Usually, candidates who have had varied job experiences from many different fields or have had very small tenures at different places, find it difficult to include their job history on a resume. They fear that their skipping between jobs could pose a bad impression on the recruiter regarding their reliability. This is true to an extent, as skipping between jobs after small duration does look unreliable. But there are ways to include multiple jobs in a way, so that a candidate looks responsible instead of unreliable.
Here are the tips to handle such situations smartly and impressively in resumes:
- Speak out the reason if the jobs left you: During the time of tough economies, switching between jobs seems practical. After-all, the tough times led you out of the job, and it was not your decision to leave it. Such conditions can be very openly addressed in a resume and if the hiring managers are practical as well, you would not have a problem.
- Write a functional resume: Don’t choose a chronological resume and instead write a functional, targeted one. As such, you can skip the irrelevant work experiences and manage time-discrepancies simply by excluding them. A functional resume will help you to portray your most relevant skills you learned in the prior jobs, the tasks you completed and the responsibilities that were bestowed upon you. As such, you would portray only the experiences relevant to the job you’re applying for.
- Write a task and skill oriented resume: Recruiters are not interested in whether you worked for 5 years or 10. They would consider the experience that is relevant for the job they are offering. If, in a short tenure, you were able to handle responsibilities necessary for the current post, you would be in a better position to a candidate who has a huge experience, but with a different set of tasks and skills. So, create a task-based resume, where the recruiters can easily analyze the tasks you have completed and the skills you have learnt that would help you in the job you’re applying for as well.
- Write about special achievements: Even if you remained at a position for a short tenure and you were able to achieve some exceptional recognition or a promotion, you should very well include it in your resume. Such achievements show that you take no time in getting focused in the job you take and that you are flexible and a quick learner. Including such achievements in the resume can help you in showcasing your ability to smoothly switch from one work environment to another, without taking much time to adjust.
These are some resume writing tips that will help you to show yourself in a positive light even if you have changed your jobs very often. If you choose the chronological format for your resume, make sure that you include even the shortest job experiences, even if they were as short as six weeks.
ABOUT AUTHOR:
Ana Thames is a career counselor and loves writing. It’s her hobby and passion. You can view career tips with resume samples and interview tips at http://www.
