organizations up to $50M revenue
• Month-end close procedures and financial statement preparation
• Reconciled accounts and identified discrepancies saving clients average $10K
• Maintained 100% accuracy rate across all assignments
• Consistently received extension offers and positive client reviews
Assignment History: 8 assignments averaging 3 months each
Clients included: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Kraft Heinz, DeloitteFormatting Specific Situations
Staffing Agency Positions
Always clarify the relationship. Options include:
In the Job Title: “Contract Data Analyst (via Kelly Services)”
In a Parenthetical: “Data Analyst | March 2024 - September 2024 (Temporary assignment through Randstad)”
In the Company Line: “CLIENT COMPANY (Assignment via Staffing Agency)”
The key is ensuring background verification can connect your employment to the staffing agency (your actual employer) while showing where you worked.
Temp-to-Perm Positions
When a temporary position converted to permanent:
ABC COMPANY — Chicago, IL
Marketing Coordinator | January 2023 - Present
Originally hired as temporary via Staffing Agency (January 2023);
converted to permanent employee March 2023
• Achievement bullet 1
• Achievement bullet 2
• Achievement bullet 3Or:
ABC COMPANY — Chicago, IL
Marketing Coordinator (Permanent) | March 2023 - Present
Marketing Coordinator (Temporary via Agency) | January 2023 - March 2023
• Achievement bullets spanning both periodsShort-Term Contracts
For legitimate short-term contracts (not job-hopping), make the intended duration clear:
XYZ CORPORATION — Boston, MA
Contract Business Analyst | June 2024 - August 2024
(3-month contract for ERP implementation project)
• Achieved project deliverables within contracted timeframe
• Led requirements gathering sessions with 6 department stakeholders
• Created training documentation adopted as company standardFreelance Work
Present freelance work professionally:
For Ongoing Freelance:
FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER — Remote
Self-Employed | 2021 - Present
Build and maintain client relationships across various industries,
delivering branding, print, and digital design services.
Select Projects:
• Rebranded regional restaurant chain (12 locations), including logo,
menus, signage, and digital presence
• Designed marketing collateral for tech startup's Series A fundraise
• Created annual report designs for 3 nonprofit organizations
• Maintained 5+ recurring clients with ongoing design needs
Portfolio: janedoedesigns.comFor Freelance During Employment Gaps:
FREELANCE WEB DEVELOPER — Remote
Independent Contractor | June 2023 - December 2023
Provided web development services during career transition period:
• Built e-commerce sites for 4 small businesses using WordPress/WooCommerce
• Developed custom features increasing client conversion rates by 25%
• Maintained 5-star rating across freelance platformsGig Economy Work
Traditional gig work (rideshare, delivery) generally shouldn’t be detailed unless:
- You’re applying to the same industry
- It demonstrates relevant skills
- It explains an employment gap
If including:
VARIOUS PLATFORMS (Uber, DoorDash) — Los Angeles, CA
Independent Contractor | 2023
• Maintained 4.9+ rating across platforms through exceptional customer service
• Managed scheduling, routing, and customer communications independentlyAddressing Employer Concerns
”Will They Leave Quickly?”
Combat job-hopping perceptions by:
Showing Progression: Demonstrate growth across temporary roles—increased responsibility, bigger projects, higher-profile clients.
Including Extensions: “Contract extended twice based on performance” shows employers wanted to keep you.
Framing Your Narrative: Your cover letter or summary can address why you’ve done temporary work and your interest in permanent employment.
”Are They Unemployable Full-Time?”
Counter this concern by:
Highlighting Selectivity: Quality temporary assignments at prestigious companies suggest you’re sought after, not settling.
Showing Choice: If you chose temporary work (flexibility, variety, skill-building), communicate this proactively.
Including Permanent Offers: If you received but declined permanent offers, this demonstrates employability.
”Can They Commit?”
Demonstrate commitment through:
Achievement Focus: Strong results in each role show engagement regardless of employment status.
Professional Development: Continued learning and certification pursuit shows career investment.
References: Strong references from temporary assignments validate your professionalism.
Resume Strategy for Heavy Temporary History
If your recent history is primarily temporary work, consider these approaches:
Lead with Skills
Use a combination format that emphasizes skills before chronological history:
SUMMARY
Operations professional with expertise in supply chain optimization, inventory
management, and process improvement developed through diverse assignments
across manufacturing, retail, and logistics industries.
KEY SKILLS
• Supply Chain Management • ERP Systems (SAP, Oracle)
• Process Improvement • Vendor Management
• Inventory Optimization • Data Analysis
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
[Temporary positions listed with strong achievement focus]Focus on Results
Make achievement metrics impossible to ignore:
“Across 6 temporary assignments totaling 30 months, delivered quantified improvements averaging 15% efficiency gains for each client organization.”
Create Continuity
Frame temporary work as a cohesive career chapter:
CONTRACT OPERATIONS CONSULTANT | 2022 - 2024
Built expertise in supply chain optimization through strategic temporary
assignments with industry leaders including Amazon, Target, and FedEx.Tools and Resources
Building a professional resume that effectively presents temporary work requires attention to formatting and strategy. Platforms like 0portfolio.com can help structure your non-traditional work history in ways that pass ATS screening while appealing to human reviewers.
Resume Checklist for Temporary Work
- Clear indication of employer relationship (agency vs. client)
- Verifiable employment dates
- Achievement-focused bullet points
- Consistent formatting across all positions
- Professional framing of employment status
- Contact information for verification
- Explanation of temporary nature when relevant
Sample Resume Section: Mixed Employment History
Here’s how a resume section might look with mixed permanent and temporary experience:
WORK EXPERIENCE
DELOITTE CONSULTING — Chicago, IL
Senior Consultant | January 2025 - Present
• Lead client engagements in supply chain transformation
• Manage teams of 3-5 consultants on strategy projects
• Developed methodology adopted firm-wide for quick assessments
JOHNSON & JOHNSON — New Brunswick, NJ
Contract Supply Chain Analyst | July 2024 - December 2024
(6-month contract via Kelly Services)
• Analyzed global supply network for $2B product portfolio
• Identified $3.2M in potential savings through supplier consolidation
• Contract concluded as planned; hired into consulting based on J&J work
APEX STAFFING CLIENTS — Chicago Area
Temporary Operations Roles | January 2024 - June 2024
• Completed 3 assignments during job search following relocation
• Maintained production and inventory systems for manufacturing clients
• All assignments received positive reviews and extension offers
CATERPILLAR INC. — Peoria, IL
Operations Manager | March 2020 - December 2023
• Managed team of 25 in production facility
• Implemented lean manufacturing reducing waste by 20%
• Promoted from Operations Supervisor within first yearFinal Thoughts
Temporary work, contract positions, and freelance experience are legitimate career experiences that often provide valuable skills and perspectives. The key is presenting this work professionally:
- Be honest about employment relationships
- Focus on achievements rather than employment status
- Address concerns proactively through strong results and professional presentation
- Frame the narrative in cover letters and interviews
In today’s evolving workplace, employers increasingly value diverse experience and demonstrated adaptability. Present your temporary work confidently, and it becomes an asset rather than a liability.
