Are you a job seeker with a lot of different jobs on your resume? It’s true that lots of people switch jobs more frequently than we used to, and so it’s less of a big deal than it used to be. However, there is a point where having a certain number of jobs over X years appears to an employer that you are a job hopper.
Related:How To Answer 5 Tricky Job Interview Questions
If you’ve changed jobs a lot, employers may be a little nervous about hiring you. They may see you as someone who doesn’t know what you want, can’t make a commitment, isn’t dependable, or isn’t mature. On top of that, it’s expensive to take the time to conduct interviews, onboard a new hire and get them up to speed, only to lose them in a short time and have to go through the whole process again.
It’s important to calm any fears or doubts that employer may have about you. So what’s the best way to explain your situation in a job interview?
Give an answer that makes sense and isn’t personal.
“The company went out of business.”
“My department was dissolved” or otherwise disbanded.
“Those jobs were contract jobs” and so had an expiration date built in.
“My spouse had to move for his/her job” and so you had to move with them.
Answers like these show that circumstances were out of your control. Explain them in a neutral way. If you can add something positive about what you learned that’s made you better now, that’s a plus.
If you’ve changed jobs because you’ve been laid off a few times, it can be more difficult, but you can still show that you couldn’t really help it: “I wish I hadn’t been forced to change jobs. With the economy, I was laid off from two jobs [then give a few details about what happened]. I wish that hadn’t happened, but it is what it is.”
When you explain the layoff, it’s great if you can point out that it was a company decision that had to do with circumstances rather than you personally—such as they had a mass layoff to reduce workforce, or they restructured and your position was eliminated. Employers don’t hold those things against you.
Be careful to stay away from explanations that could cast you in a negative light:
“Every job has been an increase in pay.” Even if it’s true (and understandable), it makes you seem like a money-chaser rather than an invested, dedicated employee.
“I keep ending up in hostile work environments.” This will say more about you and how you react to situations and get along with people than about your past jobs.
“I’ve had a run of bad luck with jobs.” Again, this says more about you than the jobs.
“I got fired a couple of times.” Getting fired once can be explainable (see interview answers about getting fired). Getting fired 2-3 times a lot more difficult for employers to understand.
Even if your answer is a simple, “I’ve been looking for the right position,” follow it up with at least three reasons why this job is a great fit for you professionally, culturally, and personally. This brings the conversation away from the past and back to the present and future where it belongs. It puts you back on a positive note, focusing that hiring manager on why you’re a great fit for the job.
Do you have a difficult situation in your job history? You may need to spend a few minutes with a coach to help you craft a positive explanation: Job Search, Interview, and Career Coaching with Peggy McKee.
Career Coach - Peggy McKee is an expert resource and a dedicated advocate for job seekers. Known as the Sales Recruiter from Career Confidential, her years of experience as a nationally-known recruiter for sales and marketing jobs give her a unique perspective and advantage in developing the tools and strategies that help job seekers stand head and shoulders above the competition. Peggy has been named #1 on the list of the Top 25 Most Influential Online Recruiters by HR Examiner, and has been quoted in articles from CNN, CAP TODAY, Yahoo! HotJobs, and the Denver Examiner.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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