Job Interview Tips: How To Explain Your Job Hopping

By Tabitha Makumi.
David Oliech is indeed a record breaker. He has had five jobs in a span of two years which have been a result brought about by job hopping from Mombasa to Nairobi at a promise of career growth and better pay in the procurement industry.
“I never stop job hunting even when I get a job. I believe I am very good at what I do and I shouldn’t limit myself to just one company.” His email reads
Now, you may not have broken the record like David here but you might have job hopped from one company to another at the promise of better pay or a better chance at career growth (or both) that you never for a second paused to think how the job hopping would look on your CV or when a potential employer asks in an interview…
“So David, I see in some instances you’ve spent less than three months in the companies that you worked for in the past. How do you explain this?”
If you are a job hopper, you should have the answers by your finger tips already. Be ready to justify your short employment stints with an explanation of how all your experiences have prepared you for the job at hand.
Here is how top answer this question to show it wasn’t all for nothing
1.Explain what you learnt in all the short term positions. If you listed any short term job on the CV, explain to the interviewer all the necessary skills which you managed to derive from these jobs.
For Example…. if your background is in sales, and you’ve held multiple sales positions, tell about helpful sales techniques or successful ways to connect with customers that you learned in each position.
2.Give examples of your contributions at each employer that helped prepare and qualify you for more challenging positions.
For example, if you were a mentor to new salespeople at a company and then you accepted a higher-level job as a sales team manager at a different company, it makes sense that you would change jobs
3.Summarize what you’ve learned and contributed in your previous positions and align them with your future goals at the company where you’re applying for a position.
For example, say, “With my vast experience in sales to corporations and individuals and my successful mentoring and management experience for individuals and teams, I know I would be an asset as a district sales manager for your company.”