Permanent v Contractor CVs

There is a perception that contractor CVs are quite different to CVs for those looking for permanent roles. Working on a fixed term or contract basis is common in many industries – from IT and finance through to creative roles. Whilst the overall look is very similar for both, there can be subtle differences.

Myth: contractor CVs are longer than permanent ones

Some people say that contractor CVs need to be longer than permanent ones as there may be more contracts to describe. Whilst it is true that those working on a fixed term basis are likely to stack up more jobs over time, it is better to keep the CV short and punchy.  You don’t need to have long descriptions of what can be very similar type roles. Focus on the most recent contracts and keep the CV to a two-page format.

Moving into or out of contract roles

You can change the CV to either minimise or maximise the contract nature of a career history. If you have been a contractor and wish to remain so, you can clearly state previous roles were fixed term. However, if you are looking to move into a permanent , you can minimise the contract look of previous jobs.

How to highlight or minimise contract roles

The first and simplest decision is whether to state ‘fixed term’ as a heading next to contract roles. Clearly having this next to every job is going to highlight the contract history. You could decide to mention it within the introductory sentence ‘In this contract role….’. This would reduce the emphasis but still make it clear to the reader that a job was fixed term. You may also decide not to mention at all that job was fixed term. There is no legal requirement to say you must state whether a job was fixed term or not on a CV.

Should I mention my own company name in the CV?

You may have a list of contracts carried out under your company name (although essentially yourself). This can create a perception that you would only be willing to take up a role under your company. With IR35 regulations there is something of a move away from employing contract staff as ‘companies’ in recent times. It could narrow your options to state your company name and might therefore be better to just state the employer name.

Whilst there are some subtle differences in contract v permanent CVs, how you present this information should be dictated by whether you see your future in a permanent or contract type role.

This article is written by Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers. Please do connect with me via LinkedIn.

Check out our CV writing service with details of our packages that include LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. You can get things started with a Free CV review. I am also a qualified career counsellor and provide Career Counselling services for people looking to change career paths.