Should You Put Your Side Hustle on Your Resume? Here’s When It Works

In today’s economy, side hustles have become more than just a trend—they’re practically a way of life. According to recent research, nearly 45% of American workers report having a side hustle in addition to their primary job, a number that has increased by over 13% in the last three years. Yet when it comes to your resume, a common question persists: should your side gig make an appearance on your professional CV, or stay firmly separated from your “real job”?

This isn’t just about whether to mention your weekend Etsy shop or freelance coding projects—it’s about strategically positioning yourself in a competitive job market where employers are increasingly looking for versatile candidates with diverse skill sets. Making the wrong call could potentially raise red flags for potential employers, while the right approach could significantly strengthen your candidacy.

In this article, we’ll walk through exactly when including your side hustle adds genuine value to your resume, when it might detract from your professional image, and how to present this experience in the most compelling way possible. By the end, you’ll have a clear framework for making this decision with confidence.

The Side Hustle Revolution: More Than Just Extra Income

Side hustles have evolved dramatically from simply being a way to make ends meet. Today, they represent entrepreneurial spirit, specialized expertise, and a proactive approach to professional development. The landscape now includes everything from freelance writing and graphic design to dropshipping businesses, podcast production, app development, and online coaching.

The numbers tell the story: approximately 34% of side hustlers use their additional work to develop new skills intentionally, while 25% report that their side venture helps them explore potential career pivots or new industries without the risk of leaving their primary position.

What’s particularly interesting is how employer perceptions have shifted. Unlike a decade ago when moonlighting might have raised concerns about divided loyalties, many hiring managers now view side hustles as positive indicators of ambition, time management skills, and self-motivation—all highly desirable qualities in today’s workplace.

Interview Guys Tip: Side hustles aren’t just about extra cash—they’re increasingly viewed as demonstrations of initiative, creativity, and diverse skill development that many employers value!

When to Definitely Include Your Side Hustle on Your Resume

When It Demonstrates Relevant Skills

The most compelling reason to include your side hustle is when it showcases skills that directly translate to the position you’re targeting. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing coordinator role and run a successful Instagram shop that’s grown to 10,000 followers through organic content strategies, that experience demonstrates real-world social media marketing expertise.

Consider these transferable skills that side hustles commonly develop:

• Project management and prioritization
• Client relationship management
• Digital marketing and social media strategy
• Financial planning and budgeting
• Content creation and copywriting
• Technical skills like coding, design, or data analysis

Sara, a financial analyst, leveraged her weekend bookkeeping service for small businesses to demonstrate her expertise with QuickBooks, client communication, and ability to explain complex financial concepts in accessible terms—all of which helped her land a senior position that required these exact skills.

When It Fills Employment Gaps

Employment gaps can raise questions for hiring managers, but a side hustle can transform those gaps from potential liabilities into assets. If you’ve been between traditional jobs but maintained consistent client work or built your own business during that time, including this information prevents the appearance of inactivity.

The key is applying The Resume Tailoring Formula to frame your side hustle experience in terms relevant to your target position. Rather than simply listing “Self-Employed,” create a professional title that accurately reflects your work while aligning with your career trajectory.

For gap-filling side hustles, consider using a hybrid chronological-functional resume format that emphasizes skills and achievements rather than focusing solely on timeline, especially if your side hustle work was concurrent with other employment or if you’re now seeking to return to traditional employment.

When It Shows Leadership and Growth

Side hustles that demonstrate your ability to build something from nothing, lead projects, or show measurable growth deserve prime resume real estate. These experiences showcase initiative, strategic thinking, and results-orientation—qualities every employer values.

To maximize impact, quantify your side hustle achievements with specific metrics:

• Client growth (e.g., “Expanded client base from 3 to 15 monthly retainer clients within 8 months”)
• Revenue figures (e.g., “Generated $45,000 in annual revenue through WordPress customization services”)
• Audience building (e.g., “Grew email subscriber list to 5,000+ targeted industry contacts”)
• Efficiency improvements (e.g., “Developed automated workflow systems reducing project delivery time by 30%”)

Interview Guys Tip: Don’t just list what your side hustle is—quantify its impact with specific metrics like client growth, revenue increase, or engagement statistics to make hiring managers take notice!

When to Think Twice About Including Your Side Hustle

When It’s Unrelated to Your Target Role

Not every side hustle needs to appear on your resume. If you’re applying for a data science position, your weekend woodworking business might not strengthen your candidacy, even if it’s successful. The key question to ask is: “Does this experience help demonstrate my ability to excel in the target role?”

