On Careers

5 Resume Tips for Job Hoppers

September 16, 2009 RSS Feed Print

Comment (45)
Tweet

Karen Burns

Here’s a depressing truth: When hiring managers first scan incoming resumes, they're looking for reasons to eliminate them. One major eliminator is job hopping. Yes, employers do still want to see signs of “loyalty,” even if they don’t show much of that in return.

So, if you’ve had multiple shorter-than-a-year jobs, your resume may be going straight to the trash can. Try these tips:

1. Only list experience relevant to the job you’ve applying for. There’s no law that says you have to list every single job you’ve ever had on your resume.

2. Don’t call attention to your dates of employment by using them as headers or setting them off in the left hand margin. Put dates at the end of job descriptions. Also, use years only, not months and years.

3. If you left a job because it was eliminated (merger, mass layoff, etc.), be sure to say so.

4. If you’ve had numerous freelance or contract jobs, lump them together. The purpose of your resume is to show you have the skills and experience for a particular job. It’s not an autobiography.

5. Write a dynamite cover letter where you demonstrate (a) your knowledge of the company you’re seeking to join, and (b) the specific value you bring to your prospective employer.

And here’s a bonus tip: Are you depending on your resume to get interviews? Don’t! You should be out in the real world, meeting and talking with people. If you’ve already impressed a potential new boss with your intelligence and great attitude, a job hopping history won’t matter.

Karen Burns, Working Girl, is the author of The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use. She blogs at karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

Tags:: careers

« Previous Post Next Post »

Reader Comments Read all comments (45)

Add Your Thoughts Comment Name State Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

This sounds really familiar to another article: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/job-hopper-cover-those-resume-gaps-now/

Lennox of KY 9:49AM May 13, 2013

In my opinion, job hopping can be a good thing. Number one it shows discernment. Why stay at an organization that does not provide one with sustainability, longevity, respect and happiness? Their is no point in that. The point of living is not to be utterly miserable or suicidal. Many organizations have a corporate mentality that is quite transparent. Essentially, it demonstrates the mentality that people are to be used, exploited and thrown away.It is all about the rich stockholders sucking the life and money out of the middle class. Apparently, being honest and actually working for a living versus exploiting everyone you can for profit is a "bad thing." Immoral and unethical foundations at the root of this mentality... absolutely. Especially, in an area like healthcare. Steal the walker from the little old lady; ride the backs of the people doing back breaking highly intensive work and call yourself a hero. It is a sick money driven culture that is equivalent to fascism in the days of Stalin. Slavery in the days of cotton fields and plantations also comes to mind. The corporate mentality has just reconfigured the structure to enslave everyone now. With the exception of the elite connected insiders' club. That truth is painfully obvious. So I say job hopping can convey you do not settle for less;a poor working environment or deplorable "at will" slavery mandate. Self esteem is important and knowing you deserve better is a good thing.. not a negative. If I am not treated well why would I stay in such a place. All people deserve respect, care, compassion and love. We are humans not robots. If I feel like a fresh rag that is just being until I have holes, rips and tears why pursue that kind of infrastructure. There is really no point.

Shannon of FL 4:11AM June 23, 2012

In my opinion, job hopping can be a good thing. Number one it shows discernment. Why stay at an organization that does not provide one with sustainability, longevity, respect and happiness? Their is no point in that. The point of living is not to be utterly miserable or suicidal. Many organizations have a corporate mentality that is quite transparent. Essentially, it demonstrates the mentality that people are to be used, exploited and thrown away.It is all about the rich stockholders sucking the life and money out of the middle class. Apparently, being honest and actually working for a living versus exploiting everyone you can for profit is a "bad thing." Immoral and unethical foundations at the root of this mentality... absolutely. Especially, in an area like healthcare. Steal the walker from the little old lady; ride the backs of the people doing back breaking highly intensive work and call yourself a hero. It is a sick money driven culture that is equivalent to fascism in the days of Stalin. Slavery in the days of cotton fields and plantations also comes to mind. The corporate mentality has just reconfigured the structure to enslave everyone now. With the exception of the elite connected insiders' club. That truth is painfully obvious. So I say job hopping can convey you do not settle for less;a poor working environment or deplorable "at will" slavery mandate. Self esteem is important and knowing you deserve better is a good thing.. not a negative. If I am not treated well why would I stay in such a place. All people deserve respect, care, compassion and love. We are humans not robots. If I feel like a fresh rag that is just being until I have holes, rips and tears why pursue that kind of infrastructure. There is really no point.

Shannon of FL 3:53AM June 23, 2012