Are you there, interviewer? It's me and I just answered that question.

Being unemployed due to COVID doesn’t carry a stigma, but my work history has more than a COVID layoff. Over the past three years, I have not held a position for more than one year. I am comfortable with the narrative—I made decisions that make me a better employee, two layoffs were beyond my control, and I left each organization on solid ground and on good terms. I still have some explaining to do! I interviewed for an ideal opportunity recently. The last step in the interview process was meeting with the executive responsible for the team. When the opportunity arose, I addressed my work history transparently and objectively. I acknowledged the probable concerns it might raise. The interviewer changed the topic completely and asked questions about my connections on LinkedIn. I wondered if I had said too much. Or too little. Or the wrong thing. Then he said, “What concerns me is your work history. I notice that you were at X for one year, Y for another year, and Z for only a few months. What happened?” Are you there, interviewer? It's me and I just answered that question. My best guess is that the interviewer was skimming LinkedIn and not listening to me. We are all prey to distraction, and I cannot throw the first stone. I talked it through with a career coach so I can be prepared the next time this happens. This is what I learned: 1. I made a good choice when I chose to answer the question a second time. Interviews are not a time to call people out but there’s another reason… 2. My best guess may have been wrong. I couldn’t assume anything more than good will on the part of the interviewer; 3. Whether the interviewer was looking for me to tell my story for the first (!) time or for me to give further detail, I had an opportunity to further sell my experience, skill set, and work ethic. I can use this experience to be better prepared for my next interview (yes, I did not get the job). I am going to practice interviewing over the phone with a friend. I am going to think about how I can answer questions in layers--giving a clear, effective, and impressive initial response and adding meaningful details if the interviewer has more questions. I’ll let you know how that goes!