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I have a problem with finding work at the moment, and I think my last few years’ of work experience (three roles in a row that didn’t work out for different reasons) since the pandemic is going against me.

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Anonymous

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I have a problem with finding work at the moment, and I think my last few years’ of work experience (three roles in a row that didn’t work out for different reasons) since the pandemic is going against me.

I don’t know what to do about it, or how to explain it.

I always used to get interviews easily and now it’s crickets and my confidence is shot.

I have always had a solid work record of staying with companies 3-8yrs and (over)achieving, until the pandemic.

My old company was acquired in 2020 and I decided to take voluntary redundancy (pretty good payout)

My problem was that the next role I accepted was not as described. My manager changed in the month of me starting and the went away for weeks and upon coming back, micromanaged and took projects of me (that were going pretty well). I decided to leave at the end of my probation period (six months) because I was unhappy and after someone told me I was the fifth person in that role in 2.5yrs (my successor lasted two months). I then started at another company not long after but arrived to find a mess much worse than described and business critical for which I did not have the technical skills to fix on my own I stayed for a few months to help them as much as I could during a critical time while they were trying to figure out how to implement the next steps I suggested. It would have taken a long time to sort out and they really needed to replace me as they couldn’t afford an additional member of staff.

After that I joined a company where my role changed within a couple of months from digital to straight up marketing because of some internal politics above my pay grade. My manager also became a micro manager to our entire team. It was bad. One of us would cry any given day because of her. She was chaotic, made bad decisions for the business and we had to clear up the mess all the while being insulted by her questioning our work. Then she put me on a PIP. I knew the writing was on the wall, and she became even more controlling. She picked even more on me and my colleagues all spoke to senior management about this. When I spoke to HR I was told to ‘decide whether this is the right company’ for me. I was so stressed and had some family matters to attend as well, I was signed off and eventually quit because they kept contacting me during my sick leave (harassing would be more appropriate) when I diligently updated them with my status as required.

I then took a break for myself and to sort out what I needed to do at home and have been freelancing for a while now.

I would love to get back into a more corporate role again, but recruiters don’t seem to want to take a chance and when I apply directly at companies I barely ever hear back.

I know not to ‘over explain’ that chequered work history, or to mention any details that reflect negatively on those companies, but I feel I should say something.

I tailor my CVs and always include cover letters tailored to the role, but I am getting more and more disheartened.

Has anyone got any advice/suggestions of how to explain this?

Thanks in advance!

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  1. Anonymous

    I would change my role to Contractor or Consultant and list these three roles underneath that heading. I did this and no one really had an issue when reviewing my resume. I was at 2 positions for about 1.5 years each (prior to that at a role fir 5 years). I'm now in a position that is permanent and I've been here a year and was just promoted.

  2. Anonymous

    Reading your post sounds like a mirror of what I have been through during and since the pandemic. It is NOT you, the fault is in the companies. In the last 5 jobs I have had I was there no longer than 6 months. In each situation, I was dealing with the same issues you have dealt with. I tell recruiters that those were contract roles, that has helped in some cases.

  3. Anonymous

    Could you please explain what you mean when you say that applications are being blocked by the ATS?

  4. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    I do not presume to know exactly what that commenter means but as someone who has used an ATS pretty much every single day since they were invented, I can tell you for a fact that the ATS does not block applications.

    I have experience with 7 or 8 different ATS and with different configurations of those systems.

    Here's what happens (on all the systems I've ever used) when a new candidate applies to one of my open requisitions:

    I click on their name in the list of new applicants for that requisition. Their resume has not been ranked. It has not been sorted for keywords. It has not been "scored". It has not been filtered.

    I click "download resume". It downloads in whatever format - Word doc or PDF - the candidate uploaded it. I look at their resume. With my eyeballs. Every one.

    The ATS is essentially an electronic filing cabinet. It's where we can track candidates through the process, move them forward for interviews, schedule interviews, it's where offer letters are generated.

    My best advice to jobseekers is to please use your critical thinking skills when considering job search advice. Is the person qualified to be offering advice? Are they trying to sell you something? Follow the money.

    Please let me know if you have any questions.

  5. Anonymous

    Actually, Joan - I'm happy you showed up on this - that's actually what I was hoping for! Especially since this person could not respond to my question (I am not the OP, but I did ask this question knowing what the response should be).

  6. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Thank you for highlighting that disinformation. It really works my last good nerve to see jobseekers - who have a tough enough time as it is - being lied to.

  7. Anonymous

    Because it is such a challenging job market for many right now, don't be afraid to ask for help, network, make connections, etc. I would also recommend working with a legit career coach - not some randos that I see on this board - but maybe someone who even specializes in your field to help make your resume more attractive, interview prep, etc. You do have a bit of a challenging background over the last few years and I think you need a little bit of help to navigate out of it. I had a rough few years since COVID and while not in the exact same situation as you, I was in a similar situation and I did make use of a coach.

  8. Anonymous

    Write up a short synopsis highlighting what you achieved at each place. Keep that with you when speaking to companies and these days you cannot just apply. Use your network and forums in your area of expertise to tout your experience to others. Don't apologize for the non-fit company. Explain that easily to others. As for the toxic workplace that perhaps should be better left unsaid. You could wrap that with a - I had a former employer reach out to me for a huge consulting project and left to pursue that. Keep going and balance the search with education to keep your skills up to date.

  9. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    ATS do not block applications and please stop doling out this disinformation to jobseekers.

    The job search is a tough enough proposition these days without jobseekers having to wade through nonsense like this.

  10. Anonymous

    Before you go any further in your job hunt, you may want to try networking and doing research to avoid any more employers where your manager or supervisor are "wolves in sheep's clothing" aka narcissistic personalities. They put on a good show for a couple of months (or weeks!) then revert to their true personalities. If you go on Indeed or any other job posting website, if there's no reviews for the company or firm, that's a red flag. BTW, don't bother going over any managers' or supervisors' heads to HR again; they work for the firm, not you.

  11. Anonymous

    Not the OP, but in a similar situation and find your answer enlightening. Could you expand on what you mean for a single title or header? Would this be instead of listing a particular position. Also, are you suggesting using “selected clients” instead of listing the company names separately. Thank you in advance.

  12. Anonymous

    It might make things easier to leave off the various shorter-term positions that didn't work out--anything fewer than six months. This way, you can simply say that you have been seeking out the right opportunity (which you have, through unfortunate trial and error) it saves you having to explain all the ins and outs. The job market has been tight for a while so it may not arouse as much suspicion as multiple short term positions.

  13. Anonymous

    Hello all, OP here - thank you all for your comments, suggestions and kind words. I've taken them on board, and it also helped me to hear from those of you who shared you feel similarly - while this is sad to hear, it made me feel less alone in my situation, and strangely, slightly better. Maybe it's not just me.

    I reworked my CV and cover letter that I use as a base for my tailored applications, and I thought long and hard about my messaging around my recent career and how to put a positive spin on it. Fingers crossed it will work! Now for my research and networking (the introvert in me is shuddering at this, but here goes!)

  14. Leanne Edwards

    It could be your resume is getting blocked by the ATS systems. Research how to avoid that. Many people have short term employment since Covid, so that is not a worry at all in my experience with getting people hired!

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