Recruiters and employers generally like to see candidates who have a steady work history. That being said, nobody's perfect and many people have had to leave a job early for one reason or another. This week's job searching tip deals with methods you can use to get over an employer's concern about leaving a job early.QUESTION FROM A SUBSCRIBER:
I was recently told in an interview that I have shown no loyalty to any of my employers and that it would be difficult to sell me to potential employers. I left two jobs in less than eight months because they were not a good fit. Is there another way I can describe
two jobs in an interview?
- B.T.
Dear B.T.,
Let's first take a look at why employers are hesitant to hire someone who has left jobs early: 1. Wasted training time and money - if an employer has to train you for job and you leave early, resources spent on training were wasted 2. Hiring costs - Often, an employer will have to pay a recruiter a placement fee that can be around 20% of your first year's salary. Most recruiters provide employer with a 3-month guarantee. That is, if you leave before 3 months are up, employer gets their placement fee back. However, if you leave after 8 months, most recruiters' guarantees have expired. 3. Opportunity Costs - Sort of as a follow on to #2, if you quit and position is open again, employer has to once again divert management attention to recruiting issue. It will probably take time to start reaching candidates with recruitment advertising, etc. Position vacancies are costly both from perspective of work for position not being done, and from distraction caused to immediate managers of that function. 4. Loyalty/Values - The employer is likely going to be concerned that you lack loyalty and don't appreciate burden it places on them to have to hire someone else. Yes, looking out for yourself is important. But it creates a credibility problem that you will need to overcome.
HOW TO ADDRESS A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER'S CONCERNS
Helping Companies you Left Early
If you're going to leave a job early, even if you were unhappy with your boss or work environment, give some thought to how you can leave without leaving company high and dry. Maybe you know someone with a comparable skillset who could take job. If you can do something to ease company's burden of having to recruit a new person, this will leave them with a much better impression. It also gives you a better story to tell in interviews for new positions. Even if you didn't leave company recently, it wouldn't hurt to visit with them again and find out if there is anything you can do to help.
