I got an employment gap in which I was working on my side projects. I wonder how I can write them under Work Experience in my resume.
EDIT: This is NOT a duplicate of the other question. I am asking "how to list them". Stop flagging this!
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Nope! I am asking "how to list them". – user3053320 Jun 29 '14 at 19:31
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1http://meta.stackexchange.com/a/194495/165773 – gnat Jun 29 '14 at 19:32
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1Why wouldn't "Just put them down" be the answer? – JB King Jun 29 '14 at 21:17
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My question is "how". – user3053320 Jun 29 '14 at 22:18
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Nothing you have said makes me read this any differently. You should explain what it is you are wanting to know not just say its not the same. Describe what you need to know that is not answered in that question and I suspect the votes will be reversed. – IDrinkandIKnowThings Jun 30 '14 at 18:06
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If you cannot understand the question, then I guess the question is not for you. – user3053320 Jul 03 '14 at 22:37
1 Answers
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It can vary slightly, depending on both the projects and their duration.
If you received any compensation for them, I'd list them under a single heading with the rest of my work experience, with a start date of the first project you freelanced for, and the end date of "present".
Example:
Leigh, Freelancing - July 1996 to present
Web development, copy writing, underwater basket weaving, monkey training, lion taming. Clients included sole proprietorships and microbusinesses in Some Metro Area, USA.
If they were volunteer opportunities, I'd put them under "Volunteer Projects" and list each project out with organization name, approximate start and stop dates, and a brief summary of what role you held/what you did.
Example:
Homeowner's Association Board - 2010 to 2012
- Treasurer, 2010
- President, 2011
- Seargant-at-Arms, 2012
How to list and how thoroughly to describe can also change slightly depending on what industry you're targeting, how long you've been in the workforce, and the relevance of the projects to the position(s) you're applying for. You can use your cover letter (assuming your local job market regularly makes use of cover letters) to briefly mention any relevant volunteer/side projects, so that when your resume is initially being scanned, they know to look specifically for that side project and take it into consideration when deciding whether or not to interview you.
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Thanks for your answer, Leigh. What should I write as a company name since I am trying list them under Work Experience part of my resume? – user3053320 Jun 29 '14 at 21:53
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If you have legally registered a dba (doing business as/business alias/company name), use that. If not, just use your own name. – Jun 29 '14 at 22:23
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Ok, so I will write in this format: Freelancer at My Full Name. Isn't it weird? – user3053320 Jun 29 '14 at 22:32
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If I didn't have a dba and needed to list my freelancing experience on my resume, I would put it as "My Full Name, (title)". Since you seem to also have formatting questions, you may wish to check with your local job-searching agencies. Many US states have whole departments that they offer free jobsearch/jobsearch prep information, courses, and counselling. – Jun 29 '14 at 23:12