Lately, with all the contract jobs that are available to job seekers, it might seem like the list of jobs held on professional resumes is getting longer and longer. Even though it could mean that you have a wealth of job experience working in these fields, potential employers could see it as a lack of loyalty to jobs, or other reasons to call you a “Job-Hopper”. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you think the hiring manager will be skeptical of the amount of jobs you’ve held, try these two tricks to hop around the judgment:
Consolidate. On your resume, for example, if you’ve held a multitude of jobs with the same basic functions but at different companies, then you’re allowed to group those experiences together. One suggestion on how to do this is to list a title with the time period, then mention some of the employers or clients you had then. This way, your resume at first glance will not raise red flags to the employer, and it’ll physically save space on a paper where real estate is valuable.
Explain truthfully. Sometimes, there is no way to get around the fact that the hiring manager is wary of your job experience. In the case that you find yourself getting the interview question, “Why did you have so many jobs in such a small period of time?”, then you should just be honest and casual. Tell the interviewer about how you were let go after a merger or a re-org, or how you saw opportunity at a different place and decided that it was the best way to develop the skills you will use at the job you’re interviewing for.