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I would just lie and say you followed a boss from job to job. You planned to stay at the last job, but it's going under. No one is going to call four jobs and ask if your boss worked there. Legally, they can't ask about someone they're not interviewing.
Who's going to buy this? It sounds like a complete lie and while they may not legally be able to call all those jobs asking who his "boss" was, they certainly will expect to see his "boss" as a reference. That's such a suspicious story that they would find a way to indirectly confirm that it's bs during the reference check or even a simple Google/LinkedIn search. If you're going to lie, please come up with something better than that!!
Just have to present it as valuable experience building in your profession. Sit there and let the doubts build in the interview will only make it all a waste of time. Some employers will actually see the sense to it and let it go. If for instance an interviewer keeps circling around it , then time to count down the minutes until the interview is over. At that point, they are trying to figure out why on earth are they wasting their time with you and reaffirming to themselves they are a company who would prefer a more stable work resume.
Never never fight back and argue as it will only draw from your own energy. Be cool and never get rattled no matter what is thrown at you.
OP made one post and left, but I do think it's an interesting anecdote.
We have no idea where this person is. Whatever he's doing may not have much of a market there. He could have gotten lucky, may be only applying locally, and now the luck ran out.
I didn't see what industry they were in. In IT, this is fairly common. You could easily have someone start out at a help desk as a contractor, that contract run out, get another short term contract, and get some certs or experience along the way to get a normal FTE job, then move up or hop in another couple of years. That was basically the exact trajectory I was on - I had numerous low wage help desk jobs, some contract, then went to a $50k job that was more advanced. Had I stayed at this employer, I'd likely be in the $70k-$80k range now, but the role was so specialized that there was nothing equivalent locally. If that office went under, the guys that are making good money there may have to take less.
No, of course I don't put salaries on my resume. The reason I mentioned the salary increases is so you could see how much of a pay range there is in my field. As a matter of fact, it's possible that my next jump could be to $120k+ if I'm able to get an interview at the right company.
As I alluded to, the only reason I'm thinking about leaving my company so soon is because of a lack of stability that I'm perceiving. We just had a round of layoffs, the chief architect in the engineering dept. quit, many of the top sales folks quit, etc.
I do mention on my resume that my first 2 jobs were contract jobs. I wish there was a way to call this out in a non-tacky way on my resume (e.g. not using bold or caps letters).
I do mention on my resume that my first 2 jobs were contract jobs. I wish there was a way to call this out in a non-tacky way on my resume (e.g. not using bold or caps letters).
When mentioning multiple sub contract or contract jobs for the same overall company or client I just started lumping them all together. So if I was a widget manufacturer for FFFF Corp and moved to 689 Corp to do the same exact thing in the same exact space for GLOBALDOMINANCE CORP I would list the position as one position and break out that it was for multiple companies in the description.
It is also OK to leave short term employment off if you do not like the way it looks. You may get to that on the application or security clearance at some point anyway.
It has nothing to do with "job hopping." Two of the four jobs were contract, so of course anyone with skills, talent and ambition are going to move out of those roles as soon as possible.
With the limited amount of information provided, it could be one or more factors that are completely unrelated to your resume. It could be a slow hiring period in your area and/or profession. I wouldn't stress too hard on it and keep trying.
There is a magic word: "consultant". Stop listing those first two gigs as if they were jobs if they were contracts or short term gigs. List them under 'consultant' because that conveys that it was always intended to be a short contained assignment and not a 'real' job. It also implies that you have some networking ability and ties to your industry that would land you consulting gigs. That is of value to other employers. I think you really just need to repackage the info on your resume into a more marketable format and think of it in terms of stand alone valuable nuggets instead of short term jobs.
and had no plans to leave my current job until I realized it was unstable (company went public, started reorganizing, downsizing, my division is in the crosshairs).
I started applying for other jobs, but am getting no responses, I'm sure because they see that I've job-hopped too much. It kinda sucks because I feel like success in the modern economy requires lots of job hopping to reach the top of the ladder if you're not able to start out on the top of it.
Nice. You will have to keep trying. How long were you at each job for? I am fully supportive of job hopping to an extent. What industry are you in?
