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I am 30 y.o working for a big well known high tech company. After some years I decided to look for a new job and last year I accepted a temporary contract (2 years) from an important company to lead a project. It was a good occasion to work for this company. At that time they told me that the chances to get hired were quite high after that, but unfortunately, after having successfully finished the project, and after an internal restructuring, there are not chance to stay. This leaves me 3 months to look for a new job. My questions is:

1) What should I write in the cover letter/resume? That I have a temporary job? or I should not mention that, and I should pretend that I have a normal contract and I want to change? I am afraid that If I mention "temporary contract" they may think "mmm...in such a big company they did not renew his contract, this guy is not good" and then I will be never selected...

Thank you.

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    You say that your contract is nearing its end and you are back on the market.
    – PM 77-1
    Sep 16, 2016 at 22:21
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    A temporary 2 year contract is supposed to stop after two years. You were hired because they needed work done for two years. It's absolutely normal to leave.
    – gnasher729
    Sep 18, 2016 at 12:50

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You're overthinking this, Lukas. People work on a contract basis all over the world. The contract coming to an end is a normal and acceptable occasion.

Actually, there's no reason to explain in a cover letter why you're leaving your current place of employment. I'd leave it out. But if anyone asks, just tell the truth. It's not as if it's something you can help or change. Don't be embarrassed.

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  • Hi Codenoir, thanks. I am just afraid that HR think "why he did not get hired"? or "why in a company of 5,000 people he did not get job?"
    – Lukas
    Sep 16, 2016 at 21:53
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    But you're not required to share all that information with HR or the interviewer. Loose lips sink ships! All you have to say is that the contract ended or is ending. They understand that - contracts are supposed to have a specific length and scope.
    – Xavier J
    Sep 16, 2016 at 21:57
  • 2 years is not a 'temporary' contract - that's an entire product lifecycle.
    – John Feltz
    Sep 16, 2016 at 22:52
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    Semantics, @JohnFeltz. :) You say, "lifecycle" but life has to end eventually, right?
    – Xavier J
    Sep 16, 2016 at 22:55
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2 years is a reasonable length of time. "Temporary" is a few months or a few weeks. Companies restructure all the time and in the modern context, its probably fine

Just treat it as any other job. Talk about the positives and the experiences. The fact that its a contract is irrelevant.

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