The Impact of Your Past Career on Your Future

The path that your career has taken in the past can have an impact on your future career depending on how this is portrayed in your CV.  Potential employers may consider certain aspects of your career to have possibly negative connotations so it is important to present these carefully in your CV.

The rapid riser

Someone who has apparently raced their way up the career ladder is sometimes viewed with caution, either by their peers or by potential employers, due to the suspicion of favours being called in, nepotism or being self-seeking rather than team-focused.

In your CV, it is essential to ensure that you emphasise the personal contributions that you made in each role which were instrumental in your rapid progression.  It is also important to demonstrate how you worked with others and how you benefited from this.

Several jobs in a short space of time

Although there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for having, for example, three or four jobs in one year, it is possible for potential employers to view this as a lack of commitment or an inability to integrate into a new environment.  The key here is to emphasise any contributions you made and the diversity of the skills that you have acquired as a result of having worked for so many companies.  It is also important to ensure that you portray a desire to now seek permanent employment in which to consolidate all these skills.

Redundancy

There is really no need to explain reasons for redundancy in a CV – this is very rarely a reflection on your abilities.  It is usually an unfortunate circumstance of frequently changing industries and economies, and can be discussed further at interview if necessary.

Moving to a new industry sector

Trying to break into a new industry when your career to date has been in a different field can be difficult because your lack of experience may suggest that you do not possess the required skills.  When writing a CV, it is important to highlight the transferable skills that you have acquired while also emphasising your desire to complete further training and learn new skills.  Above all, adopt a positive approach.  Make sure it is clear that you have thought carefully about it and are confident that you are making the right decision in changing the direction of your career.

Continuous employment

Remaining with the same employer shouldn’t be considered a bad thing, should it?  After all, it shows loyalty, dedication and your ability to be an integral part of a team.  However, the flip side to this is that some may think that you lack ambition and that you will only possess the skills and knowledge required to work for that one company.  Your CV should make it clear that you have acquired a broad range of skills and that you have undertaken various roles within the company while making significant contributions along the way.

In summary, when writing your CV, it is important that you consider how each aspect of your career can be construed by those who read it and to ensure that it is tailored in such a way as to enhance the most positive areas at all times.