If you’ve moved roles frequently, with less than a year in each, it might raise a few red flags with employers.
But don’t fear! Job-hopping is more common than you think, and there are many valid reasons for changing roles. Whether it’s agency closures, career realignment, personal commitments, or simply seeking better opportunities, your experience can still position you as a strong candidate.
Here’s our advice to help you move forward, land more interviews, and secure a role in PR:
Be honest from the get-go.
You want to avoid twisting dates or making up information. The truth (nearly) always comes out and can cost you the job offer. Be honest about your career experience on your CV. In your cover letter and/or interview, get the elephant out of the room ASAP. Proactively address concerns about your jumpy CV upfront e.g. “I’m aware you may be concerned around the length of time I’ve stayed at X agencies/why I left. This was due to X. I’m happy to provide more detail if I had secured an interview.
Keep a commercial mindset.
Even if you’ve had a bad experience, this is not the time to bad mouth a previous employer. Whilst we recommend being honest, it’s important to remain professional when explaining past experiences. Address your experience professionally without getting personal. We’d also recommend putting a positive spin on it by highlighting what you’ve learnt and how this has informed your job search going forward.
Consider flexible options.
Be open to freelance, fixed-term contracts (FTC), or temp-to-perm roles, as these can be less risky for employers. Also, you may want to consider taking roles at a slightly lower level to demonstrate consistency and gain trust.
Work with a good recruiter (like us!)
Talk to your recruiter about your career history. We can help you communicate the reasons for job changes in advance and provide valuable guidance on how to present your experience positively to potential employers.
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P.S. If you’re a PR jobseeker on the hunt for your next role, we’d love to help. Email: dean@wearelatte.com or get in touch via our ‘Contact Us’ page.