Working Around Bad Luck on the Resume?

Dodger asks: "A year ago I was laid off from my job after 2 1/2 years, shortly after the product I was working on shipped. Later that year, a company moved me 1500 miles from Texas to California, to start working on a promising project, just to have the plug pulled by the corporation that funded it five weeks later, which resulted in another layoff. Now, there's a period of job seeking followed by a five week period of employment, followed by the current job seeking period on my resume. When the companies I interview with ask about that situation I simply explain, while trying not to whine or complain. What do other Slashdot readers do to make 'bad luck' (or bad employer choices) look less bad on their resume, and sound less bad in interviews?"

Be honest

[RedHatLinux]

but be positive ... Don't whine or pout. Just explain the situation, highlight any positives and then try to steer the focus back on the better parts of your resume.

Been there, done that..

[JoeLinux]

Step #1:

Get a job. ANY JOB. Showing you have a job indicates that you are a "go getter", willing to do what it takes. Trust me.

Step #2:

Hit the Pavement. When a job in your field opens up, even if it is a step down from your current pay grade, take it.

Step #3:

If your field is networking, start doing networks for churches/schools/etc. for free. Include it on your resume. If coding, get into an open source project. If business or law, go to hell. ;)

Those will drastically help you reinforce the idea that you are not lazy, just unfortunate.

They're dead, Jim

[overshoot]

Looking over my resume (thirty years of it) I find that over two-thirds of the companies there no longer exist. Your best answer is to list the contact information for each tango-uniform employer with [defunct] or something similar.

Employers want to know how to get hold of your previous management, too, and pointing out that they're also not there any more tends to help.

Or omit the records

[nounderscores]

A lot of people have had jobs that they don't talk about. Pick one or two jobs that have you had good references from put them on. Then say that you were studying in the gaps.

If your referees can confirm you have the skills required for the job, you'll have a solid chance.

Why would you "work around" it?

[joto]

Just tell it as it is. You are currently unemployed, due to layoffs in your previous company. A rational employer should thus be able to deduce that you might still be talented, as corporate layoffs are often somewhat random. If your potential employer is not rational, you don't want to work there anyway. Being unemployed even has a bonus when applying for jobs. You can start at once, and you are desperate...

Don't rely on a job

[Anonymous Coward]

to make your resume impressive. Do stuff on your own time that you can show off regardless of the way the employment winds blow. I've had a lot of good jobs that look good on a resume, but it's the work I've done on my own that sells me to a potential employer every time.

Re:Been there, done that..

[compactable]

Too too true - if anything, showing that you're willing to work for a few weeks on something shows you're aggressive at looking. And good at getting hired.

I'd rather hire someone who has a spotty employment record over the past year than someone that has none. People know it's tough - I took a new position in Nortel 2 weeks before they declared a hiring freeze & mass layoffs.

Unless the job dictates ESP as a requirement, getting laid off frequently isn't the worst thing. Honest.

Re:Lie!

[NanoGator]

"Just falsify it! Every other bastard does..."

Not a smart idea. I was reading on CNN the other day that Yahoo's got a "see your background" service going up soon. (Hotjobs or something?) Evidently, there are web services out there where a potential employer can look you up and verify where you've worked etc. If that doesn't sync up with what you say in the interview/resume, then a lever is pulled and you fall through a trap door. Yahoo's service is meant to provide somebody with a means of seeing what's on their record (For a modest price...) and get it rectified if it's wrong.

Lying in the digital age is a bad idea.

Re:One word:

[flint]

I disagree. It really depends on your audience. If you are speaking to someone who's a peer or possibly a supervisor/manager of your peers they will empathize.

However, if you are talking to someone from Personnel of a really high level manager who's got to sign off on you -- it's a different story. These people look predominantly at negative qualifiers. If you blame anything on bad luck, the market, poor management decisions, etc they will view this as an indication that you will give up when facing challenges and you will blame it on anything but yourself. They will interpret the smallest detail of your resume or interview as a microcosm of you. You're not a can-do, team-oriented person. You tend to blame others. You can't take responsibility for a mistake.

