Had a few jobs?

Had more than a few jobs?

Had WAY more than a few jobs?

You may qualify as a job hopper. A job hopper is someone who doesn't spend very long at any particular job, going from one to the next like a bee flitting from flower to flower.

In the past, job hopping was frowned upon by employers. They figured job hoppers couldn't hold a job or were too scattered to stay with one. And, to a certain degree, their concerns may have been justified.

Times have changed, however. Now the job market is migratory. That is to say, most will not spend 30 years in the same job or with the same company. Some studies indicate the average is now closer to five years.

In reality, though, there are an awful lot of workers who spend less than two years at any one employer. And, for the most part, employers realize this trend. Still, there are a lot who still see job hopping as see this as a negative.

As a job seeker, then, it's wise to take this residual negativity into account when writing your resume. In essence, you need a job hopping resume - one that highlights your strengths, diminishes your flaws, and broad enough to submit for many types of positions while narrow enough to appear specific.

Unless you're extremely lucky, you'll need a modified functional resume. It's "modified," in so far as it's not your traditional functional resume - it's modified specifically for job hoppers.

In the next three Monday posts, The Daily Machete will present the "Job Hoppers' Resume" series:

Part I: The Flexibility Factor

Part II: The First 200 Words

Part III: The Categories

IN THE CARAVAN: Job hoppers need different resumes to be successful.

NEXT MONDAY: Job Hoppers' Resumes Part I: The Flexibility Factor