How Do You Make Up For A Varying Work History?

How Do You Make Up For A Varying Work History?

How do you make up for a varying work history? The job seeker in this video had 10 tough years of bouncing around from job to job in unrelated industries after 20 great years in one field. How can anyone pitch themselves for a job in that case? CAREEREALISM founder J.T. O'Donnell has the solution. Treat yourself as a business-of-one. That means you have a service to sell. If you're having trouble selling your service, try stepping back and having a third party take a look at what you're offering and how you're pitching it. That third party could be a close friend, a career coach, someone you trust within your industry, or anyone else whose judgment you trust. In any stretch that you struggled, that third party (especially if it's a career coach helping you) can help find the most important elements that can increase your marketability. Tell a compelling career story to get companies talking about you. Crafting a good one isn't as hard as you think. If you feel that your work experience has been too varied in the last ten years (or any stretch of time), then show what you've learned from that in your story. Having those lessons under your belt put you in a better position to succeed than someone who hasn't experienced those issues. If you compare that to a period with more relevant experience in your career, you can show that you've always been working toward being the best version of yourself that you can be, and also that you have plenty of reps in your field.


How Is Your Career Story Helping You In Your Job Search?

Through hearing yours, a company should know that you are a constant learner who is optimistic and practical. There's a reason we keep mentioning the importance of experience, learning and growing: it's the best way to demonstrate that you're the best fit for a given job. Changing your story to fit your purposes is one of the most important things when you're looking for a job. You don't have to change what happened to change how it affected you. After all, some learning takes place long after the initial experience. No matter how long you have been in a job outside of your ideal industry, you can create an authentic, results-driven story to land a job you like. Remember that anything can be a learning experience, so learn accordingly! Enjoy this article? You've got time for another! Check out these related articles:   Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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