If you’ve changed jobs several times in the last few years, often more than once a year, you’re can be considered a job hopper by a recruiter or hiring manager. And, as you have probably discerned, that can spell trouble for your job search. But don’t worry. There are some things you can do to rebrand yourself as a candidate worthy of their attention. Here are a few ways to remove the stigma of job hopping from your background and become a top choice.

Fit the Puzzle Pieces Together

Your job as a job seeker is to paint the best picture that incorporates your past experience and interests. While you’re looking for a job, do the work to be able to communicate why you left those positions and how you intended for them to help you with your long-term goals. You need to do this for yourself before you can communicate them to a potential employer.

Share Your Narrative

Once you complete your puzzle, you can begin to share this information with interviewers. Engage them with a story. Tell them how parts A and B were meant to connect to give you more experience for your future goals. For instance, if you left an administrative position for an accounting position, what drove you to make the change?

Focus on Skills Not Years

If you’ve been at companies for six or eight months at a time, don’t focus on how long you were somewhere but what knowledge you gained in that role. Talk about your skills and accomplishments within that time frame, demonstrating how quickly you learn new skills and can translate them to other areas.

Identify Success

Finally, let the potential employer know what success means to you. You don’t have to explicitly state that it doesn’t have to mean 10 years with one company, but share with them the things you intended to gain from your last positions and how that worked for you. To do this, also communicate that you want to use those skills to build a long-term career with their company.

Looking for a New Michigan Job?

Want to drop the “job hopper” title? Contact the recruiters at Harvard Resource Solutions, now hiring for Michigan jobs. Click here to browse our open jobs.