Everyone has heard that employers do not like “flyer” candidates – those who change jobs too often. But not everyone knows that too long work in one place is also a minus in the eyes of potential employers. Why? And how to solve this problem?
Why staying up is bad
Commitment to one job raises the following questions:
- How adaptive is this candidate? How quickly will he fit into a new corporate culture for him, get to know the team and start showing results? Maybe he was afraid to change jobs precisely because of his low adaptability to new conditions and people?
- How relevant is his knowledge and skills? How does he keep himself professional? Doesn’t his long experience mean that he simply could not interest other employers, and in the same place he was kept out of habit or personal friendship with the management?
- How is he with achieving goals and completing tasks? Maybe he is used to doing everything on autopilot in the usual conditions, but will not cope with the pace and load that are new to him?
How not to “sour” if you stay in one place for a long time
The problem described above, of course, does not mean that you need to force yourself to change your usual job, which suits you, just in order not to lose value in the eyes of other employers. You just need to be aware of this problem and properly prepare for it. After all, stability is deceiving: one day you may be faced with the need to find a new job.
How to make sure that you remain in demand in the labor market? Here are some simple tips.
Keep your finger on the pulse
Periodically “probe” the labor market to be aware of how the requirements for specialists in your profile are changing. This way you will know in time if you need to learn additional skills.
To do this, follow the vacancies, respond to the most interesting ones, go to interviews. This is also useful because the skill of presenting yourself requires the same regular training as the skill of working with constantly updated software, the skill of public speaking, or the ability to write business letters. Many who are looking for a job for the first time in many years experience a lot of stress from the process precisely because of the habit. Train yourself to mark interesting jobs and connect with recruiters and potential executives.
Be in the community
Introduce attendance at specialized conferences into your work schedule. At least as a listener, but if you can as a presenter, that’s even better. In addition to the fact that you can acquire valuable contacts in the professional environment, you will always be aware of the trends in your professional field and structure your experience.
Show expertise
If you have an expert or leadership position, you have been developing in your profession for 10 years or more, you like to share your experience, know how to explain, be sure to try yourself in teaching. Nowadays, many universities open various advanced training programs and cooperate with teachers not from theoreticians, but from practitioners. In addition to universities, there are many other vocational education centers.
Many employers send employees to teach in order to be able to attract young professionals and have an impact on the professional community. Do not refuse such an opportunity if it was offered to you, and if the employer did not show the initiative, show it yourself. Yes, this is an additional burden, and usually not very monetary, but this way you work for your professional image. You as a professional will be known not only within the same company.
Try yourself in side projects
Simply put, if possible, take on other projects in addition to your main job as a freelancer or consultant. Of course, if this does not contradict your agreements with the employer (it is clear that participation in the projects of your main employer’s competitors is unacceptable). A completed project is a separate work story and a line on the resume. In addition, interaction with the customer, coordination of technical specifications, implementation of the project itself is an excellent opportunity to rethink your experience and establish useful contacts. Some projects end with interesting job offers.
Don’t stop learning
Try to continually master something new that appears in your professional field, even if your current job does not require the introduction of these innovations. At least pull up foreign languages. If you have to look for a new job, you will be “fit.” Indicate all completed training courses in your resume – this will show potential employers your proactivity, a tendency to continuous development, openness to new things, commitment and learning. Such a person no longer seems passive, even if he has been sitting in one place for many years.
Be active
Participate in social and volunteer projects. If this item is on your resume, for Western companies you become a higher priority candidate than someone without such experience. This is an indicator of high communication skills, adherence to values, readiness to contribute to the development of society. And this is a sure sign that you are not passive.
How to explain a desire to change jobs during an interview
New employers are always interested in the reason for the candidates leaving their previous job. But in the case when a seemingly super loyal employee who has worked in the same place for many years is looking for a new job, this question is especially interesting. It is important to avoid the impression that you were a weak specialist, therefore, did not find opportunities for growth in the same place.
- Make a list of your achievements – what did you manage to do during your work, what results did you achieve (both for the company and for you personally in terms of gaining experience), in which projects to participate? This will show your performance and growth. If during your work you managed to form a team and prepare a successor, be sure to tell us about it. This is the sign of a mature professional.
- Tell us which projects you would like to take part in, and explain that at the previous (current) location there was no such opportunity (no). This is a good explanation if the potential employer has a wider scope of activities or a deeper specialization in exactly what you are interested in, more modern approaches to business.
- We can honestly say that at the same place of work you reached the ceiling and there was no room for growth. But keep in mind that this answer is natural if you are applying for a higher position from which you are leaving, or the scale of the new company is much larger than that of the previous employer. If you applied for a vacancy for a similar position in a similar company, then this explanation is at odds with reality.
- The desire to change the usual field of activity, to try yourself in new directions is also a good and understandable reason.
In short, focus on the fact that you are not running away from something, but want to get into a new sphere, expand your experience and your capabilities.
If all of this is not your case, consider vacancies that are posted through recruiting agencies. A professional recruiter will take over part of your self-presentation.