Creating a resume is an often nerve-wracking part of the job search, but it’s vital to success.  If your resume is due for an overhaul, there can be issues that arise. What if you’ve worked several jobs in a short period of time? This is actually more common than you may think.

Job seekers worry having a few jobs in a short period of time might look bad to potential employers, but this does not always mean you are a job hopper. Recruiters understand that the job market can be tough, and that adults often have to work a few short term and temp jobs in between long term careers. We will discuss how to list these jobs on your resume so you can come out shining.

Indicate Which Job Changes Were Involuntary

An excellent way to list multiple jobs in a short period of time on your resume is by indicating which job changes occurred involuntarily. This means that you did not decide to leave one employer and join another on your own volition. Instead, you were either laid off, fired, or a temporary work assignment came to an end. Should you have lost a job due to a merger or acquisition, mark it down next to the name of the company so the employer knows the former name of the company.

Show Coherence Between Jobs

If you have worked multiple jobs in a short period of time within the same industry, make sure you show coherence between those jobs on your resume. This means that you need to show how the jobs are connected. Also, make it known that at each stop along the way, you took on more responsibilities or more difficult tasks.

Remove Months from Employment Dates

An excellent way to maximize your resume information when listing multiple jobs during a short period is to remove the months worked from your employment dates. For example, if you worked a job from August of 2013 to February of 2014, the employer will see that you worked at the job for just six months. If you change the employment dates to ready 2013-2014, it looks like you worked at the company for more than six months.

Focus on Your Functional Skills First

If you are worried about listing multiple jobs in a short period of time on your resume, consider focusing on your skills at the top of the resume and then your work experience towards the bottom. This is a hybrid format that works for some job seekers. Under your resume heading, take five skills in which you excel and list some accomplishments of each from your career. You should also include the name of the company where you were employed at the time of the accomplishment.

Creating a resume that features multiple jobs in a short period of time can be difficult if never done in the past. Take a couple of pointers from this post and put them to good use the next time you need to write a resume such as this. It will make your work history shine.