A reader wants to know:
Hi Laurie, quick question that I would love your input on: I’ve always been told that work history of a short nature (under two years) looks fishy to employers, but do you think this is still true with an unstable economy? Are today’s HR professionals looking at job history with a different eye? Thanks much!
Today’s HR professionals don’t have much of an authentic role in the recruiting process. We push paper and talk about unimportant shit like the importance of hiring someone for a ‘cultural fit’.
You will be selected for an interview based on three scenarios:
- You’ll know someone at the company — most likely the hiring manager or the owner of a small firm.
- Your skills will match an algorithm that is liked to the criteria in a job description.
- A third-party recruiter will pre-screen your resume and you will be selected for an interview based on the recruiter’s discretion.
I would worry about what a recruiter thinks before I would worry about Human Resources.
*
What will recruiters and hiring managers think about your short job history? It depends on context.
- If there is forward progression in your career, don’t sweat it.
- If you hate your job and keep moving around, you’re screwed.
Context is key. Are you a dynamic guy with excellent references? Or are you a chump?
- Laurie
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
So much depends on company “culture” or hiring manager/recrutier conceptions. Laurie’s list is very dead on, I would add that an addition to number 3, be a note that more and more company’s are switching to internal agency models, so a 1st party recruiter will often be the first prescreen. In those instances, they are more likely to qualify based on a tighter company line. Learn about the company you are interested in, if they value tenure, then my recommendation is to include the reason your tenure was so brief in your resume. If it was out of your control: company closed, moved for family, etc. it should never count against you.
The big question- why do you only want to show 2 years worth of history?
@Jimmy You’re right about internal agency models. I forgot about that.
@Breanne Shut up, I only have two years worth of work history for some of my jobs. What am I? A baby boomer? I like to move it/move it for more money.
Oh how I hate those conversations with the client who has worked for the same company for decades and is looking at a candidate who has one position where they were gone after one year.
Every once in awhile you’ll run across a company with blinders on and no explanation will change their mind. I will say this has become less of an issue in the last 10 years.
My recommendation, run away from those that won’t try to understand your legitimate career movements.
@ Laurie- what if she only wants to show the last 2 years because before that she was in jail…worked the pole…or…gasp…worked in the Bush Administration….
I am not as upset with the job history as there could be many reasons why you left the job, but what I would like to see is consistency on your resume. Either it’s a job or an industry, I want to know if you can handle the job.
I would use this analogy: You are looking for a straight or flush draw on the river. If you missed, then fold and move on to another candidate, but it you caught the river, then go after it.
Dear Laurie;
It would really depend on the jobs listed versus the career sought. Younger job seekers may be in the mode of trying it before they like it and moving on before it traps them into a job they don’t like with no career growth opportunities. I’m okay with this.
Others may be in career transition, away from what they have done in the past towards what they will do in the future and not sure what that is, but the bills need to get paid in the mean time. (BTDT, but I’m really only on my third job in the past 30 years.)
Some get caught in the spin cycle of economic and seasonal fluctations. Ahh, the pain and agony of turbulent times.
Then there are those that are always chasing the next nickel and dime. RED FLAG FLYING here. I don’t need their churn in my turnover metrics.
It depends on your overall job history. If you have been on the market for a good number of years and most or all of your positions have been less than 2 years, depending on the position and industry I
Breanne makes a good point pole hopping (or is it job hopping?)and jail sitting do not make for a positive resume, however most applicants get a look by the criteria Lori listed, plus the last job being closely matched to the potential one…
If all else fails coin flipping to choose applicants works, scientifically you have a 50-50 on success…about the same odds someone has of being successful in a new opportunity…scarey that I am probably right on this…
Great post, Laurie.
In tech-land the big issue is with those candidates who have are serial contractors.
So, I had to write up a follow-on post: http://jobhacking.typepad.com/job_hacking/2008/12/laurie-speaks-the-truth-again.html
Corey wouldn’t hire me
the ave gen y’r will change jobs every 1.8 years until their 30..
most recruiters are clueless..
Amanda- that doesn’t make it okay…
Personally, I want to see that you were someplace for 2.5 – 3 yrs, or that you ejected within 3-6 months.
Why? B/c 2 yrs is no man’s land. You probably knew almost immediately that the job was a bad fit, but you didn’t give it the effort required to make it work, so you wasted 1.5 yrs.
Bail w/in 3 months (and still have a positive req)? You’re decisive and clear about who you are. You won’t waste your time or mine. Show me that you learned how to avoid the same mistake down the road, and I’m good.
Stuck it out for 2.5 – 3 years? You’re loyal and able to see goals through, even when the path requires you to take a big bite out of a sh*t sandwich. And you made sure that the deal worked for everyone, including your employer, who was right side up on its investment in you by the time you left.
Repeatedly job hopping after 2 yrs w/ no shorter/longer stints? You’re a wuss who blames the world for being tough, who bails when the going gets tough.
Holy crap, I’m a total wuss. Ive been blogging for 18 months and I keep thinking about getting a respectable job. I was going to bail on myself. I better stick it out as a blogger for another year so I can demonstrate loyalty. I don’t eat shit sandwiches, though.
Jason is so right on with his 3yrs or 3 months idea! Commit or move on.
That’s kind of how I feel about relationships.
You don’t even want to know my theory on relationships…
yo… i dunno if i agree with you on all of this, laurie.
first, are we a little caught up on the difference between HR and recruiting? isn’t that a semantics issue? do non-HR/recruiting people know the difference between a recruiter and an HR person? i don’t think so. call what i do HR, recruiting, human capital, talent management, whatever. so yeah, in some organizations, you have generalists who do a bit of everything… and yep, i’ll categorize myself as one of those. and i know others like me so surely we can’t make sweeping statements and say that all of today’s HR pros just push paper and merely talk about cultural fit. it depends on the organization and their culture. and absolutely yes, in larger orgs, it’s harder for this to happen – everyone has to specialize. let’s just not make generalizations.
don’t stop rolling your eyes at me though… i’m not done! it feels a little irresponsible to tell someone that those are the only three ways they will get hired. those are definitely three ways but come on… there are some great corporate recruiters and HR pros who do put personal touches on what they do and how they do…
so… i’d love to see us bring the conversation back to this: if HR peeps suck as much as you and i both think they do… and if the majority do just push paper and talk shit about cultural fit, what do we want to see them doing differently? you have a big ass audience of HR peeps who look to you and look up to you… so tell ‘em what they’ve gotta do differently and to be a better HR pro, or talent management specialist or human capital guru or whatever title they wanna use. and let’s be explicit. they haven’t figured it out on their own, so don’t we have to spell it out for them?
everyone can start bitching now about my comment. ready, set, GO!
@JLee you have a big ass audience of HR peeps who look to you and look up to you