Writing a great resume is hard. To condense your background and accomplishments into 1-2 pages and have it stand out amongst hundreds of resumes is painful but necessary. Crafting a top-notch resume requires being thoughtful and knowing what to include to help you get your foot in the door.
As someone with a unique professional background who has transitioned across multiple business units and now coaches others on how to do the same, I understand how to build a resume that stays true to who you are while differentiating you from the competition. I am also well-versed in helping clients answer the question, “Should I put that on my resume?”
Here are 10 scenarios I have encountered and my advice on what to include:
Scenario: You worked full-time at a company for less than a year.
Verdict: It depends.
No, if you left on poor terms and do not have a reference from that job.
Yes, if you left on good terms and the opportunity fills a resume gap (e.g. time or skill).
Throughout my years of coaching professionals with varying backgrounds, the response to this scenario has often been yes. Explaining a gap in a resume is always something that should be proactively addressed in person and on paper.
Scenario: You freelanced and took on short-term assignments while unemployed.
Verdict: Yes.
Freelancing shows that you’re a self-starter, so it’s important you highlight that quality. Depending on the length of your freelance work, you can either list each assignment separately or put all your freelance jobs under one title (tip: if you have several clients, create a company name for yourself and list all freelance work under it).
Scenarios 3-10 and the complete Forbes article
As someone with a unique professional background who has transitioned across multiple business units and now coaches others on how to do the same, I understand how to build a resume that stays true to who you are while differentiating you from the competition. I am also well-versed in helping clients answer the question, “Should I put that on my resume?”
Here are 10 scenarios I have encountered and my advice on what to include:
Scenario: You worked full-time at a company for less than a year.
Verdict: It depends.
No, if you left on poor terms and do not have a reference from that job.
Yes, if you left on good terms and the opportunity fills a resume gap (e.g. time or skill).
Throughout my years of coaching professionals with varying backgrounds, the response to this scenario has often been yes. Explaining a gap in a resume is always something that should be proactively addressed in person and on paper.
Scenario: You freelanced and took on short-term assignments while unemployed.
Verdict: Yes.
Freelancing shows that you’re a self-starter, so it’s important you highlight that quality. Depending on the length of your freelance work, you can either list each assignment separately or put all your freelance jobs under one title (tip: if you have several clients, create a company name for yourself and list all freelance work under it).
Scenarios 3-10 and the complete Forbes article
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