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    What do I say?

    I had a job for 5 years, and I was so tired of it, I finally found another job back in July. That job that was supposed to be so wonderful was terrible due to the stupid cliquey girls that I got stuck with (and the hours weren't consistent either, so I wanted something that I could rely on more). After 4 months, I left it for the job that I spent 3 weeks in before I couldn't work anymore (total time employed was not even 2 months).

    I sent in my resume and took a test with an insurance company (I'm a nurse, this is totally different than what I know) and somehow passed it. Now they want me to fill out an application and schedule a phone interview with them. I know I've got great references and my supervisors from my first job said wonderful things about me, but I'm really worried about filling out the previous employment section. They want to know why I left each job. I was planning on completely leaving out my last job since I was only there 3 weeks, but by doing that, I can't exactly be truthful on why I left the second job.

    If I told them I got sick, there's no way they would consider me. I thought about telling them I left nursing because it was too hard on my body (it really was hard on me, I had 2 shoulder injuries a few months apart, and the pain is something I'll have to live with the rest of my life). That still doesn't explain a 4 month gap in employment that'll show when I wasn't actually injured when I quit the second job. When I applied for another job (that I didn't get), my mom said I should say I can't be on my feet all day anymore (which could explain the career change), but no matter what I do, it is going to look really bad on me.

    I feel like the fact that I'm a nurse really hurts me because they'll wonder why a nurse would be applying for those jobs, and if I'd plan on leaving if I found another nursing job. Without being able to just come out and say I've got a neurological disease preventing me from doing the job I was trained for, it seems like any excuse I come up with is going to be a bad one. I'm also pretty sure the whole nursing thing is why I didn't get the last job I interviewed for. What do you do in a situation like this? Being truthful will cost me the job, but then coming up with some lame excuse that isn't true seems really bad too. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
    Diagnosed 1/4/13
    Avonex 1/25/13-11/14, Gilenya 1/22/15

    #2
    Personally I try not to say anything negative so I would stick with "I left to pursue another opportunity" for each job change.

    As for why you left nursing again you could just say it isn't your cup of tea any longer. If you have let your license lapse you could offer that up if you think they are going to worry about you returning to nursing. If they actually ask you I would try something along the lines of "if I wanted to work as a RN there are plenty of opportunities but I am interested in exploring other avenues at the present time" then maybe change the subject by asking a brilliant question about the job you are interviewing for?

    Good luck.
    He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
    Anonymous

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      #3
      I wouldn't even mention I job I was at for only 3 weeks. Unless there are job police who know your every move the chances are pretty good that no one is going to know about it if you don't tell them. You aren't obligated to "confess" everything you've ever done and experts that recommend functional resumes say its OK to not list EVERY job you had if you weren't there long and it didn't give you anything spectacular to put on your resume.

      I didn't like my first job out of college and left after a month. I never put on any resume and no one ever knew. Half a lifetime later I can honestly say that not listing a 4 week job never ever came back to hurt me.

      A company would like to know why you left a job so I think you can spin the job you had before it any way you want to to make yourself look good or at least not bad. The reason your changing job direction is really nobody's business but your own. I think the company just wants an answer that makes sense and makes it sound like you gave it a lot of thought. So you can't give them a lame excuse - it has to be a good one even if you have to put a little spin on it. Your going to have enough to do explaining why you left a job after 5 years and why you left the one with the bad hours and girly clique after only 4 months.

      When it comes to honesty would you tell a home invasion robber that you have 3 little kids and where you sent them to hide just because you feel obligated to be honest?

      I think you shouldn't apply for a job you know you can't do. But if you think you can do it then your probably doing what the other applicants are doing by showing the company what you can do for them and not why to not hire you. How would you feel if you found out that the person who got the job instead of you told major lies on their resume? Your fighting for survival in the workplace and I don't think you owe an employer every little detail of your life.

      In the big picture 3 weeks doesn't amount to much. In your place (and I've sort of been there) I wouldn't even mention a job that lasted only 3 weeks.

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        #4
        Thanks for the advice. I definitely didn't want them knowing about my MS failure. Nobody will find out I even have MS unless it has to come up later down the road (as in, a new flare pops up and there's no way to hide it). I think what I put down was a good reason for the "last" job I left. Honestly though, I don't really care either way. If I get it, great, I'll have a paycheck again. If not, there's still hope I may get approved for LTD, which would actually be a little more money a month, but I'd still have Cobra, which is way more than whatever their insurance would cost.

        I'm just going to look at it this way: If I don't get this job, then maybe that means I'll be able to find a nursing job later down the road. I would much rather go that route, it's just that I've been unsuccessful finding one up to this point. I still have hope that I will continue to improve, and in that case, maybe I'll be able to go back to my specialty, even if it is only in a per diem job (although the hourly pay for those is amazing). If this insurance job is meant to be though, it'll happen. I'm not going to stress myself out about something that I'm not super excited about.
        Diagnosed 1/4/13
        Avonex 1/25/13-11/14, Gilenya 1/22/15

        Comment


          #5
          Hiring managers aren't going to tell you that they went through 5 RNs in the past 3yrs because of awful workplace/company morale.

          They will put spin on that kind of info and attribute the turn over to a 'reorganization' 'transition' 'promotions', etc., that's if you are even aware of the problem with turn over.

          Personality conflicts in the workplace sometimes happen in the best of companies, to the best managers and the best subordinates. It's not unheard of in the workplace.

          If you are committed to full disclosure, you can attribute your decision to resign previous short term employment of 4 months to personality conflicts? organizational problems?, within the department/workplace that did not involve you, but contributed to your decision to resign. Avoid interview suicide by skipping any negative comments about the previous employer, managers or co-workers.

          You should be prepared to answer questions if pressed to explain specifics about your resignation and the organizational problems or the internal conflicts sited for your resignation. You should keep the explination brief, simple and avoid negative comments.

          I like the 'illness in the family' to explain gaps in employment. Either the company downsized or you resigned at a time that coincided with illness in the family that has since resolved because of recovery or other arrangments for family member's care.

          The interviewer in reality doesn't necesserily want full disclosure, or the 'warts and all', unnecessary drama version.

          They want the positive spin because it's a reflection of who you are and your character as someone able to view situations in a positive light even in occassionally unpleasent workplace situations.

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            #6
            Originally posted by lstrl View Post
            Thanks for the advice. I definitely didn't want them knowing about my MS failure. Nobody will find out I even have MS unless it has to come up later down the road (as in, a new flare pops up and there's no way to hide it). I think what I put down was a good reason for the "last" job I left. Honestly though, I don't really care either way. If I get it, great, I'll have a paycheck again. If not, there's still hope I may get approved for LTD, which would actually be a little more money a month, but I'd still have Cobra, which is way more than whatever their insurance would cost.

            I'm just going to look at it this way: If I don't get this job, then maybe that means I'll be able to find a nursing job later down the road. I would much rather go that route, it's just that I've been unsuccessful finding one up to this point. I still have hope that I will continue to improve, and in that case, maybe I'll be able to go back to my specialty, even if it is only in a per diem job (although the hourly pay for those is amazing). If this insurance job is meant to be though, it'll happen. I'm not going to stress myself out about something that I'm not super excited about.
            Truth be told if your goal is to return to nursing I probably wouldn't waste their time.
            He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
            Anonymous

            Comment

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