Resume/Application question

I am currently redoing my resume to make it suitable for non industry specific jobs in a skill based/combined resume. Skills listed first. Near the bottom, jobs, companies and employment dates are listed. I also was filling out an application, which was the preferred form of applying for this particuliar company. Anyway, my problem is that I've held a lot of jobs. I had different jobs each of the four summers between school years in college and before, an on campus job, a seasonal industry specific job shortly after graduating college, a part time fast food job that I held for a year, a month month temp assignment from a good, well known company, and my current position which I have held for 2.5 years. The application wanted me to list all my jobs that I've held since high school. I filled it in, but realized how bad having that many jobs must look. On my resume, I am thinking that perhaps I should only include a few. My industry specific resume only includes the too jobs that I've held in this industry. I'd like to include the temp assignment since it is at a good company and since it could be somewhat related. I cannot write much about it since I was doing prepatent R&D and signed a legal agreement preventing me from revealing any specifics. Anyway, how many jobs should I list on my resume? How should I handle the chronological employment section on applications? I am not really a job jumper.

Treat your four years in college as the "job" you had. Don't bother listing the summer employment unless it relates somehow to the job you are applying for.

Also, at least in NYC, they always advise to make sure the resume is only one page, no matter what. This tends to cut down on how much job experience you can list, anyway.

My experience has been that "they" tend to be more interested in what you know (not necessarily in how much you know), and how long you stick to things, & if you list too many jobs it creates an appearance of either being a diletante or having trouble working with people.

most employers will understand having different summer jobs and temporary jobs. It's normal in this day and age. (For my temp jobs, I put "limited-term contract" or "seasonal work only" something to that extent in the "reason for leaving" spot.)

I actually once filled out an application, for a college-degree-required job, that requested info from every job I've ever had. In other words, they wanted my day-camp junior counselor employment (I was 15) and my part-time job at Kids R Us in high school. Why they cared about that more than a decade later, I don't know.

I would only put the relevant jobs on your resume, unless omitting one would leave a major gap. (The aforementioned application wanted an explanation for every gap of more than one month. So it was, "May 1- August 17, 1997 -- Looking for work." "August 18, 1998 - Present --Looking for work after layoff.")

(I didn't get that job, BTW.)

Good luck!

had them. Thats all you have to say. They dont care about temp jobs unless they were of long duration.

That's why I feel the need list my fast food job. I worked there during lunches and weekends during my second shift 5 month seasonal job because I knew that my job was temporary and I needed more money starting my post college life anyway. They increased my hours when I was laid off. I had the temp job for one month, which was only suppose to last that long. The next month, I had several opportunities suddenly come up and interviewed during most of the month before accepting my current job, which turned out to be a mistake. I hoped that it would get better, but now I see that getting away from it is the only way that my career will get better. Should I list the fast food job? The one month temp job? What if I am applying to that compnay again?