A lot of jobs in a short period of time on a resume
Sitting here reading the 11-22-2009 Sunday Seattle Times, I ran across an article in the NWJobs section. A reader wrote that he wants to know how to respond to questions about why he has had 10 jobs in 12 years (because of the description of the jobs he held, I assume it’s a he) . He wants to deflect those questions and stress what he can do for the company and he wants advice on how to do that.
If I am an employer, and I see that TEN organizations have taken a chance on this guy and ALL have lost because he left in about year, why would I want to waste the time, money and energy to hire him? I also have to wonder about the companies. Somebody keeps hiring him. The questin is why, when he works an average of 1.2 years per company.
When the question about the multiple jobs comes up, the author of the column says to ask the perspective employer, point blank, “What is it that concerns you?”. Well, gee, maybe its the fact that the guy has had 10 jobs in 12 years? With a record like that, what could he possibly say that would convince me to consider hiring him?
The applicant says “The jobs have been at bigger companies where it is hard to advance. Now I’m looking for a job with a smaller company.” Say what!?
I have to sympathize with the author. A question like that is tough to answer. Tough, in my opnion, because someone needs to tell this guy that the companies he worked for did not cause this record. He did. The problem is with him, not the employer. Until he figures that out, things are not going to change. The author of the column is not going to tell him that in print, but I’ll bet the author the best drink at Starbucks that’s what he wanted to say!
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