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How to Answer Questions About Your Job Changes

September 6th, 2013

At some point in the application and interviewing process, you may be asked about the reasons why you’ve changed jobs in the past. Whether you’ve experienced job changes due to personal reasons or those that were out of your control, this work history has a tendency to follow you for many years. It can be awkward and uncomfortable to answer, but a potential employer wants to know for a couple of good reasons:

  1. Do you have a stable work history that progresses over time?
  2. Will you jump ship if a better assignment comes along?

To best answer questions about switching jobs with past employers, here are some helpful guidelines to address the above concerns.

Be honest about the job change reasons.

Hiring managers appreciate honesty, so when asked about your job changes simply be honest and to the point. You can share briefly why you left a job without going into too many details. For example, if you were laid off, just say this. If you quit a job, state you resigned to pursue your career goals or to take care of some important family matters.

Provide insight about company processes.

The recruiter only sees what you have indicated on your resume, not what you experienced at the companies you worked for. If there are multiple jobs listed, that needs some explanation. For some, this means discussing how a company hired seasonally, then laid off workers. For others, it could be that upward mobility was not available so you had to take work with another company.

Highlight career advancement opportunities.

Your goal when talking about job changes is to try to highlight your progression in your career. Each job should be a stepping stone to the next. Approach your interview this way and discuss how your job changes have led to greater career growth and learning.

Avoid speaking negatively about the changes.

Lastly, as you review the job changes on your resume, avoid talking negatively about any of the companies you’ve worked for. Instead, let the hiring manager know your career benefited from each experience and by changing jobs you were able to use these lessons in a higher role.

If you are looking for jobs in Atlanta GA, contact Staffing Resources today.

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