From Microsoft to mailman: How struggling job seekers are explaining their part-time gigs — or hiding them
In today’s challenging job market, many job seekers are resorting to part-time gigs outside their fields to make ends meet while searching for full-time employment. This trend has raised a crucial question: should these temporary roles be included on résumés when applying for more permanent positions? Job seekers like Kevin Hannegan, who was laid off from his director role at a publishing company, have taken on various part-time jobs, including driving for DoorDash and working at a local arena, yet they remain uncertain about how to present these experiences to potential employers. Feedback on whether to include such roles is mixed; while some believe it demonstrates continued work ethic, others argue that listing unrelated positions may detract from their qualifications for their desired roles.
The dilemma is not unique to Hannegan. Many job seekers express concern over how temporary positions may be perceived by employers, especially in a market where candidates feel pressured to showcase their relevance and fit for specific roles. For instance, a job seeker in San Francisco, who previously earned a substantial salary at tech giants, found himself applying for lower-paying jobs after a year of unemployment. Despite securing roles as a ghost tour guide and a mail carrier, he opted not to include these experiences on his résumé, fearing bias against candidates who are unemployed or working outside their field. Experts like Priya Rathod from Indeed suggest that including all work experiences, even if temporary or unrelated, can highlight initiative and adaptability in a tough job market.
As job seekers navigate this complex landscape, some are taking creative approaches to avoid résumé gaps. For example, a job seeker might list a personal consulting business, regardless of its income, to maintain the appearance of being active in their field. Others, like Miles Bradley, include titles such as “chief technology officer” for a startup that is still seeking funding, even if it does not generate income. In a climate where hiring managers often seek “Goldilocks” candidates—those who fit their criteria perfectly—these strategies reflect the lengths to which individuals will go to enhance their employability. Ultimately, as the job market continues to evolve, job seekers must carefully evaluate how to present their experiences, balancing the need for financial support with the desire to secure a role that truly aligns with their career aspirations.
Some struggling job seekers are taking on part-time gigs to make ends meet — and weighing whether to include them in applications for full-time roles.
Dimensions/Getty Images
Struggling job seekers are
taking part-time gigs
outside their fields to make ends meet.
Some say they’re unsure whether to include these roles in applications for full-time jobs.
They say it’s uncertain whether employers will view their temporary gigs in a positive light.
Kevin Hannegan is proud of the string of part-time gigs he has taken on while
looking for full-time work
. He’s just not sure they belong on his résumé.
Since being laid off from his director role at a publishing company in January 2024, Hannegan has
driven for DoorDash
, worked on the changeover crew at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh — helping convert the arena between concerts and sporting events — and taken on odd jobs for friends, including fixing deck boards and replacing ceiling fans.
He said he asked several people in his life whether it’s wise to include gigs like these on his résumé when applying for full-time roles in his field, and the feedback was roughly split. Half said he should, since it showed he was still working; the other half said listing roles that weren’t full-time or relevant to his field probably wouldn’t be helpful.
Regardless of what he includes, he knows employers will likely have questions about the past two years.
“Being unemployed from full-time work for this long will definitely require some explanation during an interview — whether the information is on a résumé or not,” said Hannegan, who’s in his 50s.
Kevin Hannegan
Kevin Hannegan
Hannegan
is one of several job seekers Business Insider has spoken with over the past year who have
taken part-time jobs
outside their field to earn income while continuing to search for work. Many said they’ve grappled with whether to include temporary roles on their applications — fearing that a résumé gap could hurt their chances, but
that listing a job significantly different from their desired role might do the same.
In a
challenging job market
, some candidates say even small résumé choices are worth agonizing over.
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A laid-off Accenture manager has been job hunting for 21 months. Recruiters keep telling him he’s too expensive.
Whether to hide work experience on your résumé
A San Francisco-based millennial has worked contract positions at
Microsoft and Amazon
in recent years, earning about $120,000 annually. When the latter ended in December 2023, he struggled to find another role.
