How to Explain Blips In Our Work?
I’m helping a lot of job seekers lately craft their work story in ways which sound… well, appealing, good, and helpful for our personal branding, especially in interview, networking, or promotion opportunities.
Many ask about “irregular” or “dodgy” bits of their history, and I’m making these words parenthetical because they’re not negative at all; but discerning recruiters or gatekeepers might view them so. Taking time off to care for our infant or someone else we love, becoming sick, getting laid off, or walking out for our emotional wellbeing and ambitions fall within this category.
Many wonder: How do I explain these moments without inviting skepticism for my work and ethic, especially in a hyper-achieving work culture like the U.S.? I’m not always sure; but I know that personal branding and communications strategy along with self awareness of our own fears or discomforts helps. The combo of the coaching and communications strategy boosts our courage, confidence, and the message itself. I’m writing this week on what’s helped me (a serial career transitioner) and those whom I coach.
Clear the Emotions
To create a lasting strategy, air what’s there. When our work history looks a little jumpy or patchy, typically I hear fear or worry about sounding or seeming:
- Unemployable or not enough
- Unreliable or a flight risk
- Career hopping or opportunistic
- Inconsistent. Our skills and the time we spent places don’t match
Question the Worse Case Scenario
With the fears laid out, contemplate or self coach on what’s the worse thing that can happen — and within that, what’s the credibility of this fear? Which parts can you control? Which parts can you not control? [Hint: We can only control how we feel, not how the other person feels as we share stories on our work.]
Recast and Revise Your Story
When we see the bumps and blips, contemplate why the change occurred. With no sugar coating and with full truth, find the narrative within. By that I mean, tell us your story and if inconsistencies exist, weave the story to look more thematic, logical, and even. Some ideas can include:
- Grouping a series of short-term assignments (i.e. less than a year) as consulting engagements
- Making a temporary role which did not become permanent (for whatever reason, you disliked them or they disliked you) as one of several clients you’ve partnered with
- Finding the consistent skills which showed up wherever you worked and build on that story. I leaned on this skill a lot when transitioning from academia/journalism to coaching — which seemed a bit adhoc at first. I found I’d always led students/leaders/even my interview subjects to speak and write clearly and in engaging ways so they could better fulfill their hopes and dreams. I also found I trained and encouraged everyone to sound real, confident, and concise. These core skills, which I once applied to journalism and academia, now keep me busy as a communications coach.
- Using work samples more strategically. One temp-to-hire in-house editor role I hoped to become permanent did not due to politicking I’d overlooked. In my resume, I crafted this work as one of many assignments under my long-standing LLC, and used the fantastic writing samples with my byline, which helped
- Speaking to the work as part of your larger experience without listing specifics about them in your resume anywhere. For instance, if you worked in short-term program manager roles for the world’s largest IT firms and several startups, you can list the company in a column of companies you’ve been trusted to partner with
Answer Questions With Confidence
When clients I coach get asked why they left their firm — or grilled on any gaps, the best answers yielding the best results come from confidence and an absence of apology. Here’s a mix of what I’ve heard that works:
“I’m sure you’ve read and heard of the tech layoffs globally. My job was one of millions impacted.”
“To honor my values of family, love, and personal happiness, I took off one-year to care for my children and kept my leadership and communications skills fresh in that time through consulting engagements, board, and volunteer work.”
“I self-retired from an excellent role with an excellent firm because after 29-years of leading global firms through turmoil and change, I needed to reconnect with myself and my family. I’ve not once regretted it. Now I’m clearer on whom I want to work with and in what way.”
Others address the potential negative narrative as part of their synopsis about themselves and their work. Some examples follow:
“From the outside, it appears I’ve job hopped. On the contrary, jobs hopped towards me. I’ve had the privilege and honor of leaders at the industry’s most ambitious and aggressively growing startups trusting me to do X. I’ve learned and grown tremendously and accept that short-term vs. long-term roles becomes part of that territory.”
Here’s another from a dear and bold New Zealand friend from my university days.
“Without seeming nor feeling defensive at all, it’s true: I’ve worked in Asia in a range of exciting roles for five years. Now back home, I’m seeking an employer who sees my international perspective as a gift and opportunity vs. a threat or flight risk. Are you that employer?”
Explaining our work story to a discerning audience can induce worry and self doubt — so true. But feeling confident and clear on your story, and your intent as you made any changes can make any blip feel insignificant. Besides, what is and is not a blip remains subjective. Staying in one place and in one industry eternally does not always serve us nor our teams well.
I’ve also found, now my coaching career has exploded in promising ways, when we’re in the right place and using our skills in powerful ways, nothing from my history feels wasteful, damaging, nor inconsistent to my personal brand. Everything feels perfect. I felt this shift when many clients came to me because they wanted to reinvent — either their communications approach, outlook, or their career. So the very change I once felt the need to disguise, has now become a quality others want me to coach them on. I’m hoping today’s musings cast light on a popular concern in a new and exciting way — one that’s full of hope, creativity, and possibilities.
Debbi Gardiner McCullough coaches and trains immigrant leaders to become more confident, concise, and mentally fit communicators. From Wisconsin, she owns and runs Hanging Rock Coaching and coaches worldwide with BetterUp.