How Do You Showcase Your Side Hustles on Your CV

Your CV is the story of your career – the challenges you have overcome and the skills you have acquired. Some of us will have taken on a couple of jobs at specific points in our careers simultaneously. These side hustles are becoming increasingly common.

If they are more than a hobby and you are developing professionally as a person. As a result, there is an argument to include them on your CV. 

Deciding how, when, and where to include them is not a simple matter.

Should I include my side hustle on my CV?

Side hustles are common – at all levels of seniority. The skills learned from a part-time editing job could be just as valuable to one individual as those discovered by another during a stint as a non-exec.

A rounded and ambitious professional has multiple interests. If the mix of experience corresponds to what is required in a potential new role, you should consider including a side hustle. 

Only include them in a CV if they have contributed to your career progression. If they were a source of a little extra cash, while this was sensible at the time, leave them off your CV as they do not add to your career story.

How to include your side hustle

If the side hustle is significant and lasted more than a year, then you might consider adding it as an additional job (with suitable dates). Mention that it was on a part-time freelance basis but still give yourself the title that an equivalent full-time professional would use. If you were working for multiple clients, there is no need to name them, but you might decide to name-drop a few. The best companies work with the best people.

If you have several side hustles over a more extended period, it might be worth creating a separate “freelance employment” section (or some similar title). This would focus the hiring manager on the part-time nature of the roles, and it would mean that fragmented side hustles do not break up your full-time CV.

If you have one or two part-time activities worthy of mention, you might decide to include the relevant skills in the skills section. This will give an employer another chance to note your proficiency, and they may ask about them during an interview.

Avoid ambiguity where possible. Be clear about the scope of what you did and your personal impact. Never take credit for the contributions of others.

Include side hustles?

You should include your side hustle if:

…. It adds depth and relevance to your career story

…. Demonstrates your professional skillset

…. It helps to fill a perceived “gap” in your experience

…. There are customers/clients / sales (it is successful)

…. You are changing industries, and it is relevant

…. At the beginning of your career

You should not include your side hustle if:

…. It is controversial, inappropriate, or it puts your job at risk

…. You do not have a significant and successful story to tell

…. It is entirely irrelevant to the role that you are applying for

…. You have so many of them that they overload your CV

Don’t be ashamed of your side hustles. Some of them may well have helped shape you into who you are today. Make sure to include those experiences on your CV.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).