Pongo Resume

While job-hopping can create concern among prospective employers, having worked for only one employer for a long time — say, 10 years — can also elicit a sense of alarm when a hiring manager looks at your resume.

Many of us have changed jobs several times in our careers, with career experts saying that the current younger generation of workers — Generation Y, or Millennials — will only accelerate that pace, making it seem as if they're constantly looking for the next opportunity.

So, while it's not common today for someone to have worked for only one company for a decade or longer (it was common among the largely retired parents of Baby Boomers), it may impede your career advancement just as much as having worked for an abnormally high number of companies could.

If you're one of these individuals and looking to go elsewhere, ask yourself the following five questions and consider the advice on how to answer each one:

Were you promoted, or did you hold different titles during your tenure? If so, separate each role on your resume as if it were a different job at a different company. And list your accomplishments in each role, as well as any relevant duties. Succeeding in a variety of roles would show an employer that you're flexible and adaptable, which is probably their chief concern if you've spent many years in a particular company culture.

Were you given increasing responsibility? If you weren't promoted or didn't hold different titles, did your employer give you more challenging work at which you were successful? For instance, if you held the same title but did the work of a project manager successfully (without the "project manager" title) after being an assistant in many projects, that's something you should emphasize on your resume and in an interview.

Do you have experience in more than one functional area? If you held different roles in different departments or divisions, make sure that's clear in your resume. If, for example, you spent five years as a sales representative, then moved over to distribution for another five years, that tells an employer that you understand two very critical parts of a business: how to boost revenue and how to save on costs. Don't forget to attach numbers to your accomplishments, such as: Boosted sales 25% among clients in first two years, or Reengineered a distribution process that saved the company 10% in distribution costs in spite of rising gasoline prices.

Did you thrive — or just survive — after a change in ownership? If your company was sold, were you able to adapt to any changes easily? Or did it hinder your career growth? If your would-be employer asks you about it, it's OK to say that you believe you can't grow anymore under the new owner, or that your company is going in a different direction that doesn't mesh with your long-term goals.

How would working for a different employer impact your career goals? (You DO have goals, don't you?) First, be able to articulate — in your cover letter and in an interview — where you are in your career and where you want to be. Be clear about your skills and experience and how they can help the employer. While they're more interested in what you can do for them, they would probably also be interested in finding out why you would want to leave "familiar territory" in favor of another company after many years. Before you answer that, research the company you're targeting and determine how it might help you reach your career goals. Then, be able to articulate that if the recruiter or hiring manager asks you.

Other Things That Could Help

To demonstrate that not all of your accomplishments are focused on just one employer, play up your roles elsewhere, such as volunteer work in the community or any active roles in professional associations.

It's not fatal to have only one employer listed on your resume in a long career. But don't be surprised if a hiring manager asks you why you haven't worked elsewhere. However, you can blunt any concerns from a would-be employer by being clear that you can handle such a drastic change, that your experience would be an asset, and - at least to yourself - that taking a job with the new employer would help your long-term career goals.

I welcome your thoughts and perspectives on this issue.

All of the companies I work with in my consulting practice would welcome your loyalty however your points are hugely important in terms of showing growth and advancement. One note, don't list each and every one as a different position with separate dates because that makes it look like jumping around. List the company once and then list all the jobs under that one company to show the moves, lateral or upward.

Thanks Meredith!

The point you make echoes what I stressed in my first question. Having just the one employer should be fine as long as your resume demonstrates that you weren't limited to say, one job and one level of responsibility.

- Rick

It's quite amazing how we used to think the thing to do with our career was to graduate either high school or college and then work at one job our entire life like our parents did.

For those people who are moving on after working at one place for a long time, sites like Pongo are even more important than ever. My brother had worked at the same place for 28 years right out of high school. When that company closed its doors, he had no idea how to conduct a job search or even create a resume because he had never had to do such things before.

You people provide excellent info for both those who move around often and those who spend a long time with one company!