So, I'd recommend that you figure out how to creatively deal with these gaps in the way that minimizes dishonesty but puts the best spin on the situation.

All those freelance jobs

[Anonymous Coward]

I've been there. I stressed my freelance experience. I did land a couple of short freelance jobs after I was laid off. They like to here about what you have been doing other then collecting an unemployment check.

Don't try and cover it up

[Dolphinzilla]

We have been actively engaged in reviewing dozens of resumes every week for months now - Most of my colleagues and I can discern bad luck from a genuine loser. I do pay attention to the period between jobs, and usually I am turned off by people that only stay at a job for 2 years or less - however sometimes these guy's are exceptional performers and may be suitable for hire. Usually its easy to spot the prospect who is just not very good and always ends up on the lay-off A-list. In short be honest and forthright, if the employer is worth working for anyway, he'll be smart enough to be able to separate the good from the bad and you will have a decent shot. Pay attention to resume format - don't do anything weird or unusual (I really hate those), check your spelling, don't send plain text resumes via e-mail (uugh).

MIght I suggest the following:

[dragmorp]

Try the honest approach first. If that doesn't work, throw down a smoke canister and make a hasty retreat.

Evil laugh during escape is optional.

Highlight your skills

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what employers care about the most. Put a box in the top portion of your resume sumarizing your strengths then backup these highlights further down in point form. I'm a developer and my resume so I put things like excellent problem solver and team player in my highlights box. I have 4 sections in my resume: Software Development, Systems analysis, and education/experience. The education and experience are the smallest sections the rest is filled with all the great things I've done and can do for a potential employer. It's worked well for me. I got 3 interviews in one week using this resume format and that was after only a couple of weeks dropping it off at places.

Re:Be honest, tell the truth

[dreamchaser]

Well I can tell you that if I hired you and then found out you'd exaggerated your skills, you wouldn't last more than a month. In the long run it pays to be honest.

Certainly you should present yourself in the best light possible, but that doesn't mean you exaggerate or lie.

Re:Lie!

[flint]

I believe you're referring to this story. [yahoo.com]

The story discusses a service targeted for seekers as opposed to employees. Kind of like the Free Credit Report industry. The story points out some flaws but it's definitely a sign of things to come.

Re:Lie!

[Nykon]

almost every company I have applied for will do at least a credit check on you. It's usually hidden in one of the forms you sign before you start to interview. Your credit record will at least mention your last few employeers. better not to leave one out, at least make up a good reason why it was so short.

Re:Lie!

[God! Awful 2]

P.P.S. I'd sure like to figure out a way to make the word liberal lose its negative connotation...

"Liberal" doesn't have a negative connotation in Canada. It is simply the name of a political party. (And its connotation depends on the current public opinion of that party.)

-a

Don't worry about it, this is the world today

[DroversDog]

Once upon a time ppl worked for a company or other organization all their working life. Less than 10 years made you look unstable. These days the thinking is more than 4 or 5 years means you are inflexible and probably intrenched in poor working habits and attitudes.

Simply say (if anyone does ask; unlikely) that thats a contractors life and that its a fact of life that you readily accept to continue working in your chosen field. More important to be cheerful, confident and a little blaise about it. As always be careful to say enough to answer any questions but not enough to provide the rope to hang yourself.

Re:Be honest, tell the truth

[Epistax]

I agree completely. I've never hired anyone, but I've been hired before (feels good). It seems to me your resume tells if you're able to do the job. Your interview tells what kind of person you are. If you're a liar, they'll figure it out at the interview. If you'd lie on your resume, you'll lie in the interview, they'll notice it, not say a thing, and you're finished.

Once you get the interview, you're qualified for the job (unless you lied), or they have some other interest in you (which might be as good/better than the job). Some people are more qualified for the job, but they might not be as personable. You'll get a job before these people every time. If you're the one getting interviews and not getting a job, you probably have a problem. It's usually that you do not act like yourself, such as putting on an image you view as confident but they'll see as arrogant.

