Seeking Resume Advice - how to combat unstable job history?

Hi there,

Q: Any suggestion would be appreciated!

I reported my comments below:

1) State just years ⮕ This might help with the initial screening, however they will probably ask about that during interviews/prescreening.

2) Combine work experiences ⮕ This might work if some of the work experiences are very short (ie a few months) and very similar. If that’s not the case I would not do so.

3) State objectives & skill set in the beginning ⮕ This in itself is not wrong but I don’t think it would change the perception about the frequent change in jobs. Additionally, it could take extra space and limit the one to describe your experiences.

4) Expand to 2 pages and state reasons for leaving each job ⮕ I would not recommend this – you would emphasize exactly what you don’t want that they focus on.

In general, the best thing you can do to compensate for the weaknesses of a CV is a referral. You can find more on that below:

▶ How to Get a Referral

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the previous rejections!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, it is absolutely fine in many countries to only indicate the years in your work history. However, other tactics you mentioned, such as combining work experiences or stating reasons for leaving each job, may not necessarily yield significant benefits. Recruiters are keen on identifying such tactics and they may lead to additional questions during the interview process.
• Moreover, expanding your CV to two pages to highlight your diverse skill set can be helpful, but it is critical to ensure that the information is concise and relevant. Remember, the goal is to make your CV as clear and attractive as possible to potential employers, so unnecessary details might dilute the overall impression.
• Instead, I would highly advise you to focus on the diverse skill set that you have gained as a key advantage of such frequent job changes. This could include flexibility, adaptability, or broad industry knowledge, depending on your experience. Instead of hiding the facts, turning them into positives could be more beneficial. This strategy might be best implemented with the help of an experienced coach.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

while some of the levers you mentioned can work well, would need to see the actual profile to advice specifically, as the is no one-fits-all cure.

Feel free to share your CV via DM, then I can take a quick high-level look and advise.

Regards, Andi

Hello,

I'm with Ian on this one - a very specific resume situation like this is not going to be helped by generic advice, so it would be well worth your time to workshop it together with an experienced coach.

Of the options you suggest, I wouldn't do #1-#3 - this isn't customary and will stand out as odd in a resume. #4 is ok if you have enough to put down. 

Were there any specific mitigating factors that contributed to your unstable job history? If so and if you're finding it difficult to get past the resume review stage, it might be worth explaining it in your cover letter.

Feel free to DM me if you're interested in a resume review, and best of luck!

Hi there, 

It sounds complex and you would benefit from getting expert support on this. It's a great ROI if you think about the doors it opens. 

In general, I wouldn't purposefully ‘hide’ anything (like not including the months) because to the trained eye this only raises suspicion. 

Instead, I'd put more emphasis on how you position your experience in the bullet points and how you then provide an explanation for your career gaps in the cover letter. 

Usually when I work with candidates on this I provide them with a template, a set of guidelines and several examples of CVs that have passed MBB screening. Then we work on their CV with track changes in 3-4 iterations until we reach the ideal version. 

Getting the CV right is not easy but it has a huge impact on your chances of passing screening. 

Here are a few things you can optimize for as well to increase your chances of passing screening:

• Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

Definitely consider getting a coach to do a deep-dive review. The difference between a self-done resume and a professionally done one is immense.

Honestly, it's really hard to advise on this one without seeing your resume. It sounds a bit weird, but it's a bit of an “art” making a resume optimal (it's all about playing around with spacing, bolding, placement, what's included versus not, etc. etc.). It has to be looked at hollistically.

1.State just years and hide months in work history

I personally wouldn't, else where will be weird overlap (but you “can”)

2.Combine work experiences: haven't tried this before, but personally avoid this given that I've worked less than 10 years

I wouldn't

3.State objectives & skill set in the beginning of resume

I wouldn't

4.Expand to 2 pages to highlight skill set and state reasons of leaving each job

Depends…with 8 years of experience you could probably get away with 2 pages.

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Remember, resume is not all that matters. Here's some additional things to consider for your application (full time tips = interview tips):

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks