When you are writing your resume, how do you address the issue of temporary work or short-term positions? This seems to be the most common problem, trying to determine whether or not it would be considered an obstacle toward finding that permanent full-time job. However, here are some things for you to consider.
Do you list a position you only held for a few months?
If you exclude these short-term or temporary positions, could this hurt your chance of employment during the background check stage? If there are more than a couple temporary experiences, particularly for short-term projects that hold duties in your select field, then group them together, including a short paragraph that connects everything under a common theme and include them in your resume.
Then ask yourself the following questions before making your final decision:
Was the work experience gained relevant to your desired position?
If you gained experiences in the position which makes you more competitive for the job or industry you are pursuing, you should absolutely include it on your resume. Be sure to fully list your key accomplishments, job roles and responsibilities. Especially those which best align to your desired position's job functions.
Was the position intended to be temporary?
Suppose you took a part-time job during the busy Christmas season to make a little extra money for the upcoming holidays, or perhaps you contributed to a political campaign for the few months leading up to Election Day. Additionally, I see many consultants with several short-term positions on their resume as this is the nature of a consultant's "work style". Jobs which are intended to be short-term can and absolutely should be included on your resume and may actually work in your favor by showing your versatile experience. Just make sure to indicate on your resume that the internship was only supposed to last six months, the job was seasonal, or the position was a consulting role and intended to be short. You want to avoid at all costs the label of "job hopper".
What were your intentions in accepting the position?
In the current economic climate with millions of people having been laid off, it's not unusual for people to take multiple part-time, contract, freelance or temporary jobs while looking for their real job. I think most hiring managers would understand, considering your need to feed your family and meet your financial obligations by having to take any job you can. You needn't worry about hiring managers looking down on you for taking a temporary job in order to make ends meet; hiring managers are just as human as the rest of us and find it honorable that you did what you had to do to provide for yourself and your family. They realize that no one is immune to a sluggish economy and will appreciate your "do whatever it takes" attitude. Just be sure to clearly label these types of positions so the Hiring Manager understands why you deviated from your career path.