How do I put multiple jobs that overlap on a resume?

Question

My current position is the third position I've held with my current employer, and these positions overlap heavily. Under the same boss, each job change has been a lateral movement to include responsibilities that are left unattended by attrition, promotion, or a variety of other movements. At the same time, they are more or less the same with a different title. (This is not uncommon within my organization, but it is within my local job market.)

What would be the most effective way to put this on my resume? (Particularly with the simple breadth of tasks both officially and unofficially within my job?)

Answer 1

The most effective resumes strongly emphasize accomplishments as well as skills, abilities, and knowledge gained during employment history. Having three positions at one employer neither highlights nor conceals these traits.

Instead of formatting your resume as though these positions were sequential or overlapping, try describing these various positions as "roles" you have filled and include the results, the requisite skills and met challenges during your employment. Without any context, here's an example:

Blah Blah, Inc. (Nov. 2006 - present)

In the role of Associate Widget Processor, I lead a skills-based team which sustained a 15% improved organizational throughput of widget re-painting -- setting new standards within the widget resurfacing division.

My 24 month role as Principal Widget Logistics challenged me to eliminate a 46,000 widget order backlog in time and budget constraints. I met this goal while reducing order-logistics expenses by gaining Department Head support for a new shipping program which was implemented within our division.

Answer 2

I'd list the company, list all three titles, most recent on top, oldest on the bottom, put in parentheses "titles differ due to being in different departments, significant overlap in duties," then list your job duties there treating it as a general bucket for all three. If anyone is flummoxed by that setup, they'll ask you about it in your interview or phone screen.

Include the duties, but if you're interviewing for a job that wants specific technical skills, a laundry list of all tasks you do won't interest them. Stick to relevant ones (will also be taken as an indication that you are paying attention to the job posting and how you might fit).

Also, again, you don't just want to list what you did. Companies are very interested in what you've accomplished for your employers. If you made your job better or made the company better, make sure you list that. It's much more important.

"In charge of widget inventory system"?

or "Took charge of widget inventory system and improved delivery time by 18% and reduced inventory order backlog by 45%."

The second is a much more strategic view of what you've done with a demonstrated impact and added value to the company bottom line. If it's more service oriented, then service delivery metrics can be used.

Answer 3

1. You can either list it as a single job and breakdown project responsibilities "the bosses and company are the same"

or

2. You can break it out as separate jobs since it really is a transfer to a new job within the same company.

Personally I think length is the key choice factor here. If it's really long go with the first option and just group it together and list out all projects in a consolidated list and all responsibilities in a consolidated list. If you got plenty of room sometimes it looks good to show the transfers as separate job progressions.