Top Reasons Resumes Are Rejected - Job Hopping

There was a time when most people expected to get out of school, find a job, and stick with it pretty much for the rest of their lives. Today, the opposite is true. People tend to change jobs fairly often, for various reasons. One study showed that in the U.S. people aged 25 to 37 were holding jobs for an average of 2.7 years. Sometimes they job hop by choice, other times it's forced on them as many companies downsize, or shut down altogether. Yet many employers don't like hiring people with too many jobs on their resume. How can you get around this obstacle?

When I asked my 20-something daughter why young people often job hop, she said she thinks there are a few reasons. Here are some of them:

1. It's a job, not a career - Young people, particularly if they're straight out of high school, will frequently start out in entry-level jobs in the retail or fast food industry. It's not a career to them, just a way to make money and get into the job market. They don't feel any loyalty to the place where they sell the sneakers, fry the chicken or make the fries, particularly if they're doing it in embarrassing uniforms. Soon, they move on to another place, for more money, better hours, or just a change.
2. They're bored and burnt out: Being bored can be more stressful than being overworked.A lot of today's entry level jobs can be pretty monotonous and uninspiring. Some call center jobs have been described as "mental drudgery." Few young people can handle this long-term, and soon move on, either to similar jobs, or to more promising and enjoyable jobs.
3. They're following the money: Some people take the view that they work purely to make the money to live their "real lives," so why not jump from job to job, as more money is offered.
4. Trying to find the right career: Many young people take a few years to decide on a career path that's right for them, so they may go through a variety of jobs, and make a few bad choices, looking for the right fit.

Of course, not all job hoppers are young. Some serial job hoppers are older, even middle-aged. Why would they job hop?

1. Loving the challenge: Some people just love to learn new things and have new experiences. Their favourite part of a job is the first phase where everything is new, and there's so much to learn about a new industry. Novelty and challenge make them feel alive. Once the honeymoon period is over and they've mastered the basic skills of the job, the thrill is gone, and it's on to another job, another challenge.
2. Personal Problems: There are people who always seem to have problems getting along with other employees or bosses, ending in frequently being let go, or in walking out. There are a number of other personal problems that could lead someone to leave job after job, including physical and mental health problems, substance abuse issues, an unstable personal life, etc.
3. Because they can: Recruiters and the Internet have made it easier than ever for some people to find a new job when they tire of the old one.

Why would a hiring manager reject the resume of a job hopper? It could be that the employer has the perception that the candidate could be:

1. Disloyal: He could leave at a moment's notice. It's his pattern.
2. Flaky and indecisive: If he's a serious, dedicated employee, why does he keep changing jobs?
3. Just after the money: He doesn't care about my company; he'll go wherever the money is.
4. Unreliable: If the chips are down, how can I count on him? He'll probably just leave.

Obviously the best way to avoid the appearance of being a job hopper on your resume is not to be one. And maybe you've decided to put your job-hopping days behind you. But are there any ways to overcome this obstacle if you currently have a long list of short-term jobs on your resume?

1. Address the problem: Rather than hope the hiring manager won't notice (he will), address the elephant on the resume. In your Profile section, stress that after taking time to choose a career path, your goal is to begin a long-term career with their company. Stress this in your cover letter as well. Try to come across as mature and un-flaky as possible.
2. Combine jobs when possible: Occasionally, I see people list two jobs on their resume, when they really did one. For example, they may have worked for a large company as a temp for a year, then got hired on by the company for another two years. Show this as one job, but make it clear in the details that you made the transition from the temp agency to permanent worker. It just looks better. If you've held multiple jobs at the same place, show this as one job, under the company name, with smaller sections for each post you held. Do NOT list this as several different jobs. Again, it's all about appearance.
3. Leave off old jobs: One man, an M.D., listed every job he'd ever had on his resume, right back to when he processed film part-time in high school. Don't do this! If you're an older worker, don't feel you need to list every job you did for the last 25 years, right back to when you swept the roller rink. You want to reduce the appearance that you've held 20 different jobs, particularly since the hiring manager probably won't read slowly enough to see the details of many of these jobs.
4. Where appropriate, leave off extremely short term jobs. Never lie on your resume,but if you held a job for a month or less, better to leave it off entirely, and avoid cluttering up your resume with yet more jobs.

Just by following these tips, some people will be able to pare several jobs off their resumes, and hopefully increase their chances of getting that interview.

Seeking for a job in SG, you can search a list of latest jobs at WDA jobs Singapore.

A recruitment article by Dougles Chan - A recruitment mentor that speciliased in recruitment training and recruitment mentoring in Singapore and globally.

Contact Dougles Chan @ +(65) 9388 0851 or email to dc@dougleschan.com for your recruitment training and mentoring needs.