The Pongo Blog
"Should I Put a Short-Term Job on My Resume?"
June 17, 2010 (11:30AM) by Brianna Raymond, CPRW
The scenario: You worked a job for a very short time (1 to 2 months) and want to know if that job belongs on your resume or not. Pongo's Customer Support Team hears this question a lot.
The simple answer applies to any job you've ever had, whether it lasted 5 years or 2 months: If you made a valuable contribution in that job, and if what you did is relevant to the job you're now applying for, then you should put it on your resume. If not, it's OK to leave it off.
I'll break it down a little more.
If you were at a job for a month and barely settled into it, nothing about that experience will add value to your resume.
With that in mind, you might wonder if leaving a gap in employment dates would cause a problem. Typically, a gap of 6 or more months would be more likely to raise eyebrows than a gap of 1 or 2 months. A brief gap shouldn't prevent you from getting an interview. But, if the employer asks in the interview what you were doing during that time, be sure to explain truthfully.
Bottom line: If that short-term job adds zero value to your accomplishments and work experience, and leaving a gap is the only thing that's keeping you from taking the job off your resume, then take it off.
Any questions? Please ask them in a comment below!
RELATED LINKS
How to Explain Work History Gaps in the Interview
Posted by: vicki reif | June 19, 2010 at 4:02 PM | Quote This Comment
A question comes to mind in this type of situation. I have been at a job for 4 months and was in a field that I was trying to pursue. This job started to slow down with work and since I was one of the newest ones on the crew, I was the first one to get laid off. I was wondering what was the best way to go about including this type of situation in my resume?
Posted by: Sean | June 20, 2010 at 3:31 PM | Quote This Comment
The above statement is seen to be contradictory. The situation is very critical and need an experience complainer to resolve it.
Posted by: Job Description | June 21, 2010 at 3:28 AM | Quote This Comment
Should I put down a job I was at for awhile and got alot of experience from and received bonuses for etc. if I was fired because of a communication error
Posted by: Roxanne | June 30, 2010 at 11:41 AM | Quote This Comment
@Sean: As always, include the job in your resume if it fits the formula: If you made a valuable contribution in that job, and if what you did is relevant to the job you're now applying for, then you should put it on your resume. Regardless of the layoff, keep the focus on your experience and the accomplishments you gained in that 4 months. There's no need to explain the layoff in your resume, you can address it once you get to the interview (but only if they ask about it).
Posted by: Brianna | June 30, 2010 at 11:46 AM | Quote This Comment
@Roxanne: YES YES YES YES. :)
Posted by: Brianna | June 30, 2010 at 11:47 AM | Quote This Comment
What happens if you worked at temp PLACES FOR AYEAR BUT TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT ONE
Posted by: Roger Mays, Sr. | August 22, 2010 at 7:58 PM | Quote This Comment