Job Hoppers: Advice Before & After You Hop

Oct 5

There are many old adages associated with career success. One that remains true is, “Better to have a job to get a job.” Candidates who are employed fair much better when job-searching. In fact, the longer you are out of work, the more difficult to find work. Recently, Bullhorn Reach conducted a survey of 1,500 recruiters. Recruiters were asked to name the “single biggest obstacle” for a candidate. 39% surveyed named job-hopping, 31% stated being unemployed for more than one year, and 28% said that gaps in the employment history were the biggest obstacle. Those numbers prove that there is validity in this particular adage.

In fact, Bullhorn’s survey-based report shared that 36% of recruiters felt that it would be difficult to place a candidate who has been unemployed between six months and a year. Would a candidate out of work for more than one year become unemployable? Is this news surprising to you? It is not surprising to most career advisors and recruiters. Let’s get personal. How does this relate to YOU? If you are thinking of quitting before you have a new job, consider that decision very carefully. Unless you are in an unsafe setting or working for a company performing unlawful acts, you probably can find a way to persevere until you have a new job. If you have issues with your career history or have been laid-off, here is some advice to help improve your chances.

Got Gaps?

You were doing something during those gaps, so try to fill the gap on your résumé. Acceptable items to mention are volunteer activities, community involvement, consulting engagements, professional development, academic sabbatical, and education.
Highlight starting and ending dates with years only to avoid revealing short gaps.
In some cases, you may be able to group similar experience to show longevity within an occupation/industry. For example, you may say: “Group Insurance Sales” and beneath that heading, you can show your employers on one line. Beneath it, you can include the combined listing of accomplishments. If you do this, you must group all of your history. Don’t group one area and then fall back into the traditional format of employer/job title/accomplishments.
If you are in an industry in which work is contract or project-oriented, gaps will be common and the employers in this field understand it. If that is your situation, gaps may not have a stigma.

Unemployed for 2+ months?

When you have been unemployed for two months, you have reached a crucial milestone. Get a contract or temporary job, even if it's outside your industry.
Stay current on changes in your industry by networking, participating in webinars, and taking professional development courses.
If your break in employment is due to maternity leave, raising children, or caring for a seriously ill family member, it is alright to mention that reason for leaving under your most recent position. Some experts say to explain this in a cover letter. However, not all recruiters or hiring managers read the cover letter. Keep the explanation to a brief one-line bullet on the résumé.
Ask your former employer or management-level co-workers to write a recommendation, preferably on LinkedIn. You may also include a portion of a quote on your résumé.
If you are unemployed, don't mislead the reader by writing "to present" on your résumé. You can’t use the excuse, “I have not had a chance to update my résumé.”

Overall

Always start with a compelling opening summary (often called a profile section) to overview your skills, experience and value to a prospective employer.
Many recruiters and employers do not like the functional style résumé. This is because functional résumés are usually chosen when a candidate has an issue with their work history (spotty history or experience that is not aligned with the goal). For this reason, avoid the functional format.
If your gaps or uemployment is significant, consider a hybrid résumé format. Following the opening summary, the hybrid will feature a highlights of achievements section in which you can showcase your strongest relevant achievements. After that you can briefly list your work history in reverse chronological order. The focus is on what you did and not on the dates for each position.
Consider an “Additional Experience” section to showcase volunteer, tutoring, and professional/personal pursuits (such as writing a blog or a book). This is not a place for hobbies, religious activities, or political support.
Avoid falsehoods, such as stating you were on a sabbatical or performing contract work, unless you truly were on sabbatical or have verifiable contract projects that you can discuss in the interview.