Covid saw many people lose their traditional 9-5 jobs and many people discover the joys of working from home and working according to their own schedule. These changes have resulted in a booming gig economy. The gig economy includes workers who work in a freelance or contractor capacity. They are not tied to one company unless they choose to be, and are not considered full-time employees. These jobs give individuals the ability and privilege of organizing their work schedules as they please and allow for a variety of tasks and projects.
Gig jobs have a huge range. They can be delivery driver jobs, academic writing jobs, voice-over work, or legal assistance. There are a plethora of platforms on the internet today that have connected gig applicants and recruiters worldwide. The most common would be Upwork but it is joined by many others including Fiverr and various apps like UberEats which are constantly looking for drivers.
Another huge benefit of gig economy jobs is their low barriers to entry. Many do not require a high level of education and can require nothing more than a smartphone and a clean criminal record. This guide will help you create a winning resume by providing resume samples, tips, and a list of strong skills and action verbs to elevate your resume.
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A DoorDash driver delivers food ordered on the DoorDash app. You can drive a car of your choosing or a scooter or bicycle. If you are driving a car you must have a valid driver's license and must consent to a background check. It is a great job for someone looking for flexibility as you only need to work when your schedule allows. Here is a strong DoorDash resume sample to give you an idea of how you can structure and fill yours.
As a delivery driver, you are the face of the delivery app. As such, a company wants to know that they will be represented well and that you will provide excellent service to their customers. Because of this, include any recognition you received for great service and show how efforts you have made have resulted in a better customer experience.
As an Uber Easts driver, you will be delivering food to customers who order food on the Uber Eats app. You do not need a car to become an Uber Eats driver, and can instead use a motorbike, scooter, or bicycle to make your deliveries. On top of needing a means of transportation, you will need to download the Uber Partner app and submit the required documents to get started. Employers will be looking at your resume to see if you are experienced in the food delivery industry and if you have a stellar record. Here is an example of a strong resume for this position.
Customer satisfaction is what will keep customers using the app so it is a very important metric for these companies. Show your perfect customer satisfaction rate by mentioning the number of deliveries you completed in a period with zero complaints. This applicant has done this very effectively.
Show Uber Eats that you are a particularly great driver by including experience driving in adverse conditions or training drivers. For example, this applicant mentions their ability to drive safely in adverse weather conditions and also mentions that they were a driving instructor in the past.
An Uber driver drives people or packages from one point to another. You use your phone to accept ride requests and to map out the best route to get the passengers to their desired destination. It is particularly important to maintain a high customer satisfaction rating as a low rating might result in fewer rides being assigned to you and fewer passengers being willing to ride with you. Because of this, you must have excellent interpersonal and customer service skills and should be professional at all times. Here is a successful Uber driver resume sample.
Customers do not want to ride in an old beaten-up car, with stains on the seats, and are less likely to give a ride like that, a high satisfaction rating. So invest in ensuring your car is in great condition, is clean, and has little extras that make a trip more enjoyable like vomit bags or mints. You can mention some of the extras you have in the tools section.
As the name suggests, a delivery driver generally delivers various goods to customers. The vehicles used could range from trailers to cars or even motorbikes. The products delivered could also range from industrial chemicals to cars to toys, or anything else you might imagine. Employers will be looking to see what kind of products you have delivered in the past and will want evidence that you are a good and reliable driver. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample.
Because the goods delivery drivers deliver have such a huge range, employers will be looking to get a better idea of what kind of goods you are used to delivering. They will generally be looking for drivers with experience delivering similar goods. For example, this applicant has mentioned that they have experience delivering perishable goods so any employer dealing in perishable goods will be very interested in hiring them.
We reached out to hiring managers at companies like Uber, TaskRabbit, and Instacart to get their insights on what they look for in resumes for gig economy roles. Their feedback, combined with our own expertise in resume writing, helped us create these tips to make your resume stand out.
Whether you're applying to be a rideshare driver, a freelance writer, or a dog walker, these tips will help you showcase your skills and experience in the best possible light. Let's dive in and see how you can create a resume that will grab the attention of gig economy employers.
Gig economy employers value candidates who can adapt to changing circumstances and work on a variety of projects. Emphasize your ability to:
Here's an example of how you might highlight your flexibility in your resume:
Adaptable freelance writer with experience creating content across multiple industries, from tech to healthcare. Able to quickly research and understand new topics, and adjust writing style to fit the target audience.
When applying for gig economy jobs, a resume summary is optional. It can be useful if you want to provide context or additional details not already in your resume, such as if you're changing careers and your past experience doesn't directly align with the gigs you're targeting. Never use an objective statement, as it's outdated and ineffective. Instead, if you choose to include a summary, make it concise and tailored to the specific gig you're applying for.
Your summary should highlight your most relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications without repeating information already in other sections of your resume. Incorporating keywords related to your target gig can also help optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS). Keep your summary brief, ideally no more than one paragraph. Avoid directly mentioning soft skills or using corporate buzzwords like "proven track record." Bullet points are not recommended in a summary section.
The work experience section is the core of your resume. It's where you highlight your most relevant and impactful experiences. As a gig worker, you may have a variety of projects and clients to showcase. The key is to focus on the experiences that are most relevant to the job you're applying for and that demonstrate your skills and achievements.
In this section, we'll cover some tips for writing a strong work experience section that will help you stand out to potential clients and employers.
The education section on a gig economy resume is important to show you have the necessary skills and knowledge. Keep this section concise and focused on relevant coursework, certifications, and degrees. Here are some tips for crafting a strong education section that will impress hiring managers.
When discussing your delivery driver experience, your action verbs should help show your qualifications, and highlight your customer service, achievements, and recognition. Concentrate on acti/n verbs that position you as better than your competitors by pointing to how you have reduced delivery times or that you have been recognized for your customer service.
Here are some useful action verbs to incorporate into your resume.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
The skills section of your resume lists clearly what you can do and shows the tools you use to accomplish your tasks. You should also list your qualifications in this section. Having the right skills listed can not only give you an edge over your competition but can also help you bypass any ATS resume filters employers might put in place.
For a gig economy, you will want your skills to show your specialization in the area you are applying. For example, if you are applying for a graphic design gig, you need to list the graphic design software you use and the relevant kinds of graphic design that you can do. Likewise, a delivery driver needs to mention what kinds of vehicles you drive, what machinery related to loading and offloading goods you are familiar with (like a forklift), and any customer service and transaction-completing skills you may have. We have compiled a list of relevant skills for this position. Add those that resonate with your skill set to your resume.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Gig Economy job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
