A lot of international students are rideshare drivers or food delivery drivers: When writing resumes, many gig drivers think that adding their rideshare or delivery gig is not a good idea.
We got many questions from students and other full-time rideshare drivers planning to return to traditional full-time jobs. ” Is it a good idea to add rideshare experience to my resume?”
Does it worry you whether or not your experience in gig work will impress the hirer at a big interview? Here are 5 tips to secure your dream job with pride as an ex-gig economy worker!
1. Put the hirer’s technology to your own use!
Well established companies, especially expert corporate firms, set up automated applicant tracking systems synced with the form which you submit your resume through. These help them short-list applicants with the most relevant experience to their hiring criteria. As a gig worker your have the chance to strike a score because of the many soft skills you have learnt during your time in the gig economy. Of course it is not easy to list all of the customer service skills that you have but mentioning the relevant ones will get you through the initial tracking process.
For example, if you are applying for a sales position at a big firm you might want to translate your community ratings to a statement of priority like ‘customer satisfaction value’ or ‘0 customer complaints’.
2. Know your stats!
Many people like to gather confidence before an interview by thoroughly studying the professional background of their potential employers alongside relevant statistics. But often they leave behind a crucial part from which most of the questions come from. The applicant’s own statistics.
You do not have to wait for the date of your interview to portray your statistics. There can be a short section in your resume following your skillset which includes statistical data about your expense management, regularity and over all performance. This not only reduces your experience to numbers and facts but also gives the hirer a proven data from the gig platform’s records!
3. Build a functional resume
Remember, your CV represents you. Its primary goal is to pass through the automated tracker to the table of Human Resource. But there are a few features that they prefer over any ordinary port folio.
One of the most important being the ‘functionality’ of your resume which means whether or not it provides active, updated and proven information. You CV is supposed to be more than your bio or introduction. Always add information that is tailored to the job titles that you are applying for. This gives the impression that you have actively prepared for it.
Your resume will be functional when it follows the format of ‘primary skillset -> employment history -> additional experience’. Of course all of this should be relevant to the post you are applying for.
4. Always mention your career objective
Your prospective employers will always want to see your ambition. Do not shy away from speaking about your passion and professional goals. In fact your experience with part-time jobs can tell a lot about your dedication towards professional motive.
If you worked in the gig economy alongside studying at a university or developing skills in your passion then the employer will be informed about your quality to balance between jobs.
Your career objective will drive your image in the future and bring you promotions while your previous professional experience can always help you solve current problems!
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5. Do not back away from getting help
It is completely fine if you do not have the time or means to construct a well performing resume. You can always take help from a professional resume writer, download free resume templates from the internet or even take tips from ex-gig workers who are working permanent jobs now.
Always include the transferable skills which you have earned during gig work so as to give your employer a heads up on your flexibility. Use simple but factual sentences to list your skills, here are examples of some sample resume points, approved by ex-gig workers, you may include:
Successfully completed more than 250 trips while running my own business.
Maintained a driver rating of 4.95 stars for approximately 3 years. Achieving this rating required customer service, route planning, and organizational skills.
As an independent contractor, I handled all operational duties associated with running a business. This includes bookkeeping and expense tracking.
I also enhanced earnings by recruiting three new drivers in one year (shows influencer skills).
Why is it important to include gig experience in your CV?
A lot of international students are rideshare drivers or food delivery drivers: When writing resumes, many gig drivers think that adding their rideshare or delivery gig is not a good idea.
We got many questions from students and other full-time rideshare drivers planning to return to traditional full-time jobs. ” Is it a good idea to add rideshare experience to my resume?”
Its a great question. The answer is “It depends…” In saying that, I personally feel the benefits outweigh the risks.
In interviews, its all about showcasing transferable skills and how to explain the relevance of what you did as a rideshare driver to the job you are applying for.
It is okay to still have doubts regarding the building of a ‘perfect’ resume. But that is the catch, it does not need to be ‘perfect’ as much as it needs to be short, crisp and relevant. The language can be simple and easy, sentences can be quick to read. Here are some verified sources that can help you write your first CV since you started gig work:
- ‘How to tailor your resume’ by Youthcentral, an initiative for employment of the youth by Government of Victoria.
- ‘How to write a work experience section’ by Kickresume.
- ‘How to add a temporary employment history on your resume and make it look good’ by Topresume.
