Contract CVs are different from traditional CV as a CV for a contractor doesn’t always follow a traditional format. Your history of work may be a range of various developments which do not fit in with a traditional CV, or a group of developments may have run at the same time and therefore do not fit into a traditional format.
Alternatively to using a traditional CV format, use your experience to your advantage and use it in a meaningful way using these tips:
Project-Based CV
If your experience is in various industries, or different job roles, consider using themes to show your history. Projects could be put into the topic by using relevant sectors or the role you played in each project. For each development, provide a summary, such as:
Engineering Consultancy Co.July 2011 – Jan 2013
Employed to meet increased demands as the firm obtained four new contracts.Worked on the development and construction of Development B, until it was completed in December.
Given the challenge of getting the development on track and to find ways of progressing quickly with the work whilst remaining within the budget. The project owner was very happy with the outcome and is in talks about other projects for the future.
Pro tip: Change your CV for each seperate job role, highlighting the skills and experience that best fit the job role.
Skills Based CV
On the other hand, you could look at the CV as a skills focused document. This involves developing a precise list of services you can provide that then gives you topics to list your contracted jobs under. Put the most relevant skills in this section at the top, this changes for each individual job role.
This is a useful way to show your CV if you’re after a career change. Whereas as an employer may look at your previous roles and think they’re not what they’re looking for, you highlight the skills that they’re looking for and provide meaning to your experience.
Length of Your Contractor CV
Your CV should not be any longer than 2-3 pages, which may be a problem if your job roles have been short term, for example, two to five months. This may mean you have a long list of previous job roles and therefore you should pick the most relevant to that individual job, instead of trying to list them all to show your experience.