In a long, exciting, and healthy career, there are always times you wish you could just forget about. The only people who don't have some difficult work experiences, or who haven't made career decisions they wish they hadn't, are those who never challenge themselves. So, how do you talk about those missteps and rough patches when it comes to a potential job opportunity?
The simple, but not easy, answer is to tell the plain truth. Most employers will find it easier to understand a poor career move if you are forthright and clear about what happened. If you can explain in a simple and direct manner and let the employer ask for any additional information he or she needs to understand and feel comfortable with you, you will have established a level of trust and also helped yourself overcome the anxiety of sharing your less-than-successful moments.
Failure to Take Responsibility: Do you remember the Tylenol scandals, when someone put cyanide in Tylenol capsules? Everyone thought the company would be destroyed, but Tylenol emerged stronger than before because the company owned responsibility. They didn't accept the blame; that belonged to the perpetrator of the crime. What they did say was, "Here is what we were doing, here is what we have learned, and here is how we will prevent this from ever happening again."
Errors of Omission: It is tempting to just leave out of the resume the 18 months of unemployment, the job that only lasted four months, or the move down the ladder of authority. You might hope the employer will overlook the gap, or miss the importance or ignore the implications. They never do. It is better to present complete information and be prepared to discuss the "bruises" on your resume than to hope the employer becomes temporarily blind to the lack of information.
Dodging the Issue: The majority of workers get fired at least once in their careers. Often terminations come about because of fiscal issues. Sometimes positions are no longer necessary. Sometimes it is as amorphous as a lack of rapport with a new supervisor that results in termination. And, of course, sometimes it is more serious. While you may not want to say in your resume that you were fired, you do need to be ready to speak frankly with prospective employers. Euphemisms and talking around the issue may make you seem evasive and less than forthcoming.
Recruiters do this for a living. They have heard it all before and won't be shocked by anything you say. Tell them the facts and they will help clarify your situation with the employer. Whatever you do, don't keep your recruiters ignorant of issues that may become apparent as the search process progresses. The recruiters' goal is to make the best match, one that serves the needs of both the employer and the candidate. To do that they need to have the all facts at their disposal.
|
|