Set up a mock interview and video tape yourself. Look at the stupid expression on your face (yes it will be stupid). Fix it. Look in the mirror. Then go over what you said in the interview. Completely scripted responses are easily noticeable and not appreciated.

There are two primary schools for the interviewer: new school and old school. Old school is more receptive to phoniness and arrogance, while new school sees that as being afraid to show yourself, and think you might not be stable. Try to judge the type the interviewer is (note that age is not a factor). Engineers and programmers are more likely to see new school (which I assume most readers will get). Every interview I've had but one has been new school. Those are better/more fun anyway!

Re:Interview can not cover for your resume

[skoaldipper]

Absolutely. The sole intention of a resume is to get your foot in the door. Especially in a technical field. Your credentials on paper speak for themself. However, your confidence, preparation, and presentation (for and) during the interview speak volumes about your actual qualifications. Careers of quality demand applicants with "marketing" experience, especially from those with technical backgrounds. A company can predict those skills by scrutinizing your original application, which consists of a resume, cover letter, letters of correspondence, emails, and phone conversations. Your ability to sell yourself (and not your credentials) will greatly increase your chance of an interview.

Here's a personal case study. At the peak of the most recent recession, I was applying for technical positions with several different companies, in the span of two months. Believe it or not, over half of the applications I sent rewarded me with an interview. And, my recent career experience in the last 2 years is very similiar to the author of this post.

Having close ties with several Human Resource Managers, experience in Technical Writing from college curriculum, and in general, lengthy job experience, here are important tips to remember about your resume (and the use of it):

Do not saturate your resume on a bunch of openings related to your field. Focus on fewer positions of your liking and tailor each resume to that position. Remember, quality not quantity. Include a cover letter with each one. The content of a cover letter should cover a discussion about their company, your interests relating to their products (or services), and how your experience meets (or exceeds) the qualifications necessary for that position.

Perceived "short comings" in your resume are interpreted differently by different employers. Case in point. Having a Masters in Computer Science and several years experience, I had to work in Construction for a few months to pay the bills. And, yes, in several resumes I sent towards technical positions, I put that experience on my resume. It shows responsibility and a hard work ethic. In addition, I had several short contracts related to my field. Those too were mixed in as well, when relevant. During several interviews, I had many employers spend more time discussing those jobs than more pertinent ones, and it reflected highly on me. It's a cautious, but careful, dance when you present yourself with a "spotty" resume. It will hurt you only if you have no stable work experience to present with it.

During the interview, have many, many questions. Questions which show your interest in the company, and the direction/goals they are taking for the future. Surely, during the interview, you can expect to receive tough questions related to your resume (and, especially, any perceived short-comings you may feel about it). Spend several hours beforehand, if necessary, rehearsing your answers to questions relating to such.

Most importantly, follow up each interview, immediately, with a "Thank You" letter. You should use it to clarify any questions or solidify any answers made during the interview. This letter is highly overlooked and makes you stand out amongst a swarm of fellow candidates. You are in a technical profession (I assume), and you should appear professional as well.

When an offer is made, do not be so hasty to accept it. It is easy to do so in light of this economic market. Follow the offer with a letter or phone call, thanking them for the offer, state that you are considering the position, and will give them an answer within a specified time. You are the gold which an employer seeks to add to his treasure. Not vice-a-versa. Confidence, not arrogance, will solidify your employment.

Re:Be honest, tell the truth

[Ironica]

Your job in an inteview is not to make the other side believe you are more valuble than you yourself beielve you are. It is to present yourself as best you can while being as honest as you can.

Very true. The folks who are saying "lie your ass off" have misunderstood the art of careful wording.

