Ridesharing has become increasingly popular (if controversial) over the years with startups like Uber and Lyft. These ridesharing companies allow people to use their own vehicles to generate income. The question many people have is whether you should add full-time or part-time work with Uber or Lyft on a resume.
Many use ridesharing as their main income source while looking for employment or even as part-time work. Does working as a driver look good on your resume? We'll discuss when to add ridesharing to your resume in this post.
Should you add Uber or Lyft to your resume?
The answer is almost always no. There are certain situations where you may add Uber or Lyft to a resume which we'll discuss later in the post, but in general these are better left out.
One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is including irrelevant jobs on their resume. The sole purpose of your resume is to show you're a good fit for the particular position you're applying to. Including irrelevant ridesharing jobs like Uber or Lyft to your resume will do more harm than good. No hiring manager cares that you drove for Uber or Lyft if it has nothing to do with the position you're targeting.
We don't mean to take jabs at these companies in particular--they're just the most common examples our team of professional resume writers sees. The same irrelevant label can be applied to some freelance work, volunteer work, and hobbies or interests. The key is to keep your resume highly relevant to your career goals.
Stick to your education, experience, and skills that show you're a good fit for the exact position you're applying to--this is the only way to land an interview.
Including irrelevant information like ridesharing could confuse the ATS scan or the hiring manager which could mean automatic rejection.
What about employment gaps?
Many take on ridesharing while in school or to generate some part-time income while searching for a job.
Leaving out a position could leave you with an employment gap which is why many are tempted to include Uber or Lyft on their resumes. However, you can work around your employment gaps.
There are better ways to address employment gaps on a resume, such as switching to a functional resume format or focusing on other experiences.
Also know that more and more people have employment gaps, job-hopping, and similar "red flags" from decades past. As long as you're prepared to address any questions that arise from your career history, recruiters and hiring managers are more willing to work with people who have non-linear trajectories.
When to include ridesharing on your resume
You would include ridesharing on your resume in these situations:
1. It's relevant to the position you're targeting
You can include Lyft or Uber on your resume if you're targeting a similar position like a chauffeur, bus driver, delivery service, personal assistant, nanny, truck driver and so on.
You can also include this experience if you're applying to work in a corporate office for ridesharing or other gig-economy work. Having a company name or a competitor's name shows that you have insight into the industry in this case.
2. You can use your experience to integrate relevant keywords
If you're applying for a job in which you need to have customer service skills, and the only time you've ever talked to someone who paid you was through your ridesharing experience, then you might include this on your resume.
Brush up on how to include transferable skills on your resume.
How to include Uber or Lyft on a resume (examples)
You would include ridesharing like any other position.
Example:
Uber Driver | New York City
Ensured that customers arrived safely at their destination.
Focused on customer service and ensured riders had a pleasant trip with resulted in a 4.8 rating.
Completed over 3,ooo successful rides.
Created Excel spreadsheet to track mileage, maintenance and other expenses.
Summary
Including ridesharing services on your resume is not always a mistake, but is unlikely to help you land a traditional, full-time office job. Consider whether your experience is relevant to your career goals.
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Written by
ZipJob Team
The ZipJob team is made up of professional writers located across the USA and Canada with backgrounds in HR, recruiting, career coaching, job placement, and professional writing.