I've job hopped quite a bit myself as I refuse to settle. Over the course of 3 years I've doubled my salary now into the six figures and have gained a wealth of knowledge. I had a goal to reach six figures before I turned 30 and it's in the bag.
No, of course I don't put salaries on my resume. The reason I mentioned the salary increases is so you could see how much of a pay range there is in my field. As a matter of fact, it's possible that my next jump could be to $120k+ if I'm able to get an interview at the right company.
As I alluded to, the only reason I'm thinking about leaving my company so soon is because of a lack of stability that I'm perceiving. We just had a round of layoffs, the chief architect in the engineering dept. quit, many of the top sales folks quit, etc.
I do mention on my resume that my first 2 jobs were contract jobs. I wish there was a way to call this out in a non-tacky way on my resume (e.g. not using bold or caps letters).
you could also be offered $250K. It's just not likely. You will find that your progressions slow to a 10-20% jump.
When the salary offered is higher the requirements - and pool of interested (as opposed to qualified) applicants - goes up. Competition is steeper against people with a strong educational background and work experience.
Did you use a staffing firm, or representative, to sign the first two jobs that were $17 & $20/hr jobs? If so, then list them as 1 job. My wife is in the medical field and did a similar thing. She worked for a medical staffing agency, and was assigned multiple 1-3 month contracts. Besides the money, the unique and diversified experiences helped make her more qualified.
Below is an example of what I had her do, and it has worked well for her. There is some flexibility in the specifics, but the key point is you are trying to roll up multiple experiences under one umbrella so it does not appear you were job hopping.
FYI, having interviewed people, my biggest fear when I see multiple job hops is that the position I have available is just another notch in someone's belt, or even worse, that they are a horrible employee that interviews well and then performs horribly and/or interacts horribly with their workmates.
It's not always true, but that is the first thought. If you have 5 other resumes with candidates that have great experience and not that concern, you eliminate due to time constraints. Guess who gets eliminated?
Also, while you are very proud of building up your salary, most employers will be turned off by it. Instead find ways to talk about how you pursued a different job for other reasons (moved to be closer to family, took a promotion for more challenging work, etc). Ideally you want to sell yourself as a self-aware individual that is staking it upon themselves to continually push themselves to grow and take CALCULATED risks.
In regards to your current job, I think I would be honest in why you are looking. But do not bash the company in the process. There is a fine line. Something like I love the work, but because there are organizational shifts making me feel unsecure, I thought it was best to pursue other options and find other exciting opportunities where I can grow my talents and lean on my previous experiences to help both us realize success.
Finally, keep in mind, it's easy to find a J-O-B. It's much harder to find a good paying career. More times than not, at the level you are reaching you will learn it's more about relationships, trust and "fit". It seems weird sometimes because society tells us the more things we know and do will make us more successful. Sometimes that's not true. We have to know enough about a subject matter to be teachable and trainable, but having the right attitude and fit is usually far more valuable. Having a large network database helps considerably as others can vouch for you and commend your work (vs you commending yourself).
Good luck in the search!
Various Positions, Staffing Agency Name Jan 2013 - Mar 2015
Job Title, Name of Contract Employer, City, ST Nov 2014 - Mar 2015
- Skill 1
- Skill 2
- Skill 3
- Skill 4
Job Title 2, Name of Contract Employer 2, City, ST Jan 2014 - Nov 2014
- Skill 1
- Skill 2
- Skill 3
- Skill 4
Job Title 3, Name of Contract Employer 3, City, ST Jan 2013 - Jan 2014
- Skill 1
- Skill 2
- Skill 3
- Skill 4
I don't think job hopping is the problem. From what I understand, most recruiters think there is something wrong with people who have been at a job for more then 2 years now i.e. they are not desirable to anyone else. I know a lot of people in technology field (IT, network, server, database and software dev) and most of them are hopping every 1-2 years. Most of them are also being recruited away from current jobs which may be slightly different then you actively looking. A lot of jobs in those fields are also project based so it's understood that people will be gone in 1-2 years when projects end. If I were you I wouldn't worry since you have a job now and apparently it pays decently for where you live. Keep looking but dont' sweat it until you are actually laid off
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