Resume For A Part-Time Job (With Examples)

Taking on a part-time job can be a great way to turn your free time into extra income and learn many useful skills to help you in your career.

However, there are a few key differences you need to keep in mind when you’re applying for a part-time job that make it necessary to create a tailored resume, rather than just use your main resume.

In this article, we’ll discuss these differences and the unique challenges involved when applying for a part-time position. We’ll also explain exactly how to create a winning resume for a part-time job, as well as provide you with tips and writing samples to help you along.

How Is a Part-Time Resume Different From a Standard One?

When applying for a secondary, part-time position to supplement their main job, professionals often make the mistake of using their main resume.

This may lower your chances of getting the role for two main reasons:

• Overqualification. Being overqualified is typically a good thing when it comes to landing a job.

  However, this is not at all the case with part-time positions, which tend to be in high turnover industries such as retail, hospitality, and service.

  In these industries, many hiring managers are wary of hiring overqualified individuals, as on average they tend to leave their positions more quickly.

  Any benefit gained from hiring a team member with such qualifications is offset by the higher training costs and business disruptions involved with quick employee turnover.

  When applying for a part-time job, you want to use a resume that displays you as a competent and perfectly qualified candidate, but you don’t want to come off as too overqualified.

• Specialization.Chances are that the part-time position you get isn’t going to perfectly match the qualifications and skills required by your main job.

  The resume you use to advance your accounting or software development career, for example, isn’t suited for applying to a position in retail.

  Creating a new resume tailored specifically to the part-time job will improve your chances of getting that interview.

How to Write a Resume for a Part-Time Position

The steps for writing an effective resume for a part-time job differ slightly from writing one for a standard full-time position.

Here are the most important steps to follow:

1. Explain your objective. While including a statement of intent isn’t necessary on a standard resume, it is when you’re applying for a part-time job.

   Your working hours and schedule will likely be different from full-time employees, so it’s important to tell the employer that you’re looking for part-time work ahead of time to avoid any confusion once you meet for an interview.

2. Tailor your qualifications. Unless you’ve worked the part-time position you’re applying to before, you’ll likely need to adapt your qualifications and experience from other jobs to meet the job listing’s requirements.

   Don’t be afraid to get creative or mention skills from completely different industries, as long as they’re relevant.

   For example, your experience as an engineer may seem completely unrelated to a part-time job in retail.

   However, you could use examples of times you’ve solved technical problems to demonstrate the same critical-thinking skills that will help you address customer concerns as a retail worker.

Resume Writing Tips for Applying to Part-Time Positions

All hiring managers are different when deciding which applicant to hire for a part-time job. However, the following part-time resume writing tips will help you maximize your chances of impressing them:

1. Showcase computer skills. Many part-time jobs take the form of remote work.

   Even if you’re applying for an in-person job such as retail, possessing computer skills will still help you use various store tools required for the role as well as set you far ahead of most other candidates.

2. Be specific. With most part-time positions receiving dozens of applications, you need to stand out to even get a chance of making it to the interview.

   Writing your resume to target a specific or niche role is a great way to do that, as it’ll leave a stronger impression and define you as a unique candidate.

   For example, suppose you’re applying for a clerical office job. After demonstrating your sufficient general qualifications for the role, you might choose to use the rest of your resume to highlight your technical competency.

   This way, you’ll brand yourself as the “tech candidate” in the hiring manager’s mind, in contrast to the dozens of other qualified, yet generic competing applicants.

3. Branch out. Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs that you don’t have direct experience with, even at an entry-level.

   Unless you’re pursuing a role that requires specific certifications or domain skills, you should be able to relate many skills you used on almost any of your previous jobs or volunteer roles to the current position.

   For example, an individual who worked in the service industry could cite their excellent communication skills as a way to get even a technical job, as those positions often require collaboration and teamwork.

4. Prioritize demonstrating experience. Many rules for applying for full-time positions don’t apply when it comes to part-time jobs.

   For example, many professionals intentionally leave contract work off their resumes because some employers see such work as an indication that the employee tends to hop between jobs.

   For part-time positions, employers tend to care less about such aspects and instead just want to know if you’re experienced in the work that you’ll need to do.

   Don’t worry about the etiquette of what to leave or leave off your resume, just focus on demonstrating as much relevant job experience as possible.

How to Write a Resume for a Part-Time Position

Here’s a tried-and-true resume structure that will help you communicate all the important information needed to secure you the part-time job you want:

• Objective statement. In 2-4 sentences, you should:

  1. State the position you’re seeking

  2. Summarize what makes you a great candidate

  3. Provide your availability in terms of working hours

  Here’s a sample objective statement for a part-time bookkeeper position that touches on all three of the above items:

  Full-time engineer seeking part-time work as a bookkeeper, applying excellent critical-thinking skills and proficiency with computers. A background in problem-solving and mathematical competency makes me the top candidate for this position. My availability is Monday – Friday, from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.

• Skills section. List a few of the most important and relevant skills for the position.

  Make sure to cover a variety of hard and soft skills here. It’s important to highlight domain knowledge, but soft skills such as clear communication are equally critical.

  Here’s a sample skills section for the same bookkeeping position:

  • Microsoft Office Excel

  • Spreadsheet management

  • Intuit QuickBooks

  • Mathematical proficiency

  • Highly organized and analytical

• Work experience. This section is where you should list 2-3 relevant positions you’ve worked at in the past.

  Under each item, list a few work achievements that demonstrate your skills.

  Limit each achievement to a single sentence and make sure to focus on the value you created for the employer, rather than just describe your duties.

  Here’s a sample work history section:

  Administrative Assistant
  ClearWater LLC
  May 2020 – Dec 2020

  • Prepared over 300 pages of paperwork for a company audit 2 weeks ahead of schedule.

  • Efficiently filed orders and liaised with suppliers, saving the company $2000 per month.

  • Organized all paperwork and diaries with precise detail, allowing new hires to transition into the job as quickly as possible.

  • Promoted for implementing an office optimization plan that increased employee productivity by 7%

  Bookkeeper (part-time)
  Leeroy Associates
  Dec 2019 – May 2020

  • Created detailed reports for management using Microsoft Excel and FreshBooks.

  • Maintained regulatory compliance and saved the firm $8,000 in potential fines.

  • Streamlined general ledger and invoicing practices, increasing efficiency by 15%.

• Education section. List your school, graduation date, and degree obtained. You may also optionally include particularly relevant coursework and your GPA.

  Here’s a sample education section:

  University of Michigan
  2012-2016 B.S. in Computer Science
  GPA: 3.7

Complete Part-Time Job Resume Sample

Here’s a complete sample of all the writing samples we’ve covered so far:

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Expert

Don Pippin, MHRM, CPRW, CDCS

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.