Much thanks, Martin, for the observation and the kudos! We're happy to read that we're providing valuable information and guidance.

It's not a crime to be with one company your entire career, just different in this day and age. Think of "stay at home" moms: There aren't too many of them today either, compared with 40 or 50 years ago.

Best regards, - Rick

Just reading this for the first time, if not for Meredith and then your accompaning remark seems conflicting. You state in your paragraph titled "Were you promoted, or did you hold different titles during your tenure" to list each position as a separate job where Meredith says this is the wrong thing to do. Perhaps you should change that statement to reflect your comment. Which should it be?

Hi Donald!

Thanks for your question and for prodding me a bit on this.

Meredith's point - as I saw it - referred to each and every position, no matter whether it was an incremental promotion (e.g., sales associate to assistant floor manager in a retail environment) or positions of a different nature (e.g., Assistant Director of Finance to Chief Technology Officer). It's the latter in which I would suggest two different entries with two distinct sets of accomplishments and responsibilities. To allude to Meredith's comment, I would not consider that "job hopping." So, to distinguish between the two, you could have something like this:

(A: One company, two similar roles)

2002 - 2006: ABC Co.; Somewhere, USA * Sales associate, 2002-2004 * Assistant floor manager, 2004-2006 . Accomplishment 1 . Accomplishment 2, etc.

(B: One company, two distinct roles)

2002-2004: ABC Co.; Somewhere, USA * Assistant Director of Finance . Accomplishment 1 . Accomplishment 2, etc.

2004-2006: ABC Co.; Somewhere, USA * Chief Information Officer . Accomplishment 1 . Accomplishment 2, etc.

Now, would I consider either option "job hopping?" Not in the least. If you have a bunch of incremental promotions or job moves, and they take place every six months or annually, then I would try to group them together logically and not create a separate "company and dates" heading for each small move.

Hope this helps. Thanks for pushing me on this.

~ Rick

I've worked at one company for 10 years with basically the same responsibilities. The title changed over and over as we were bought and sold. Do I need to list every title even though my responsibilities didn't change? Thank you.

Hi Jennifer!

Interesting question. I would use the title that was most often used during your tenure to describe your role. Or, if the most recent title would be better in describing your role and would offer you the best chance of landing your next job, use that.

Hope this helps!

Best, ~ Rick

Rick, I just want to say I am so thankful I found this blog. I have been with one company for 9yrs(this year started in 2000). I have struggled with the fact that I only have 2 companies on my resume. I will say that my current employer experience has been great! However, I feel that it is time for a new atmosphere/change. Also I want to move up and feel like I have hit the top. Thanks for the information an I will continue to come back to the site. Thanks again for helping everyone with this and all of the other questions on this blog/site!!!! Peace and Blessings, KaJa

Hi KaJa! On behalf of my colleagues, thanks very much for the kind words. We enjoy what we're doing as long as what we're writing is helping anyone who reads our posts.

Best of luck with your intended change! ~ Rick

After over 20 years of service with the same company I find that I am in the position of looking for a new job and to make matters worse I do not have a college degree. Everyone keeps telling me don't worry you have over 20 years experience except for one thing...I do not want to stay within the career/industry I am currently in.

Should I just stick my head in the oven now or is there hope for me?

Hi Lore!

I think the thing you need to focus on if you're going to change careers is your "transferrable" skills: What are the things you did over those 20 years that can make you marketable in a new career and industry? Have you managed projects? Has much of your work relied on written or oral communications skills? What computer software do you know that you can take elsewhere?

I agree that you don't need to worry about your lack of a college degree if you intend to stay in the same industry. You may not have to worry about it in a new industry or career. But if you're serious about a switch, it might be time to think about getting it. If your new employer hires you yet wants you to have it, see if they can pay part of your tuition.

Good luck! ~ Rick

I spent 14 years at one company and had several titles. I started out as a Customer Service Rep (CSR) and later became the Customer Service Manager. Due to downsizing and a shift in management (CSR's report directly to CEO) I went back to being a customer service rep with sales assistant responsibilities. Would it harm my resume to show the change from manager to non-manager?.

