On average, a person changes jobs four times in the course of his or her career. This means that job changes in the course of one's life are perfectly normal. Some people even go job hopping and change jobs regularly.
However, a rule of thumb says that you should work in a company for around three years before you think about changing jobs. This is the period of time that large projects take, according to experience. The first year is used for familiarization, in the second year the project gets rolling and in the third year the project is brought to sustainable success. After three years, it is also only possible to leave a positive mark on the company. Although occasional job changes are commonplace in most industries nowadays, they must be justified in a comprehensible way in the application process.
In our blog post this week, we take an in-depth look at the topic of "Justifying job changes properly". We show you what is important when justifying job changes and hope that you can take away one or two useful inputs for the future.
Four points to consider when justifying job changes:
- Never speak badly about your former employers, it looks unprofessional and can even have legal consequences in the worst case.
- Don't justify changing jobs, but confidently state your motivation for changing.
- Avoid empty phrases like "I am looking for a new challenge". You have to justify your job change individually and comprehensibly - What is your motivation to change?
- Formulate your motivation to change positively with a view to the future. Instead of explaining long and broadly why you want to change your job, you need to show the recruiter why you like his company and what your goals are for the future.
Reasons for changing jobs:
- Professional and personal development:
Possible wording: "In my professional future, I would like to specialize in the area of [XYZ]. My current employer does not see any opportunities for development and advancement for this, so I am looking for a new position where this is possible."
- Change of scenery:
Possible wording: "After many years of employment with the company [XYZ], I am now looking for a new challenge. The technical focus of your position offers me exactly the challenge I am looking for in my everyday work."
- Career Reorientation:
Possible formulation: "The field [XYZ] has interested me for a long time. Now I have decided that I would like to gain a foothold in it professionally. This will involve a new start, but that is exactly what I want. As a career changer, I bring a quick grasp, curiosity and perseverance to build other key skills."
- Family reasons:
Possible wording: "Since I am changing locations for family reasons, I am currently looking for a new challenge in the [XYZ] area."
- Employer notice:
There are many reasons that lead to a termination by the employer. In the event of an employer's termination, it is advisable to lay the cards openly on the table. Nevertheless, no justification is required. If the termination was due to business reasons (e.g. economic or after a restructuring), you are not to blame anyway. If, on the other hand, the dismissal was due to poor performance, we recommend dealing with it honestly. Show your counterpart constructively what you have learned from it and what you will do differently in the future. Of course, it is also possible that the chemistry between you and your employer was not right, which led to the termination. Here, too, it is advisable to stand by this.
- Change of supervisor
"Employees don't change companies, they change bosses". We can confirm these statements from our many years of observation. You may be open about it in the interview, especially if you have been with a company for a long time and may have had different bosses. There can always be a situation where things just don't fit with the new boss. This is normal. But be prepared to ask what didn't fit, what you did to make working together possible, and why you're leaving now. As mentioned at the beginning, do not talk badly about the other person. Highlight his or her strengths and explain the situation factually. However, if you bring up problems with the supervisor in a short period of time or in several stations, this will make the recruiter wonder. Maybe the boss is not the problem then, but you.
Note at the end
Are you thinking about a job change, or are you actively looking for a new challenge?
Then we look forward to receiving your unsolicited application. On our website you will find in the section "Jobs"Click on the "Unsolicited application" button at the top right. This will take you directly to our applicant platform. We will be happy to include your dossier in our pool of experts and contact you as soon as we have a suitable vacancy.
