How to show agency work on your CV

Temporary work can provide relevant evidence for your next application. The key is to make the employment arrangement clear without giving every short assignment an unnecessarily long description.

Distinguish the agency from the workplace

Use the agency name when it employed you, and identify the assignment or type of client site when useful. If you were employed directly by the client after an assignment, show the later role separately with its actual start date.

A fictional heading might be ‘Warehouse Operative — Example Staffing Agency, assignments at distribution sites, April 2024 – January 2025’. This does not claim continuous shifts throughout that period. Explain intermittent assignments where the date range could be misleading.

Group only assignments that belong together

Several similar short warehouse assignments through one agency can be grouped under that agency, with a summary of duties and separate site dates if needed. Distinct roles with different responsibilities may deserve separate entries.

Do not combine unrelated agencies into a single invented employer. If a placement involved a new skill, mention the assignment where you used it. Keep a more detailed private record so you can answer date questions accurately at interview.

Choose duties you actually performed

Warehouse assignments can vary between goods-in, picking, packing and dispatch. Choose the tasks you carried out rather than copying the whole occupation profile. Mention equipment only when you used it with the required training or authorisation.

In care, construction and transport work, be particularly careful about regulated activities and licences. Assignment to a workplace does not establish a qualification. Do not add medication administration, forklift operation or a driving category solely because other workers used them.

Explain transitions without hiding gaps

A short note such as ‘Temporary assignment ended’ can clarify why a placement finished when relevant. Do not change dates to make separate assignments look continuous. You can describe periods when you were available for work without claiming you were employed.

Before sending, compare the grouped entry against your records and ensure the agency/client names are understandable. Tailor the most relevant duties to the new vacancy while preserving the original facts.