Including Concurrent Positions on a Resume

Back in 1999 when I first started my business, I held two jobs at the same time in addition to my role as President of 100PercentResumes.com in order to "make ends meet." Like many of us in a similar position, I was very proud of my efforts in managing all 3 endeavors concurrently. When developing my resume, or if asked during an interview, I would certainly emphasize this achievement to demonstrate my multi-task management skills and work ethic.

Or should I?

It is important to note the difference between what we as job seekers perceive as important and what employers seek. In specific instances, the skill or achievement we wish to emphasize is not one that a potential employer will value. The abovementioned example of having 2 jobs at the same time is an accomplishment that is best kept "on the back burner." The reason? Employers do not want you to have another job on the side when you are working for THEIR company, so any indication of having concurrent positions in the past may be frowned upon, at least in the Screening stage of job search.

What to Do:

1. Leave off the less important position on your resume altogether. Remember, the resume is not an all-inclusive document- typically, we will not include jobs we've had in high school, temporary positions, etc. on a resume. So, you can leave off one of the concurrent positions, making sure to include the one that is more important or more relevant to your current job search.

2. Leave off the less important position- but mention it in a footnote format at the bottom of the Experience section. If you feel it is important to include a mention of this position, but you do not want to give the appearance of having two jobs at the same time, describe the position sans dates at the bottom of this section.

EX:

Sales Manager, 2003-2006
DEF Company, Location

(at the end of the Experience section:)

** Held additional position as Sales Representative with XYZ Company.

Note that we did not include a date nor a location description for the XYZ position. Also note that we described this as an "Additional position" rather than a "previous" one because a position held at the same time as another cannot be labeled as a "prior" position.

3. If the job titles for both concurrent positions are the same, include the date with the job title and put the company names under each. From a first glance, the reader cannot necessarily determine that the companies are not linked together (e.g. some employees may work for 2 companies at the same time that are partner companies, so this would not be perceived as holding two different jobs at the same time).

EX.:

Financial Analyst, 2001-2005
XYZ Company, Houston, TX / XYZ Company, Sugar Land, TX


Whether leaving information off or including it in a different format, your best bet is to avoid mentioning two employment positions (that you held concurrently) in the same format. It's all about perception: when developing and sending a resume, you want to create a first impression that leaves little to no room for red flags. You always have the interview to discuss the "two jobs at the same time" situation- and in this forum, the employer may actually be impressed with this aspect of your background, as long as you indicate this is a one-time occurrence and that you do not plan to moonlight if you are working for them!

Gaps in Employment History on a Resume

Have you been fortunate to leave your old job on Friday afternoon and begin your new one on Monday morning? Or do so within the same month? If so, then you're more fortunate than many of us who have gaps in our employment history. These can be attributed to a variety of reasons, including health-related issues, lack of an immediate offer of employment, and severance packages that allow for additional time in one's job search.

No matter what the reason is, having a gap in your employment history never looks good on a resume. Unfortunately, hiring decision-makers can be quick to judge that the gap shows a character flaw rather than a legitimate reason. In order to combat being a victim of this unfair approach, you can use a key strategy to eliminate the "gap" issue on your resume:

** Use the year-year format rather than the month/year-month-year format. This is perhaps the most effective strategy to use for covering a gap, as it provides an accurate date yet does not reveal a gap. In fact, you can ethically cover a gap of over 1 year using this format (e.g. If you leave former Job X in February of 2004 and begin current Job Y in March of 2005, you can use the format XXXX-2004 and 2005-XXXX- thus, the reader can only determine that you may have left Job X as late as 12/2004 and begun Job Y as soon as 01/2005).

EX.:
NAME OF COMPANY, Location. Job Title, 2006-Present.
NAME OF PREVIOUS COMPANY, Location. Job Title, 2003-2005.
NAME OF PREVIOUS COMPANY, Location. Job Title, 2000-2003.

Of course, it is important to note that may need to provide the month/year-month/year format on an application once you are called in for an interview, and you can certainly be asked about your specific dates of employment (and reasons for any gaps) during an interview. Remember, though, that interviews allow more time and context in which to explain items that cannot and should not be addressed on a resume, including employment gaps.