Do I look like a job hopper
Just wondering if this makes me look like a job hopper: job 1 Staff Accountant 5 years - company changed managment, relocated job 2 Staff Accountant 1.5 years - company had cash flow issues, no growth potential job 3 Self employed Accountant - 1 year. Did not have enough business to continue Job 4 Staff Accountant - 9 months, received a 10% increase after 90 days. Job eliminated shortly after Sept 11, 2001 Out of work for a year due to down economy job 5 P-T Staff Accountant - 9 months- company closed Ohio operations and consolidated in Mass. job 6 P-T Accounting Assistant 4 years - changed jobs due to 40 mile per day drive,1.5 hour drive, company wage freeze job 7 - P-T bookkeeper. I have been on this job 4 weeks, but have found the culture and job to be other than represented. Company is very unprofessional, and has cash flow issues. I had an interview the other day, and the inference was made that I was a job hopper. Just wondered what others thought. I could not controll the situations where I was laid off!!! I am a degreed accountant, and have a CPA license, as well. I would have thought that would help. Would I be better to leave the jobs that were eliminated off the resume???? Thanks I can see it both ways...at a glance you seem to be both a victim of bad circumstance and somewhat figgity about your employers. • What jumps out at me is that you moved from J-2 with no growth potential to J-3 which had negative growth. Did you research the company before the move? • Concerning J-6, and J-7, you seem to pick jobs that are uncomfortable for you. I would be concerned that you picked my company without research and would find it uncomfortable for some reason and leave within a year. Hence the inference of job-hopper. Have you considered Federal or State civil service? You would be able to move between jobs and maintain your benefits and civil service tenure. On the downside, the possibility for promotion would be not be good. Yes, you will LOOK like a job hopper. You have to address it in your cover letter so that you shift people off that thinking. Something like: "Unfortunately, downsizing have impacted my resume, however, I am looking for a stable, long-term growth opportunity." And changing after 4 weeks is definitely going to be a hit. You' d be a lot better off if you could hold out a year.
Thank you for the advice. Job 3 was actually my own attempt at acompany. I also worked temporary jobs to help supplement my income. Shortly after I left job two, a whole department was laid off. I really liked Job 6, but because the company did not give raises, it got to the point where it was costing me 10% of my income just to commute. Unfortunately, the area where I live ( Cleveland, OH) has had a bad job market for years, we usually rate as one of the poorest cities, unfortunately, and a lot of companies have closed down. Between Job 4 and 5, I relocated and got married. When Job 5 closed down, the only option available was Job 6, which I would have stayed at, if I could have afforded to. Job 7, unfortunately, was misrepresented to me. Very negative environment. I had hoped since Job 7 was significantly closer to home, and that I would be doing (hopefully) more challenging work, that this would be an opportunity for growth, But, I still have no idea who to call into if there is an emergency, voice mail is not yet setup and I still do not have access to the programs I need to do my job. I hear a lot of swearing, and the environment is totally different than what I would have expected with an accounting firm- I was assuming, based on my research, that this was a professional firm- they have been in business for 40 years. After I started, I found out that there is no company handbook because there were fights over it and the people involved resigned. I have also now found out that there are cash flow issues and I had asked about that in my interview and was told otherwise! So, I am not sure what else I could have done. There are no cubes, no place to hang my coat, so I will have to either throw it on my desk, or the back of my chair, and there are boxes of paper everywhere. I am curious why you feel that I would leave within a year and how I could fix that perception. The only times I was at a job less than a year were when I was laid off and for my own company, when a friend and I determined that we could not get enough business to keep it going. I was also doing temp work at the same time- not sure if I should add that to my resume or not. I am not interested in moving up the job ladder - I am only looking for a permanent part-time position with a stable, and professional company. How long does job tenure need to be to avoid being called a "job hopper"? Thanks again,
Thank you. I will see if I can hold out for a year. Hopefully this position will get better, but I am concerned that people yell at each other and I am having a hard time with the negativity and unprofessionalism of the people I work with. On Friday, they were making fun of an obese co-worker, which I found distastefull and immature. I am interested in working somewhere where I can come in, do my job, and make a difference, and not have to deal with swearing, lack of planning, etc. Potential Cover Letter: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Human Resource Director: I recently came across your advertisement for a Senior Vice President of Accounting which is currently open in your firm. The job description and company requirements listed lead me to believe that I am a viable candidate and would fit wonderfully into your office. My work history is varied due to company downsizing, cash flow and growth issues which is in direct correlation to the economic stature of the area in which we live. My resume reflects these many positions in which I have gained valuable skills. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Then go further to highlight the skills you have gained which can be a benefit to the company you are applying to. There isn't a need to emphasize that your travel costs were too much to make the job a worthwhile effort or that your present employment is unproffesional. During the interview, you can mention this for an answer to the question, "Why do you want to leave your current position", like this: "While the position has many of the challenges I seek for job full-fillment, I am looking for a job which offers a wider range for me to showcase my skills."
Oh wow! Thank you! What a great potential cover letter. I will definitely incorporate your ideas!!! | |
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