Red flags on your resume can be a daunting hurdle. However, with the right approach, they can be effectively addressed. Let's delve into strategies to overcome these potential pitfalls and present your professional journey in the most favorable light.
Overcoming red flags
Red flags can call into question a candidate’s commitment, performance, and reliability
- By unapologetically owning your decisions and planning out concise, forthright talking points, you can proactively address these concerns and make the best possible impression on your interviewer
Unplanned Departures
While you may still harbor bitter feelings, leave blame at the door when you step into an interview with a new organization.
- Find the positive aspects of your experience with your former employer: What did you learn, what relationships did you build, what goals did you accomplish?
- Reflect on the environments in which you thrive: a high-growth company, a focus on innovation, a faster pace.
Employment Gaps
These gaps can sometimes lead hiring managers to assume that you have struggled to land jobs in the past, potentially indicating poor performance or some other shortcoming.
- There are two ways to approach these gaps
- If you’re not yet back on the job market, think about ways to fill your time with some sort of professionally relevant activity that you can later fit into a consistent narrative
- Being selective demonstrates that you’re taking ownership over the job search process
Job Hopping
Candidates who have had multiple jobs in a short period of time may raise concerns with interviewers
- Will this candidate struggle to sustain a commitment to a single role or organization?
- Does this candidate have chronic performance issues?
- Employers may worry they will be short-changed if you end up leaving after a brief tenure