@ Kathy -- Speaking from one who worked in a management role and moved to a non-management role: Nahhhhh! Some of us find ourselves in management roles before we realize we would rather not be there.

What about dates? I keep seeing different dates for different roles. My various roles were pretty much from the beginning to the end for the three years that I was with the company: Photographer: (I took pictures of the products and edited them), Data Entry: I uploaded the products / pictures to the website and I listed their descriptions and prices, Customer Service: I answered the phones to take orders, provide customers with updates on their orders, answer their questions, etc.,; when customers would come in I would once in a while take care of them by answering their questions and taking their orders (this part was often times handled by someone else as he was better at selling and convincing people to buy things); Order Processing: I printed the orders, called the customers, printed the shipping labels [someone else, the same better seller, got the products together and pasted the labels, I would once in a while do this if he was busy with the other company--see below--or if another customer came in who needed their order to be taken); Web Marketing: I worked minimally with Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing and towards the end of my time there, a little SEO, which though I now no longer work at the company, I now still do (the SEO part), and finally, if the boss had computer or printer problems or if I did, I would take care of them. It was a small company of basically 3 people, one being the boss, with temps brought in on the day we were receiving merchandise.

To make matters worse / I think weirder, the owner then opened up another company that had nothing to do with the first, inside the same building, and I would do things for that company as well, such as print contracts, print tags, take people's monthly payments and provide them with receipts and explain to them what was listed there, remind the boss whose payment is due and explain to him the figures the program was giving me. Both companies had similar starting names, such as XYZ purses and XYZ motorcyles.

So, is this the best way to list this:

Company 1: Somewhere, USA; 2006 - 2009

Role 1: * Accomplishment or responsibility * Accomplishment or responsibility

Role 2: * Accomplishment or responsibility * Accomplishment or responsibility

and so on?

Company 2: Somewhere, USA; 2007 - 2009

Role 1: * Accomplishment or responsibility * Accomplishment or responsibility

Role 2: * Accomplishment or responsibility * Accomplishment or responsibility

and so on?

Another point / question: I know that one should tailor their experiences on their resume to the job that they are looking for (i.e. emphasize your experiences / skills that can be applied to the job you are seeking). In my case, I want to look for a job in technical support, but I didn't do much that involved me solving computer problems or repairing computers. I have had the experience of talking to people on the phone and in person and helping them out though (customer service). Extra Fact: My degree is in computers though. So, should I still mention all the other things I did at the two companies or omit most? The reason I don't mention anything else (other jobs) is because that was the only job I had after college. It started out as an internship for a semester and I stayed longer. I did do some workstudy at my university, but the things I did were nothing major and I barely remember what I did.

Just wanted to add that this is supposed to be three separate lines since it didn't appear that way:

Role 1: * Accomplishment or responsibility * Accomplishment or responsibility

@ Rolando -- I think you have the right idea regarding the dates. Suggestion: Mention next to "Company 2" that it was under the same ownership as that of "Company 1" or that you held the roles concurrently with those listed in "Company 1."

On your question regarding a technical support role: By all means, play up your customer service experience, as well as your degree. Combine that in your "summary" statement at the top of your resume, and address it in your cover letter as well. One thing employers would probably want to know, though, is how current you are on technology platforms. So, be sure you can support the technology an employer uses. If they ask for that in the job posting, be sure to address it in the resume and cover letter.

Best of luck! ~ Rick

What if you have been working for a family business for 6 years and you have been given more responsibilities in more fields without an actual title change? Would you list them out as separate jobs and just have the same position end date? How would you intone that you still hold your previous positions/responsibilities in addition to the new ones? I would really appreciated any help you could give.

@ Becca -- Thanks for your question (and I apologize for having taken more than a day to reply).

