Do you cringe when a Hiring Manager begins the review of your Resume during an interview? Or, does it take you by surprise when the Hiring Manager focuses on a specific area of concern regarding your background? Either way, there is usually at least one item in every person’s career that will flag when being reviewed.
The key for a Job Seeker is to understand what parts of his or her Resume may be perceived in a negative fashion, and to prepare a suitable answer for when you are questioned. That this may be an area of concern does not necessarily mean that you are facing a “deal breaker”, but it may result in a closer review. To many Interviewers, a person’s career history and the reasons why they accepted different positions can be very telling about the candidate (their values, decision-making process, and ambitions).
This week, let’s examine some of the most common areas of concern when present in a Resume. You can then review your document to discover if you have any of these situations. This will help you in the process of being ready for the Interviewer when it is a subject for discussion.
• Unnatural Career Progression – It is standard, when reviewing a Resume, to see positions of greater stature or responsibility as a person moves thru their career. When a Hiring Manager reads a position or two that does not automatically register in this fashion, it may cause a yellow “caution” light to come up. Be ready to explain to the Interviewer why you made a move such as this, whether it was due to family reasons or finding unemployment after a layoff. In this situation, avoid answers such as “I did not want to work so hard” or “I could not handle the responsibility of the greater position”.
• Some “Job Hopping” – “Job Hopping” is when a person has multiple short tenures with a particular organization. This can be concerning to a Hiring Manager even if the reasons for departures were due to career progression. The Interviewer may perceive you as someone who will jump at the first job that pays more, someone who has difficulty being satisfied, or perhaps one who gets bored with work easily. They could also draw the conclusion that you are someone that leaves when things get tough. If you are in this situation, but have a stop or two that were of extended time (5 years or more), stress those jobs as examples of how you can stay with one company. Depending on the circumstances, you can also paint a couple of other pictures. One would be someone who has been of high demand, and another would be that of a person who “hopped” a bit but is now ready to settle down. Choose the approach that works best for your situation and in the moment you are in.
• Employment Gaps – When reviewing a Resume, a Recruiter checks to see if a person has gone immediately from one job to the next, or whether there are some gaps in employment. This example probably had a little more stigma to it years ago, as Hiring Managers have become more accustomed to seeing candidates who have lost their jobs. The traditional stereotype was that only troubled workers were let go, but in today’s work environment even a star employee can be downsized. You still may be asked, however, to explain any gaps. If there was a personal reason, such as child or elder care, then share what you feel comfortable with telling. If you were downsized, you may be asked to share some perspective regarding how the company decided who would be released. It will reflect better for you if a large group of people were released, rather than just you or a small number. Do not tell the Interviewer that the employment gap was because you wanted to take some time off and relax, or that you couldn’t take your supervisor anymore. These types of answers may cause the Hiring Manager to draw a negative conclusion about your work ethic or ability to handle conflict.
• Long Duration of Unemployment – In some situations, a candidate has an absence of six months to even years on their Resume. In this situation, the concern is not necessarily that the gap exists, but the length of time of it. Just like above, if the reason is due to child or elder care, a person must decide at what level to share. My suggestion is to inform, but not go into any degree of detail that will make the Interviewer uncomfortable, or feel like you are trying to win sympathy. If you do have a personal reason for the absence that you wish to not disclose, then you will have to overcome the stigma of why was this person out so long. Hiring Managers have become more comfortable with seeing a longer layoff related unemployment stint, but they want reassurance that you have been actively looking for new work. Any volunteer or temporary work you have performed while out can be noted during the interview as examples of how you have stayed productive. You may face some questioning, as an Interviewer seeks reassurance that your extended unemployment is not due to your poor performance or behavior. In this situation, stress previous accomplishments, performance reviews, awards, etc. that you have received.
The appearance of one of these job history challenges does not have to mean that you are facing a dead end in your job search. The key, however, is to be prepared for questioning, don’t become defensive, and deliver an answer that will alleviate the concerns of the Interviewer. Be prepared, also, with strong references that can vouch for your effort, behavior, and results.
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of RochesterJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein
WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at:
Joe Stein
