Search Here...

Monday, July 23, 2007

#36: Why have you had so many jobs?

TRAPS: Your interviewer fears you may leave this position quickly, as you have others. He’s concerned you may be unstable, or a “problem person” who can’t get along with others.

BEST ANSWER: First, before you even get to the interview stage, you should try to minimize your image as job hopper. If there are several entries on your resume of less than one year, consider eliminating the less important ones. Perhaps you can specify the time you spent at previous positions in rounded years not in months and years.

Example: Instead of showing three positions this way:

6/1982 – 3/1983, Position A;
4/1983 – 12/1983, Position B;
1/1984 – 8/1987, Position C;

…it would be better to show simply:

1982 – 1983, Position A;
1984 – 1987 Position C.

In other words, you would drop Position B altogether. Notice what a difference this makes in reducing your image as a job hopper.

Once in front of the interviewer and this question comes up, you must try to reassure him. Describe each position as part of an overall pattern of growth and career destination.

Be careful not to blame other people for your frequent changes. But you can and should attribute certain changes to conditions beyond your control.

Example: Thanks to an upcoming merger, you wanted to avoid an ensuing bloodbath, so you made a good, upward career move before your department came under the axe of the new owners.

If possible, also show that your job changes were more frequent in your younger days, while you were establishing yourself, rounding out your skills and looking for the right career path. At this stage in your career, you’re certainly much more interested in the best long-term opportunity.

You might also cite the job(s) where you stayed the longest and describe that this type of situation is what you’re looking for now.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

We can select the available connection to connect but if we are
trying to connect to the secured connection, we will not be able
to connect until we enter the password for it.
Look forward to its listing - Let's wait and see, waiting for another big change in the smartphone market.
This network uses Wi-Fi technology to ship data to an current Internet connection.


Here is my blog post ... wifi unlocker

Anonymous said...

The result is silky smooth curls that shine with life and elegance.
Hot Tools has a great curling iron, nano ceramic that retails for about
$50. Right around the lace alternatives, you get to browse full
lace top with ear to ear extend, lace top with no stretch, front lace top, front lace top with front slim
skin and lace around the border.

My website; เครื่องม้วนผมไฟฟ้า

Anonymous said...

The villages were filled with activity - dogs with horribly scarred bodies, missing ears and mangy fur running wild and fighting in streets,
many infected with rabies, while smiling mothers stood outside their huts washing their
babies by throwing cold buckets of water on their naked, chilled bodies.
For optimum bird proofing results Bird Netting must be properly installed.
Mosquito netting is important simply because it prevents an insect
bite that carries infectious diseases.

my blog post; มุ้งกลม

Anonymous said...

This is one of the easiest ways possible to encourage productive interaction among
your prospects and customers. With the price of registering a
custom domain name being so low (anywhere from $1
to $50 a year for your basic domain names) there is no reason to not register a domain name of your own.
If you give quality with reliability then people will purchase your product or service.



My page: set up a blog