Getting around a choppy resume
Q. I am an independent consultant and have been fortunate to have had several long-term and high-profile clients. In the past, I have also had part-time work running concurrently with a client project. I have got loads of experience, and would like to get a full-time position with a company, but what I am finding is that my resume (to some recruiters) looks like I am a job-hopper, when in reality it’s a series of back-to-back long-term contracts (six to 12 months or more).
Though I try to explain to screeners that it’s “the nature of the beast,’’ I can’t get past the fact that my resume looks choppy. Is there a better way to highlight my experience and skills with these companies without it looking like I can’t hold a job?
A. This is probably a very relevant challenge for many job seekers now. Independent contracting, freelancing, and consulting are more often part of a professional worker’s employment history - now more than ever before.
One alternative to consider is the following resume format:
XYZ LLC (the name of your consulting business) 1999 - present
Experienced independent consultant working closely with a variety of high-profile clients, including ABC Inc., QRS LLC, SSS Inc., and YYY Inc. Specific areas of expertise include public relations, media relations, Web analytics, copy writing, event and trade show management.
Projects include:
Using this format, it clearly demonstrates and articulates your areas of expertise. It also identifies your recognizable client names and describes sample projects that you have worked on. Perhaps most importantly, it presents your work history in a cohesive and logical manner - without setting off those yellow flags.
If you don’t have a company name to list at the top of your resume, consider using the name that you have used for independent contracting assignments (think about what name you put on the invoice to your clients).
Patricia Hunt Sinacole is president of First Beacon Group LLC ( firstbeacongroup.com), a human resources consulting firm in Hopkinton. 