My resume lists all gaps in employment as freelance work. If anyone asks, I've done some grant writing for one non-profit (from which I have an excellent reference, and no need to mention he's known me since birth) and some desktop publishing, computer repair, and one-on-one training for various folks. All true, paid work. They don't ask if it's for friends and family, and I don't volunteer that it is.

When I was taking resume orders several times a day at Kinko's, and therefore was expected to be a cut-rate resume consultant, some of the stuff I learned (from various sources provided by the company) was:

- Only go back five jobs or fifteen years. Older experience isn't going to be considered relevant, and more than five jobs just looks... tacky. If there's something a ways back that you really, really want on there, create a section called "Other Relevant Experience" and list it there more informally.

- For short-term jobs, leave them off unless they look *really* good for some reason. For example, for two months I was a Support Engineer for a telecommunications testing equipment manufacturer, which involved phone and email support as well as writing custom scripts and conducting user training courses. I ended up quitting because I couldn't stand commuting 50 miles each way every day for $32k a year, but it's definitely the most impressive-looking technical experience I have. (Not the most useful on a day-to-day basis, but whatever.)

- Keep it to two pages. This used to be one page, until people started bouncing around jobs a lot.

- Start with either education or experience, depending on which looks better. If you have an advanced degree, or a BS from a well-regarded institution, you probably want to start with that. If you barely got your BA in English at the state uni because you were too busy playing computer games, but used to be Director of Technology for someplace, start with experience.

And this is one I picked up on my own: never, EVER put the word "sales" in your resume, unless you're looking for a sales job. I made the mistake of including "supported Corporate Accounts Manager on sales calls" on my monster.com resume and got drowned in listings for every sales job imaginable.

Ask the Headhunter

[jdavidb]

Instead of compiling a resume, follow the advice of Ask the Headhunter [asktheheadhunter.com]'s Nick Corcadilos and create a working resume: win the job by doing the job. Check out that website for the best job hunting advice I have ever seen. Read everything you can from the site, and get his book as well. He also produces an excellent weekly newsletter by email.

Best advice ever about how to stand out from the crowd, bypass the resume/job listing sinkhole and get directly to a manager who wants to hire you.

Re:Be honest, tell the truth

[Anonymous Coward]

NOT TRUE! I "stretched" the truth considerably on an interview which resulted in getting a position with a chemical manufacturing company. The position involved process controls using "PLC's" or programmable logic controllers. Being a c/fortran/basic code writer, I knew quite well that the ladder logic BS of PLC's was trivial, and therefore claimed to be an expert. Between the time I was hired, and actually reported to work, I boned up on the methods; subsequently started position, and was quickly recognized as pretty much the best PLC guru they had ever seen. Absolutely NO HARM DONE - I would do it again with no reservations. If you have "parallel" talents or experience which you know you can extrapolate, you're doing yourself a disservice not to make the experience claims. You will not be exposed providing you have the underlying talent. You're naive to do otherwise, and I offer that the "be honest" do-gooders posting on this topic are probably "lifers" who've never conducted an interview from either side of the table in recent memory.

Re:If anyone knew

[dubl-u]

1998-2001 [...]2001-Present [...] Everyone who interviews me simply assumes I've had continuous employment

I've interviewed circa a dozen people in the last couple of weeks, and I see this style much more than I used to. When I see only years in a resume, I assume it's because they're hiding something. I much prefer to see a month-based approach that's honest about gaps.

Re:Be honest, tell the truth

[dubl-u]

If you give a brutally honest assessment of your weaknesses, the job is going to go the the bullshitter that didn't... remember, when they ask if you're a god, tell 'em you're a god!

If you want to work for fools, this is probably good advice. Otherwise, read on.

Since I'm hiring programmers this very week, the topic's on my mind. The people I was most likely to interview

• followed instructions: they sent the required details in the right format to the right address;
• addressed the requirements in the cover letter: some just gave a few paragraphs, and some replied inline to each item in the posting;
• were honest: when somebody told me what they did and didn't know, their honesty was a big plus.

