Addressing Frequent Job Changes During A Job Interview
You are not always in control of when you need to leave your finance role. There are many reasons why you may have switched jobs after only a short time with an organization.
However, having a long list of finance jobs on your resume can be off-putting to employers. If you have a zig-zagging resume, you need to come up with a good explanation to the inevitable questions you will be asked during interviews: “Why have you changed jobs so often?” and “How do I know you will stay with us for the long term?”
How to Explain Why You Have Frequently Changed Your Finance Job
If you have changed finance jobs often in the last few years, you can expect to be questioned about it. Therefore, it pays to prepare an answer to explain your job-hopping in advance.
When preparing an explanation for the frequent change in jobs, it is essential to be honest. It is also crucial to avoid laying the blame on ‘bad bosses’ or ‘colleagues that just weren’t in tune’ with you.
Instead, focus on positive aspects. Career advancement. Improving your skills with a different employer. New challenges.
Other acceptable reasons for changing jobs include moving location and a change in your lifestyle (for example, you became a parent and needed to reduce your hours).
Reasons you may have hopped through your finance jobs include the following examples:
- When you remain with the same company for a while, you can lose touch with what is happening outside of your organization. Therefore, you can fall behind with the advancements in finance and what is happening in the wider market, and become fixated on the internal workings of your company.
- If you work at a company that is not experiencing growth, you end up in a repetitive role. You don’t face new challenges or get exposed to new opportunities and experiences.
- When a role becomes repetitive, you do it on autopilot. After working for a company for a while, you may feel the need to enter a new role, to continue your learning, or to utilize skills you already have that you don’t want to forget, as they aren’t being used in your current position.
Showing an Employer That You Are a Great Candidate for Their Finance Job
Combined with carefully explaining your job changes, you should demonstrate to potential employers that you are willing to commit to a finance job for the long term. You will need to show employers that you are a great candidate and that they don’t need to worry about your previous job changes on your resume. Here’s what to do.
· Highlight Your Skills
Show that your job hopping allowed you to obtain a wide variety of finance skills. You have worked in a diverse variety of roles, across various industries, and you bring many desirable skills to the table.
Use your multiple employers as an example of how you strive for professional growth. You can demonstrate that career growth and obtaining new skills are important to you and therefore you have worked with many employers.
· Demonstrate You Want to Commit to a New Employer
Do your research before your interview. Learn about the company and the person interviewing you. You should be able to clearly explain in your interview why you want to work for this company. For finance professionals with multiple employers in their work history, this is increasingly important.
During your interview, you must reassure a potential employer that, if offered the role, you will not jump ship in six months. Highlight why you want to work for this specific employer and demonstrate that you are willing to commit to them.
To Sum Up
Frequent job changes can often raise a red flag with hiring managers. But don’t be discouraged. If you have been asked to interview, this shows they are willing to ignore your previous penchant to change jobs frequently.
The key is to provide well-prepared explanations for your work history. Layered on this, demonstrate how your many jobs have made you a well-rounded, multiskilled candidate who will offer many benefits to them. On short, put hiring managers’ minds at rest and position yourself as the perfect candidate for finance jobs.
For help finding your next great job opportunity in finance, contact 6 Degrees.