Are you a job hopper?

You have just completed your new resume, or your resume writer has just forwarded you the first draft of your resume, and it hits you: you are a job hopper! What's a job hopper? If you have had a series of short-term jobs in a row lasting less than three years, you may be considered a job hopper. What if you've gone to the extreme, with different roles in different industries and levels of responsibilities and increases in compensation for short periods? Why were you job hopping, an interviewer asks. And you want to scream groceries and school fees.

You are concerned that this low watermark in your interview must be avoided since the wrong answer can set you back in your current job search.

What is job hopping?

If, for the last ten years, you've had a career that has included many different positions, with hardly any lasting more than two years, you may be considered a job hopper. And you are not alone here. There are candidates who, through no fault of their own, have been laid off twice in the last few years, and now they have earned the title, too.

A job hopper is a professional who does not stay at the same company or role for very long, usually less than three years. For whatever reason, the job hopper lane has recently appeared crowded and accident-prone. But there are positive and negative aspects to this.

Hiring managers appear reluctant to consider job hoppers as full-time hires. They see job hoppers as not settling and not giving each job a good go. This can also be viewed as a lack of loyalty and sticking power.?

If put forward for a job, managers want to know their new hire has the staying power to last through the training and beyond. Companies want to invest in staff, so if you're shown to be a job hopper, this can count against you. On the plus side, Job hoppers tend to be fast learners with valuable personal skills, including tolerance and adaptability. If you're used to performing well in new situations, you will likely deal with stress more productively.

There may be many valid reasons why you've changed roles frequently. Contract roles are often short and easily explained. As a job hopper, you sell yourself as a proactive individual who can weather change and welcome unexpected, new challenges. Plus, you are willing, and once you've achieved all you believe you can in one role, you are eager to move on. These attributes show resilience, confidence, and an openness to change. However, a job hopper may be seen as a poor match for a company with a long-term challenge and dynamic project.?

How to approach preparing your resume for your job search

• ?Please focus on your transferrable skills: Take a look at your resume's summary and skills section. Your resume's summary and skills sections can highlight the immediate value you can bring to the team.
• By highlighting your transferable skills, project outcomes, and achievements, you draw the reader away from the dates and titles, help them focus on your expertise and the benefits, and highlight the immediate value you can bring to their team.?

Emphasize achievements

• I'd like to point out that listing your verifiable achievements validates your expertise and helps you reach your goal of securing a position. Your achievements will set you apart from the other applicants.

Combine or omit some roles.

• Combining similar roles under one heading can enhance your technical strength. You may omit some irrelevant to your current career path or job interests. Try to include the dates as the years you worked at a company, not the months, and if possible, by role or industry type, as this diminishes some screenout factors and red flags.

Above all, be transparent and honest?during the interview.

Explaining your reasons for job hopping openly is the best approach, especially if some of your reasons for changing companies were due to circumstances beyond your control, such as a layoff or company closure. Work to eliminate insignificant jobs and align your skill set with the qualifications needed for your job search.

Kim McCarthy @HutchHutchinson Bernard Tenreiro Marva Washkowiak, MS Williams Arevalo Guzman Connie Jefferson Marlōn Hall, CFS?Rahila Chaudhry Andre Dowtin Dowtin Vincent Masino Beth Wonson Connie Wilson Stephanie Schultz Holly Wessol Tiffany Wey, MBA Tiffany Lewallen Victor M. Howell, CAIA Spencer Goodridge Junaid Imtiaz Bruce Nelson Ronald Williams, ChFC? Nicole Paterson, MPA Alan Elmont Janae Dixon Jhae Thompson Shelia Perkins #jobsearching, #careercoaching #resumeservices, #interviewing AARP #franklinpatersoncompany #resumewritingservice #carmelindiana #interview #DWEN #DiversityInWholesaling #AssociationForWholesalingDiversity #jobsearch #forbeswomen #jobs #careers #work #change #leadership #resumewriting #resumeservices #businessandmanagement #management #jobsearching #interviewpreparation #interviewcoaching #dwen #franklinpatersoncompany #smallbusinessowner #projectmanagers #interviewing #Jobhopping