Before including an unrelated side hustle, consider:

• Does it showcase transferable soft skills relevant to the position?
• Does it demonstrate values aligned with the company culture?
• Could the space be better used to elaborate on more directly relevant experience?

Remember that ATS systems may not recognize the value of unrelated experience, potentially lowering your resume’s relevance score. Focus on experiences that clearly align with the job description keywords and requirements.

When It Could Create Conflict of Interest

Some side hustles might raise legitimate questions about conflicts of interest or competition with your potential employer. This is particularly true if your side business operates in the same industry or targets similar clients as the company you’re applying to.

Industry-specific considerations to keep in mind:

• Financial services roles often have regulatory restrictions on outside business activities
• Tech companies may have concerns about intellectual property if you’re developing similar products
• Consulting firms typically have non-compete agreements that could affect side client work

If you believe there could be potential concerns but still want to include the experience, be prepared to address them proactively in your cover letter by emphasizing how you maintain appropriate boundaries and prioritize your primary employment.

When It’s Too New or Underdeveloped

A side hustle that’s still in its early stages might not yet demonstrate meaningful accomplishments or developed skills. If you just launched your podcast three weeks ago or are still setting up your Shopify store, it might be premature to feature this on your resume.

Consider your side hustle “resume-ready” when it has:

• Been active for at least 3-6 months
• Generated concrete, measurable results
• Required significant skill development or application
• Resulted in completed projects or deliverables you can reference

For newer ventures you’re proud of but that aren’t fully developed, consider mentioning them briefly in your cover letter or LinkedIn profile instead, where you have more flexibility to discuss developing projects.

Interview Guys Tip: Remember that your resume is a strategic marketing document, not a complete life history. Include side hustles that strengthen your candidacy and omit those that don’t advance your professional narrative!

How to Effectively Present Your Side Hustle on Your Resume

Where to Place It: Experience vs. Skills vs. Special Section

The placement of your side hustle depends on its relevance and significance to your target role. You have several options:

• Professional Experience section: Best when your side hustle is highly relevant, substantial in scope, and demonstrates significant achievements. List it chronologically alongside other work experience.
• Skills section: If specific technical or soft skills developed through your side hustle are more valuable than the venture itself, highlight these in a dedicated skills section.
• Special section: Create a dedicated “Entrepreneurial Experience,” “Freelance Projects,” or “Professional Development” section when you want to include the experience without giving it the same weight as your primary career path.

For maximum ATS optimization, ensure that whichever placement you choose incorporates relevant keywords from the job description. The ATS doesn’t care where keywords appear, just that they’re present in your document.

How to Format and Describe Your Side Hustle

When describing your side hustle, use the same professional formatting and action-oriented language you would for traditional employment:

BEFORE: “I run a small photography business on weekends taking pictures at events.”

AFTER: “Event Photography Business Founder & Operator (2020-Present)

• Established and grew a profitable photography business serving 35+ corporate and private clients annually
• Implemented CRM system resulting in 40% faster client response time and 25% increase in referral business
• Developed and executed social media strategy generating 65% of new client acquisition”

Notice how the improved version uses:

• A professional title
• Action verbs at the beginning of each bullet (established, implemented, developed)
• Specific metrics and achievements rather than just responsibilities
• Keywords relevant to business development and client relationship management

Addressing Your Side Hustle in Cover Letters and Interviews

Your resume provides the headline, but your cover letter and interview give you the opportunity to tell the complete story of how your side hustle has prepared you for the target role.

In your cover letter, connect the dots explicitly between your side hustle experience and the job requirements. For example: “Managing client projects for my web development business has honed my ability to establish clear timelines and deliverables while maintaining strong communication—skills directly aligned with your project coordinator position.”

During interviews, be prepared to address:

• How you balance multiple commitments
• What specific skills you’ve developed through your side venture
• How your experience as an entrepreneur informs your approach to employment
• Whether you plan to continue your side hustle and how you’ll ensure it doesn’t affect your performance

Having thoughtful responses prepared demonstrates your professionalism and ability to maintain appropriate boundaries.

Conclusion

When it comes to featuring your side hustle on your resume, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer—it’s a strategic decision that should be made based on relevance, development, and potential value to your target position. The most successful approach is to evaluate each job application individually, asking yourself whether your side hustle strengthens your candidacy for that specific role.

The bottom line: Include your side hustle when it showcases relevant skills, fills employment gaps, or demonstrates leadership and growth. Think twice when it’s unrelated to your target role, could create conflicts of interest, or is too new to have generated meaningful results.

By thoughtfully applying these principles and presenting your experience professionally, you can transform your side hustle from simply being a way to earn extra income into a powerful asset that sets you apart in today’s competitive job market.

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