At first, he wasn’t interested in the job postings recruiters sent him that offered as little as $75,000 a year. But after a year of struggling to find work — and relying on unemployment benefits and
food stamps to stay afloat
— his perspective shifted.
“By the end of 2024, I would have loved to make $75,000,” he said.
After a year of unemployment, he began
applying for any gig
he could find, and eventually secured
work
as a ghost tour guide for $30 an hour and a US Postal Service
mail carrier for $24 hourly. He estimated that he’ll earn about $55,000 this year across the two jobs.
While he
hasn’t stopped applying for communications roles, you won’t find either of his current gigs on his résumé. He believes many companies are biased against
candidates who are unemployed
or working outside their field.
It’s unclear how much job seekers stand to gain by leaving certain gigs off their applications. Priya Rathod, workplace trends editor at Indeed, said it’s generally wise to include any work experience — even if it’s temporary or outside one’s field — and to highlight the skills gained from those roles.
“It’s not a surprise to employers right now that a lot of people are struggling in the job market,” she said, “And I think it shows initiative that you’ve continued to stay in the workforce in some capacity.”
Hannegan said he considered adding his changeover crew job to his résumé because it’s a unique role that might catch an employer’s attention — and signals that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to support his family.
However, Hannegan isn’t optimistic that tweaking his résumé would make a difference. He said he recently decided to pause his search for a full-time role and focus on part-time gigs.
“It’s exhausting to put in the work and get no response,” he said.
Finding ways to avoid a résumé gap
Some job seekers aren’t just being selective about which gigs they include in applications — they’re also trying to avoid a résumé gap. The key, some say, is finding any relevant experience they can frame as their current role.
In addition to leaving his mailman and ghost tour gigs off his résumé, the
San Francisco-based millennial lists his current employment as an independent communications consulting business. He said the business is barely active and brings in little income, but he includes it to avoid showing an employment gap — and to maintain the appearance that he’s still working in his field.
“I have to keep this charade up that my independent communications business is healthy and successful and that I’m not hustling as a letter carrier,” he said.
Miles Bradley has been searching for work since losing his contract software engineering role at AT&T in 2022. He said he’s the chief technology officer of a startup, but the company is still securing funding and isn’t yet providing any income. Still, he keeps it on his résumé to signal that he remains
active in the tech industry.
“The industry has become addicted to finding the ‘Goldilocks’ candidates,” said Bradley, who’s in his 50s and lives in New York. “They want to have somebody that exactly fits what they’re looking for.”
Miles Bradley
Miles Bradley
Lisa Rangel, CEO of Chameleon Resumes, an executive job search firm, said job seekers have good reason to keep a current position on their résumés — and especially on their LinkedIn profiles.
Some recruiters, she said, are more likely to search for candidates who are currently employed — in part because they’re perceived as a “safer” hire than someone who isn’t working.
To improve their chances of being discovered, Rangel recommends job seekers add a current position to their LinkedIn profile if they’re not formally employed. This could be a personal consulting or freelance role — if they’ve done relevant work — or a placeholder title such as “Seeking marketing manager role,” with the “company” field reflecting their target industry.
“You need a ‘current position’ that outlines what you are doing during your unemployment period,” Rangel said.
At a minimum, Indeed’s Rathod recommends that job seekers address résumé gaps in their résumé and cover letters, as well as during interviews.
Juan Pelaez said he’s been fortunate not to have an employment gap on his résumé, despite being laid off in 2023. That’s because he’s continued doing part-time work for his former employer while searching for full-time marketing and project management roles.
Juan Pelaez
Juan Pelaez
Pelaez, who’s in his 40s, also has a side gig that he has debated including in his applications. To earn some income during his job search, he’s
worked as a background actor
on a few films — including “Happy Gilmore 2.” He hasn’t listed the acting work on his résumé, but said he’s now reconsidering.
“Not having it on there hasn’t yielded positive results, so maybe putting it in there would help,” he said.
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