Have you changed jobs too frequently and are afraid it might be a problem during the job interview? Or is your work history patchy and you have gap years in between which you don’t know how to account for? Here are some interview tips on how to discuss job changes during a job interview.
Avoid drawing attention to frequent changes
It might seem almost impossible to not draw attention to the fact that you have changed your job a lot in the past. Your resume requires you to cite your work history in a chronological order. However, a better idea would be to avoid writing about your work experience in this manner and instead talk about skills acquired, work achieved and other achievements related to work.
Explaining the move
Even if you are all set to not draw extra attention to the frequent changes, it won’t be a bad idea to keep the answer handy in case you are asked to explain the frequent moves. You should practice telling the interviewer how each move was necessary as it gave you the opportunity to improve yourself, acquire new skills, understand yourself and your passion and how it finally culminated to this job interview.
Talk about other long-term commitments
The issue that might crop up during the job interview is that you might come across as someone who is incapable of making long-term commitments. Your mobility can be seen as an expression of restlessness and as such the doubt that the interviewer might have is whether you can be the right fit for the job. Whether or not you will stay put at your job once they select you.
As such, the only way out of this is to draw the attention of the recruiter to other long-term commitments you have made. Tell them you see a lot of potential with the company and are ready to stay put and give it your best shot.
Don’t talk about money
Even if the changes were inspired by better pay-cheques, try to avoid telling that to the interviewer. Never make it about money and instead find a more plausible excuse that can put you in a better light.
If you say you left your last job or changed jobs so frequently because of the pay then it won’t make you look cool or savvy, instead, it will have alarm bells going off in the interviewer’s head that you are only after money and hence not the right person.
While it is not great to have too many and too frequent job changes on your profile, it is always better to know how to answer questions directed towards it. So, keep these job interview tips in mind and go grab your next job.