And then in the interviews, important factors have been

• asking good questions, both about our business and about the technical side;
• listening well, and demonstrating that they get what we're talking about;
• communicating clearly about what they've done and what they know;
• being willing to challenge us on some things: we don't want to hire yes men, but neither do we want people who argue for the sake of it;
• not telling us any of their previous employers' secrets: if they'll break somebody else's NDA, I'm sure they'll break ours;
• really knowing anything they put on their resume as knowing, and
• being able to walk the walk: the second round of interviews is sitting down and pair programming.

If I find out somebody is bullshitting me, they've just stepped on the fast slidewalk out of the office.

Everybody has gaps in their technical knowledge, and I'm glad to work with that. It's impossible to put together a team where everybody knows everything, but if I know individual weaknesses I can make sure that at least one person is stellar in each important area. In my experience, if people lie to me about one thing, they'll lie to me about quite a lot of things.

why spin it ?

[sir_cello]

It's not a negative reflection on you: in fact, it's a reflection that you're willing to take on the employer's best interests: the fact that they dumped you after 5 weeks seems like poor planning on their behalf. Just describe it like it is.

Yes!

[Jeppe Salvesen]

"During the interview, have many, many questions." Very important. Have a list of questions ready. "How do you prioritize between social skills and technical skills when you hire someone?". "How is the company doing?". "What sorts of pension funds and health insurance do you offer to your employees?". "Do the employees socialize outside job functions?". That sorta thing.

This will look good to the potential employer - you are prepared, and you are also signalling that you are interested in finding a company that is right for you. It is also good for you, since you can often tell from the reply whether this is a good employer or not.

It's all b***sh*t

[maximilln]

It's part of life. Either you're going to succeed or you won't. Either they're going to extend a job offer to you or not. Honestly, I think the decisions are made long before you even walk in the door.

I've tried everything. I've tried tailored resumes. I've tried semi-tailored resumes. I've tried generic resumes. I've tried sending out to hundreds of companies. I've tried sending out to a large set of specialized companies (a few years later). I've tried applying only to a particular class of position (most recently). I've tried being gently honest. I've tried being brutally honest. I've tried sweeping the unpleasantries under the rug. I've tried ignoring the fact that unpleasantries exist. I've tried being casually conversational. I've tried being strictly businesslike. I've tried a gentle mix of the two. I've tried the dedicated employee approach. I've tried the all-around human being looking for a life approach.

I think you get the point.

Honestly I really feel that, whatever the laws are (like, really, what are you going to do about it? hire a lawyer? if you're looking for a job you can't afford a lawyer), corporate human resource departments do all of their checking, cross-checking, contacting, counter interviewing, and astrological spreads the moment they see your resume. Once that piece of paper is in their hands they call anyone and everyone that they can.

Here's a tip: Human resource departments have national databases just like any other department or industry. It may be brutal but employees are a commodity. I wouldn't be surprised if, at a given level and in some form, employees are traded around like stocks and bonds. One could set up a system of brokers and distributers. Sometimes a broker will land a job for a known bad employee just to ship a block of more profitable employees someplace else.

So just be yourself. Show up at the interview prepared with the properly evasive answers. They ask what happened at the last job you look them straight in the eye, nonchalantly, and say "It didn't work out." No more, no less. The interviewer will try to stare you down. Stare back. Don't stare back antagonistically. Stare back like he could tell you to die on the spot and you wouldn't give a good g--d--n. Blink once or twice, about 15-20 seconds apart. If he presses the issue you need to have several properly evasive answers ready. Keep them at one line each to let him know that he's not going to get anywhere with the topic AND that he's not going to provoke an emotional response from you. Prove to them that you're willing to leave it all in the past and move forward.

