Resume Writing Tips For the Gig Economy

When it comes to the job hunt, the most important tool to have across the board is a well-written resume. Whether you’re a traditional employee or someone looking for work as an independent contractor, your resume is the key piece of material that you’ll need to effectively sell yourself to prospective employers. While a contractor’s resume is similar to a traditional resume, it can serve a dual purpose. The contractor’s resume is not only about showing experience, but also about getting across your readiness to jump in feet-first on a project and deliver results.

To help your contractor resume stand out from the crowd, we’ve assembled four helpful hints on how to assemble the strongest resume possible.

Think of it as an elevator pitch on a page. Being able to effectively synthesize your experience and relevant skill set on one page will stand out more than having multiple pages of drawn-out job descriptions. Above all, make sure your resume is clean and easy to navigate, with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The little things are key.

Get creative. While your resume should be straight to the point, don’t miss out on the opportunity to show you care about the position you’re applying for. Most recruiters are looking for keywords from their job description when scanning a resume, so take the time to make sure you include a few of those tailored keywords. It’s helpful to have a base resume, from which you can highlight (or remove unrelated) skills to effectively showcase you as the strongest candidate for the position.

Quantify, not over-qualify. When it comes to contractor resumes, you should focus on making the most impact when discussing your job history. The company is looking for someone with high-volume ticket experience? Turn that skill set into a number. Include the average number of tickets you’ve completed in a day, rather than just state you’ve had high volume experience. Being able to show how exactly you’re qualified, rather than filling the page with soft skills and flowery language, will take your resume farther.

Prioritize and be factual. Unless you’re a recent graduate or just starting out in your career, the education section of your resume can be moved to the end. If you want to make it clear early on why your resume might be a little sparse, list your education first. A degree from an accredited university may help you get your foot in the door. But be aware, this is not the time to list every club and side project you were ever involved in. Make sure to only add projects that are relevant to the position, that you have actually worked on, and for which can provide details if asked. Your resume is the best way to market yourself, and you don’t want to be called out for false advertising.

As we at ModSquad can attest, the gig economy is flourishing, providing plenty of opportunities for go-getters to work on assignments that best suit their skills and interests. The hardest part is getting noticed by the appropriate decision-makers. With a professional, well-thought-out resume, you’ll be letting your experience and attention to detail help tell your story. The time you put into your resume now raises the likelihood of your work search story having a fantastic ending.