Interviewing over 200 candidates every week in one of the fastest paced and most innovative markets out there; we’re often the first to hear about massive success stories (businesses flying) but also on the other side we’re the first to speak to candidates left high & dry after major redundancies. This has recently been highlighted by Beta Distribution, the third distributor in the last 3 years (Steljes; 2016 and Entatech; 2017), going into liquidation leaving the market flooded with candidates with possibly shorter employment stints than desired.

So… How can candidates in this situation get over the objection of “his/ her CV being too jumpy, they’re not for us. Sorry…”?

Here’s 3 tips to get you past this objection and to the hiring table:

1) Get a credible senior employment reference on side!

At Robertson Sumner we’re a massive believer in ‘past performance being a big indicator of future performance’ so if your CV can’t necessarily demonstrate this then it’s vital that you have a credible leader who backs your ability. This reference should ideally be a previous Line Manager who you have worked closely with and it’s always worth asking previous managers to document this reference or for them to write you a recommendation on LinkedIn.

2) Be transparent but don’t draw too much attention to short stints

A CV is a factual document to outline your skills and achievements so it’s vital that this doesn’t contain either false information or even out right lies. Therefore make sure you label any redundancy and don’t just label it as a contract role or, even worse, extend the dates! In saying this, a CV is a professional factual document so don’t go into too much detail If you’ve taken some time out to travel or to support an ill family member etc. then do outline this but don’t go into detail about the time you had one too many beers on Bondi Beach or go in depth about your father’s illness, keep things professional.

It is also important that any recruiter you’re using to help you find employment is fully in the loop with any inconsistencies when explaining short stints or time out as otherwise it will only damage your search and cause concerns from any prospective employers.

3) Draw attention to what you bring to the table

Firstly, assure any prospective employers reading your CV that you’re after a long-term career move. Regarding the ‘job hoppy’ CV, there is a reason that you’re applying for the job in question and that is because you think you’d bring a lot to the table and to the business you’re looking to join. Therefore make sure you draw attention to key achievements and skills from previous employment stints or even education, making sure they’re factual! With this we’d always recommend the following:

Avoid statements like:	Stick to factual achievements:
I’m a very driven sales person I’m extremely punctual I’m a people person I could sell ice to the Eskimos	I hit 132% of my 2017 sales target of £100k Won employee of the month March 2016 for onboarding 4 net new customers I grew 2 clients annual spend by over 600% in 2017

If you’re able to follow the above and work with a recruiter who can be as equally transparent then a CV won’t hold you back. Remember, an employer hires you and what you can bring to the table, not a piece of paper – the CV is just the bait to get you to the hiring table to enable you to prove the value you’ll add.