So don't sweat it. If your last employer screwed you over big-time (*ahem* 46607 L460r4+0r|3s), you're broke, $50k in debt, homeless, and spent the last 3 months camping in the Yukon for lack of any better ideas, that's just the way life goes. I've been there. Financially, I'm still there. I have an employer again (finally) and if they piss me off, bust my balls, or if I don't meet their corporate standards then I have no problems walking down the highway with my thumb out again. That's the attitude you need to keep because, if you don't, you're going to spend the rest of your life jumping from one small company to the next where the CEO sees you as nothing more than a sack of meat to put his next product on the market. He gets fat, you get the shaft, and the next HR rep you interview with browbeats you with what you don't know.

Sometimes that's just the way life goes.

Steven
+++ATHZ

Functional Resume

[Anonymous Coward]

The authour needs to do his homework. Gaps in employment may be shielded fairly well by using a functional resume format. I know this by experience because I have a second of two interviews by a company that I managed to get with a functional resume.

Transform your resume into one that places the highlight on your core skills as opposed to your work chronology. That chronology needn't be more than two lines per position at the very end of your resume. When a potential employer asks about your work gaps, above everything else, be honest!

- IP

Having been there

[MImeKillEr]

As a lot of tech people have, you'd think this wouldn't be a big issue when interviewing. Afterall, you've made it as far as the interview, so obviously there's something on your resume to warrant the interview.

What I've done in the past is honestly explained what transpired. People are human, and can relate.

Now, had you been removed from the company property under security escort and barred from ever returning to company property, then you'd have a problem explaining the situation.

The trick is to come across as human. Don't bitch about how they moved you 1500 miles and then laid you off (not saying you do).

I've been the victim of layoffs at three places in the last 4 years - one at Dell when the bubble popped (I was a contractor in transition to full-time and didn't get hired on before it popped) and two other places -- one that closed completely and the other that went from 200 employees to under 10.

I managed to land an interview at my current place of employment (we're wholly owned by an insurance company, so there's oodles of money here) and beat out 200 other candidates for my position. When asked, I was honest about what happend to cause the blemishes on my resume and repeatedly stated I was looking to stay at my next place of employment for at least 5 years (if not longer). Apparently that meant something -- My 2 year anniversary is this next September.

So, be honest, be sincere, and ensure them that the layoffs were no fault of action or inaction on your part.

Just tell the truth!

[Tsu Dho Nimh]

"Now, there's a period of job seeking followed by a five week period of employment, followed by the current job seeking period on my resume. When the companies I interview with ask about that situation I simply explain, while trying not to whine or complain. What do other Slashdot readers do to make 'bad luck' (or bad employer choices) look less bad on their resume, and sound less bad in interviews?"

I list it accurately and tell the truth about it if asked. That means I have job endings including a pre-IPO start-up I bailed from when I spotted the vultures circling, one I left because of lousy management, one I left because of incredibly poor IT infrastructure, some because of layoffs due to economic downturns, getting declared "redundant" after a merger, a couple of "project was cancelled", and some "project had a sudden goal change and I was no longer a good fit".

No one has been upset to see them, nor have they questioned the wisdom of my actions.

If asked about "are there any positions you left off your resume, I say "Yes, either because it was short and irrelevant just to pay bills, or because I have no wish ot EVER do it again and if it's on the resume I keep getting asked to do it". Again, it doesn't seem to be a problem.

Re:If anyone knew

[R.Caley]

what about the other five billion people in the world, who consider gaps in a resume to be immediate grounds for File 13?

If they are that clueless, there is probably no point taking a job from them, unless you desperately need money today. Better a slighly longer gap in your CV than having to explain to the next employer that this one was so clueless the job only lasted three weeks through no fault of yours.

Turn it around.

[Anonymous Coward]

Explain it like this: "Due to my talents I tend to work on cutting-edge projects. As you know, many projects that push the envelope don't pan out for many different reasons (finances, administrative committment, changing market forces, whatever). Be assured, I was never "fired" for cause or because I couldn't do what was asked of me. That's why I am excited about working on your project because I see that it will probably be a success."

Everyone knows that many projects and businesses fail. Turn it around to make it clear you want to kick ass on his/her project. If you have a good connection with the interviewer I would use that exact phrase "kick ass".