Do I put a temp position in my CV/Resume?

Kathleen asks: I was hired for a contracted writing position that lasted only a few weeks. Do I list that under the employment section of my resume, or should I list that under skills/other activities? It is my only contracted position.

In answer:
Bearing in mind that you don't lie on a CV/Resume, your CV/Resume is not supposed to be a list of every single job you have ever done. It's purpose is to include enough information to be invited for an interview. Answering the following questions should help you:

- Are you proud of this job?
- Do you think the work you did on this contract demonstrates your value as an employee in your chosen field?
- Did you learn things you would not otherwise have known?
- Do you have any other contract work you can group together?
- Will it add value to your CV/Resume?

If you are a new graduate, it may be helpful to use anything you can leverage. However, you should still try to keep your CV/Resume focused to your career goal. Basically, if your goal is to be a writer, include it - say that it was a short-term contract assignment to explain the dates, listing your learnings and accomplishments on this job. If your goal is to be an accountant, it may not be applicable.

Good Luck!

How to show technical college coursework and skills on a CV/resume?

Rick asks: I'm completing my degree in Operations Management and Supply Chain, and currently working on my resume. My concentration courses are quite technical (statistics, computer models, etc) and do not really have self-explanatory titles, unless the person who reads my resume has similar technical skills. Should I include a sentence or two to briefly explain what the courses has covered, then add more about what skills I have gained, and finally tell more about the major projects in those course? In other words, what is the best way to present major coursework in college graduates resume? How do I do it, do you know any examples? Thank you!

In answer:
Most post-graduates suffer from relatively short work experience, so they worry about how to write up their CV/resume's.

Honestly, this is not a problem - view your University projects as would a work based resume writing up individual projects done at the place of work, to show case your skills.

For each project state the scope if the title is not 110% obvious (ie - House wife is easier to understand than is Domestic Engineer), the objective and the outcome. If you worked as part of a team, state that and your role/scope/deliverables in the team, and outcome of the team. Keep each project to three lines maximum, with a final dissertation project at double that.

Post-graduates worry about having experience enough to fill two pages - you just have different skills and experience, that's all!

Good luck!