October 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 63

By keri schwab, Ph.d.

FUTURE L E AD ERS

Completing Your Story
Explaining Your 'Colorful' Career History to Potential Employers

atiE, a 26-yEaR-olD voluntEER cooRDinatoR for an educational nonprofit,

shuttERstock

was on her fi fth " job " since graduating from college and in the process of applying for a sixth. Her resumé read like a magazine article for 20-somethings:
Six jobs to try before 30! She had served as an AmeriCorps volunteer, an international
volunteer, worked a seasonal job with a fi lm institute, completed a contract
for an environmental group, and fi nally settled into a volunteer coordinator position. Next up, she was applying for an outreach position
with an environmental non-profit. Well qualified and with excellent references, her biggest challenge was explaining why she
was on her fi fth job in as many years.
" I'm honest with the person I interview with. I let
them know why I am applying to the job, and how
long I envision myself staying there, " Katie says, also
noting that contract and seasonal positions are easier to explain.
Unlike the career trajectories of baby boomers-often working one job for 30 years-many
young professionals in their mid-20s are eager to
play the employment field and willing to change careers multiple times in search of the best fit in terms
of responsibilities, opportunities for growth, colleagues, location, pay, and overall quality of life. But
this willingness to bounce around can be a concern
to managers who are more often interested in hiring
someone who will not jump ship as soon as a better
opportunity comes by. So how can young professionals with a lively resumé best represent themselves in
a job interview, explaining frequent changes, while
still leaving options open in case that dream job does
come along?
The first step is to highlight your strengths. Point
out that because you worked in so many positions,
you have a variety of skills to pull from and apply to
the new job. For example, you could highlight the diverse populations you worked with, computer skills
learned, or experience with administrative tasks,
from budgets to public relations. If possible, give the
potential employer examples of what you learned,
building yourself up as a diverse and talented

RESUMÉ

candidate.
Second, explain specifically how those
s t reng t h s or
unique qualities can benefit the
organization. When explaining your background, focus
on the skills that best match the job
you are applying for. Next, choose a
unique skill you learned in a previous job and indicate how that will benefit the team
you could be joining, and the overall organization.
Think of something that might make you stand out
from other candidates, such as your ability to manage social media or the younger generation of business contacts that you have. Indicating the value you
can add to an agency turns your past into a strength
for the future.
Third, provide honest reasons as to why you
changed jobs. If there were personality conflicts or
you simply wanted a better job, fess up! But immediately turn the conversation into what you learned
about yourself and work relationships from those
confl icts, and how you'll use that knowledge to improve interpersonal relations with your future colleagues. If you merely jumped ship for a better
opportunity, turn that into a conversation about professional growth. Employers typically want someone

While seasonal
job changes are
more readily
understood by
employers, what
might be
necessary is to
convince the
hiring manager
that you are
ready to commit
to a full-time
position.

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October 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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