CV: Including ad-hoc roles

[Hicks]

Good afternoon

I have been out of contract for a few months but have been doing some ad-hoc IT Support in my local area to keep me busy and some income coming in.

Would it be a good idea to include this on my CV to account for the gap since my last contract?

I'm not sure it warrants it's own entry but perhaps a cursory mention would suffice.

Would welcome any thoughts/experiences of similar.

[cojak]

Yes, put them in. Those ad-hoc jobs are as important for your CV as they are for the money coming in.

It shows that you're wanted and pro-active when it comes to finding work.

[northernladuk]

Does it compliment your current skill set and roles you are looking for. If not I would leave it or attempt to use the elements you have picked up to compliment what you are after. Lazy agents (and clients) will read the last role and bin/read further from there. If you are a senior programme manager and you have a few months of IT support then you are f***ed.

If it helps use it, if it doesn't drop it.

[Svalbaard]

Good question.

Whenever I have a gap of more than a month or two I include a one liner (including dates) in the main body of my CV under career history called "Between contracts." That line refers the reader to a short paragraph at the back of the CV indicating what I was doing for the months in question, which also includes non work related activities such as travelling and pastimes.

I have never had any issues with agencies or employers using this approach, and some of my best roles have come about by being able to discuss this information, such as mutually visited holiday destinations and activities with interviewers.

Best of luck finding a role soon.

[dynamicsaxcontractor]

Good question.

Whenever I have a gap of more than a month or two I include a one liner (including dates) in the main body of my CV under career history called "Between contracts." That line refers the reader to a short paragraph at the back of the CV indicating what I was doing for the months in question, which also includes non work related activities such as travelling and pastimes.

I have never had any issues with agencies or employers using this approach, and some of my best roles have come about by being able to discuss this information, such as mutually visited holiday destinations and activities with interviewers.

Best of luck finding a role soon.

In my sales presentation (CV) I only states main projects worked on. I leave any smaller pieces out and would not state what I have been doing on my holidays (between contracts).

[Hicks]

Thank you - some interesting viewpoints.

In my sales presentation (CV) I only states main projects worked on. I leave any smaller pieces out and would not state what I have been doing on my holidays (between contracts).

So, if you were out of contract for several months how would you account for this period on your CV?

[northernladuk]

Am bored and slightly off topic but did you know the differences between singular and plural CVs? Quite interesting really..

Singular CV - Curriculum Vitae
Multiple's of YOUR CV - Curricula Vitae
Multiple CV's of different people - Curricula Vitarum
Single CV of multiple lives - Curriculum Vitarum (but only eligable for for cats and maybe Buddhists)

Vitae relates to your life so you cannot pluralise this word as you do not have many lives. Curriculum means the course of so you can have multiple courses.

So Curriculum Vitae roughtly translates to the course of your life.

Interesting huh.....

Mock me if you want but I bet plenty of people are going to edit their CV's right now!

[dynamicsaxcontractor]

Thank you - some interesting viewpoints.




So, if you were out of contract for several months how would you account for this period on your CV?

By leaving it blank, unless I am working on a very interesting internal project.

[SueEllen]

Am bored and slightly off topic but did you know the differences between singular and plural CVs? Quite interesting really..

Show off.

[Svalbaard]

In my sales presentation (CV) I only states main projects worked on. I leave any smaller pieces out and would not state what I have been doing on my holidays (between contracts).

If that way works for you then great.