WAY OT : Resume / Past Work Exp help

[azrider]

Very OFF topic but i know there are some smart folks on here and i wanted an opinion.

Worked for a company for all of 5 months 2 years ago, and am wondering if I should put that on my resume. When i was hired they said they were still unsure how they were going to proceed (economy hit AZ branch HARD and they were contemplating remote manager), but that relocation would be possiblity. I said ok, 5 months came and went, and they said i could leave quietly or transfer to an open position in El Paso, TX. I said no thanks.

The branch i worked at was operated remotely for about 7 months but i just got word they were going to try a branch manager 'again' and got some new sap in there.

MODS feel free to delete if you think it's not relevant.

[Ken Robb]

I don't see anything here you should want to hide. I wouldn't think it a good idea to leave a five month gap in your recent work history even if you were fired for cause.

Since your employer offered you a transfer it would seem they would give you a positive recommendation for new employers. You may even have paperwork detailing why your job was eliminated and/or the transfer offer which would put you in a positive light.

[FlashUNC]

I think there's nothing wrong with listing it. None of what happened was your fault, and you didn't want to relocate. All totally understandable.

[AngryScientist]

i would absolutely include it in your resume. gaps in employment history are bad, and you want to showcase all the things you've done.

[Puget Pounder]

List it.

If they think it's a problem, they will ask you and you will be able to give a legitimate response.

[SamIAm]

If a prospective employer were to call this company, would they provide a good reference or at least be able to confirm employment, salary and eligibility for rehire?

Was the work relevant to the position(s) that you are now seeking?

I hire lots of people and I tend to not hire serial job hoppers, but I don't think a 5 month stint in this very "fluid" economy is anything to run from, unless of course it is not a good reference or the salary was out of whack.

[1centaur]

Yes include, and think how you would weave it into a positive for the interviewer, whether from lessons learned or as a sign of who you are as an employee. Then write the description to support the words you plan to say if/when asked. A brief stint SHOULD elicit a question, and a well answered question is a plus in an interview, so use that probability tactically in your favor.

[azrider]

I don't see anything here you should want to hide. I wouldn't think it a good idea to leave a five month gap in your recent work history even if you were fired for cause.

Since your employer offered you a transfer it would seem they would give you a positive recommendation for new employers. You may even have paperwork detailing why your job was eliminated and/or the transfer offer which would put you in a positive light.

The transfer offer is sticky situation. During my interview they said that PHX was hit hard and that they were still contemplating (at Senior level) what to do with the branch. THe company is HQ'd in STL and when they mentioned transferring i said if "St. Louis or California was on the list I'd move."

But then they threw out El Paso and i refused instantly and they threw it back in my face that i "agreed to moving" during my interview. Things got a little ugly and i was let go a week later.

THe regional manager that i butt heads with was also terminated, along with about 10 other mid level people such as myself.

[azrider]

If a prospective employer were to call this company, would they provide a good reference or at least be able to confirm employment, salary and eligibility for rehire?

Was the work relevant to the position(s) that you are now seeking?

I hire lots of people and I tend to not hire serial job hoppers, but I don't think a 5 month stint in this very "fluid" economy is anything to run from, unless of course it is not a good reference or the salary was out of whack.

question one: Since it was such an odd seperation, i spent a lot of time with the VP of HR and he assured me "if someone were to call for a reference all we do is verify employment. THat's it"

question two: sort of. I was working in the Supply Chain field and the position was workign for a trailer rental company. I was hesitant to take the job initially but since company was owned by Berkshire Hathaway I thought it gave it just a bit more prestige. That, plus a 30% increase in salary from previous job, were reason i signed on but i quickly regretted the decision and realized i had made a mistake.

[azrider]

i would absolutely include it in your resume. gaps in employment history are bad, and you want to showcase all the things you've done.

I agree!

BUT.........gaps in employement look just as bad as short stints at company IMO. Maybe i'm lookign too much into it, but i've never had this kind of thing happen to me and feel it looks badly. I worked there for only 5 months, and the company was under constant pressure/scrutiny/etc, especially at my branch.

[azrider]

I hire lots of people and I tend to not hire serial job hoppers

i would LOVE to know what you consider job hopper. How long a tenure at a company before they move on is considered hopping?

my history:
company 1: 9 years
company 2: 1 year
company 3: 5 months
current company: 1 year 2mo

[SamIAm]

i would LOVE to know what you consider job hopper. How long a tenure at a company before they move on is considered hopping?

my history:
company 1: 9 years
company 2: 1 year
company 3: 5 months
current company: 1 year 2mo

Not a job hopper. I look for at least one long stint in someone's career to show they have staying power. That's just me though. I like to think that if I create the right work environment and compensation that I have the chance to have a long term happy employee, which is my goal.

[azrider]

Not a job hopper. I look for at least one long stint in someone's career to show they have staying power. That's just me though. I like to think that if I create the right work environment and compensation that I have the chance to have a long term happy employee, which is my goal.

Very cool. Thanks for your input and insight.

One would be amazed at how much $ professional resume writers/coaches (for lack of better term) request for information i'm gathering in this one thread.

[christian]

Not necessarily suggesting this in your situation, but depending on dates, you might well be able to finesse this by listing times of employment by just years for prior jobs.

Meaning:

Company 4: 2010-Present
Company 2: 2008-2009
Company 1: 1999-2008

See, company 3 has gone missing, but no one is the wiser. Obviously, if you think they're going to call all prior employers to verify employment dates, this might not work, but in many lines of work, they'll just call your last employer, to verify employment and dates and this would be a lie by omission, at worst! :)

[azrider]

Not necessarily suggesting this in your situation, but depending on dates, you might well be able to finesse this by listing times of employment by just years for prior jobs.

Meaning:

Company 4: 2010-Present
Company 2: 2008-2009
Company 1: 1999-2008

See, company 3 has gone missing, but no one is the wiser. Obviously, if you think they're going to call all prior employers to verify employment dates, this might not work, but in many lines of work, they'll just call your last employer, to verify employment and dates and this would be a lie by omission, at worst! :)

+10

THis is how my resume looks right now and you're exactly right, no one is the wiser.

However.

I'm just apprehensive about how an "intense" interview might go in which exact dates are discussed and then it becomes an "oh yeah.......that job....."

[Ken Robb]

If you leave a five month gap in your history I think you will be asked what you were doing during those five months. Then you have to look like you had something to hide that you tried to hide or you have to lie. Neither option would appeal to me.

[SamIAm]

I always think of this video when I think about a short stint at a job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSB3HdmLcY4

[azrider]

I always think of this video when I think about a short stint at a job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSB3HdmLcY4

awesome......doesn't he end up having it photoshopped with a cartoon character of some sort? or he wants his image erased and they erase the dad???

good stuff

[SamIAm]

awesome......doesn't he end up having it photoshopped with a cartoon character of some sort? or he wants his image erased and they erase the dad???

good stuff

Good memory. That is exactly how it plays out. Great episode.

[azrider]

Good memory. That is exactly how it plays out. Great episode.

My first job out of college was in Chicago circa 2001 and i lived with three buddies from high school. We had close to 30 VHS tapes with nothing but Seinfeld episodes.

[LesMiner]

The way many do background checks today, the resume you use could be put against your internet presence. Someone could easily go to Linkedin and find your history. Possible contact others you are linked to. There are many paths one could investigate a potential employee just through the internet alone.

It is a common policy for previous employers to offically provide only dates of employment. But you could use someone from a previous employer as a personal reference either in the resume or on demand.