I was just working on a resume for someone in a similar situation. I would break each responsibility into a grouping. For instance: Sales, Operations, Production. You can explain at the top that it was a family business and you performed several roles. If any of your roles was in the past, put dates beside them in parentheses. For example: Sales Manager (2006-2008).

Hope this helps! Good luck! ~ Rick

Thanks for your comment! One more question I have is how do I show that I have worked for this company for 6 years, but I generally only work during the summer as I am in school the rest of the year? Since I was never let go/fired, do I just leave the time frame showing 2004-2010? Thanks again.

@ Becca - Sure, although I'd consider using the phrase "seasonal employee."

How would I show dates when I've been a regular worker (same tasks) at different times during my 6 years at the same company and promoted 3 times? My work history looks like this (from beginning to present): Sales associate 3 1/2 years Promoted Title 5 months (went from nights to days) Sales associate 3 months Promoted Title 4 months Promoted Title 6 months (moved to another state) Sales associate 1 1/2 years I didn't want to separate and repeat myself, especially when the regular position tasks were basically the same but I did want to show that I was promoted, even though I haven't been able to stay promoted due to switching from overnights to days and then a move to another state. How can I lay this out nice and neat? And do I need to put why I kept going from regular to promoted to regular to promoted to regular again?

@ Kara -- You present a very perplexing situation. I'm not sure what you were doing when you were NOT a sales associate. If I did, I might be able to give you better advice.

Try this line under the name of the employer and dates you worked there: "Worked in various capacities, mostly in Sales." Then, below that, create a sub-entry that reads: "Sales Associate," followed by a list of accomplishments from that role, in each of the three stretches in which you were in that role. Then, do the same for your other roles.

I don't think you need to explain the moving between jobs on your resume. That may be better left for the interview. Your goal with the resume is to land the interview. The shifts in roles won't matter as much as the fact that you worked for one company for six years.

Best of luck!

Hi there, I have the opposite problem! In my 15 years of working life, I worked for 6 employers. 3 moves were not voluntary. They were all within 3 years, and were the result of layoffs, company relocation or bankrupcy etc. How do I show that in my resume without looking like a job hopper?

@ Donna -- I don't think six employers in 15 years is all that bad. I think company relocation and a bankruptcy filing are special situations and should be mentioned, especially if they were your shortest tenures. The best way to do this would be under the company name, where you describe the company. For instance: "Manufacturer of brass widgets; company relocated to Somewhere USA, in 2009."

Hope this helps!

Hi there, i have worked for current company for five years, and beside the title (Quality Manager), i have been given more responsibilities, including Training Coordinators; Planner/ Scheduler/ Production Material Controller (that are not related to my job description) throughout the years. how should i write it in my resume? Also, due to personnel issues, resigned the job currently. should i put current employee history 2006-present? or 2006-2011? thanks!!!

It is common for A job title to not fully encompass the responsibilities you actually had, which is why "how" the information is presented is just as important as "what' information is given. A cover letter is a great tool to help explain your career progression and allows you to go into more detail. Some employers say that the cover letter is so important that they will not read a resume without one. As for representing your last job on the resume you should use 2006-2011, this will let the potential employer know that you worked there until this year but no longer hold that position.

Great stuff everyone. I have a situation; I have worked for the same company for 10 years, but I left twice and came back. How should this be illustrated on my resume? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Hi Daelin,

There are a few different ways to illustrate this on your resume. Take a look at http://www.pongoresume.com/blogPosts/244/three-ways-to-list-3-titles-for-1-employer.cfm

*love this site* my story* i have worked for the same owners for 12yrs started out as frontdesk clerk and i am now the general manager of a 120 room hotel. down fall is i do not have any type of benifets or 401k and im not getting any younger i lookin to expand my horizon but my resume looks like an empty peice of paper. how can i fill in the blanks?

I worked for a federally funded program for 29 years during which time I obtained an Associate and Bachelors degree in social work. I now wish to enter another field but don't know how to construct a resume to demonstrate that I didn't just do clerical work but had a variety of other assignments and responsibilities as well. How can I design a resume to reflect this?