A few years of doing contract work
I went through a layoff. I started contract work/temp work. I also moved back to my home state during that time due to lack of work and to be owner-occupied to get a loan modification. Today, I was disqualified to a job post and asked for feedback. I was told due to employment longevity. I responded back see below: "Yes, I did contract positions by choice while in Illinois temporarily. I thought that was the right honest thing to do, compared to accepting a job and knowing that you will be moving in the future. I was in the area to finally be approved for a loan modification on a condo that I own there, which took a lot longer than anticipated. I was offered the job as purchasing assistant at the College and I could have had a lot of the other ones, but I had always planned to come back here. I did go through a layoff also in 2009. Thank you, I will try to rewrite my resume for the future. What would be the best way to explain contract work. Even though I was at some good companies and learned.
Laura: contract work has grown in difficult economic times. i think it's important to always focus on what you learned from the experience in terms of how you can add value to an employer and put it in a positive light. Your answer, unfortunately, focuses exclusively on the personal and says nothing about the duties you had as a contractor. Think about the impression you want to make and how an employer might react to you. You want to come across as focused. You might also want to check your grammar in general and have a friend read your correspondence as the tone should be more formal. For example, avoid use of phrases such as "right honest thing to do" which you might say to a friend but is way too informal (and unnecessary) in correspondence with an employer. You might have said simply that you moved to ___ for personal reasons and wanted the opportunity to explore the job market in __ while there. You took a temp position that allowed you to: utilize existing skills? learn new skills?meet people in your field? and decided to return to ___ where you are now committed to staying for the long-term and therefore are seeeking permanent employment.
I have been contracting for about ten years. What I have done was separated my "full-time perm" jobs from my contract jobs, and then grouped my contract jobs under "Temporary, Contract Employment." I then sub-bulleted my "clients" under that heading.
I hate contracting, too, but here in Silicon Valley, where jobs are fluid, it doesn't make much difference. I've had "full time perm" jobs last less time than some contracts. Every time there's a new manager, an acquisition, a re-org, a budget shortfall, or a stock tumble, companies lay people off--both full time and contractors. So I'm always open to both types of work.
There is nothing wrong with contract work. Long or short term. Sure there may be no perks or unemployment benefits. You know it will end (1 month to 10 years, who knows). It does give you opportunity to gain experience, you are usually on board to fulfill a need, it opens first hand networking opportunities, builds relationships and keeps you on the open to the next opportunity. Beats being stuck in a job just because and wishing you had other choices. Look at the upside of contract (freelance) opportunities. They can be plentiful and way more rewarding.
the best to explain contract work is that you did it to enhance your CV and experience different types of work resulting in transferable skills to take to your next job.
Hi Laura. I too am in the same position. And I too was forced to take contract work. Although I was quite good at it, it seemed to be a downer... My companies were internationally recognized but it was a no hire because ofcontract work
Laura,
I agree with the comments below. Not knowing your background or skills, you have an opportunity to communicate your talent and value proposition in a positive way regarding contract work.
I am no expert, but during this transition I am finding myself helping others starting out or looking for employment which I am happy to do. Many years of hiring experience and some knowledge on how to tell the story. Happy to provide other advice on resume, linkedin profile, etc.
My Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hojo5 My email: hkaufmanusa@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Howard
Actually, the HR person doing the hiring is just showing how ignorant they are. Short term contract work IS just another job, but agreed limited in time. (Regular full time jobs aren't permanent either.) A loan modification is none of their business. You accepted a job that just happened to be temporary. I'm a mechanical design engineer currently going through another layoff, with 19 years total of direct hire positions and 6 years total of contract positions. The contracts have actually gone longer, being kept on for additional projects. And of course, the full time permanent positions weren't. Just keep your head up and trudge on.
I think your explanation email had all the necessary information (maybe even too much info). This is one of those situations where that particular company decided your weren't the right fit for what they were looking for. Doesn't mean you don't have the qualifications, skill, and experience to do the job it's just an uncontrollable item their looking for in a candidate. Contract work is very common among professional especially during the difficult economic years following the finance collapse in 2008. The fact is that you keep yourself active during times where you could have remained unemployed. I think that speaks to you determination, ability to think on your feet, overcome difficult challenges. Don't get discouraged by this experience... move on to the next one!!
Really, they should look at a person who can survive on contract and temp work as a bonus, seriously. It shows you are flexible, have a good skillset, are able to adapt quickly and catch on - you have smarts, and you have plenty of varied experience to pull from. I see no reason why that is not a win-win.