Over the past year, I have left several jobs because of serious personal health issues in my family. Each time this occurred, I was unable to take a leave of absence since I could not give a definite answer to how long I would be out of the office. Therefore, I had to quit without notice on a few occasions. This behaviour is not common for me at all, but it was important that I be with my family during such an emotionally difficult time. Now that things are fully resolved and I know I am able to commit to a new career, how can I explain these circumstances without being viewed by potential employers as someone who is unstable or a job-hopper?

I’m sorry to hear about your recent family troubles, but I am happy to hear that you are able to get on with your life. The problem you have fits into a broader category for job seekers called weaknesses. Believe it or not, you have already done something that most people with weaknesses have not, namely, acknowledge that you have one.

We all have weaknesses

We all have weaknesses when applying for jobs. While we can all agree with that statement quite heartily, and we can easily point out the weaknesses of others, it is usually much more difficult to see that we have them ourselves.

Define your weaknesses

In your situation, your weakness (or perceived weakness) is the fact that you will be seen as a job-hopper, and may have left some burned bridges behind you. For any weakness, there is a defined strategy.

Don’t focus on your weakness

Remember, any future employer simply wasn’t with you during that difficult time in your life, but you were. Since they are not all-knowing, they essentially will only know what you tell them, and don’t assume otherwise. Use that knowledge to frame your weaknesses with the appropriate perspective. While you are bringing a whole lot more to the table than your weaknesses, you should be prepared to acknowledge them openly and honestly, but also in the best possible light. Let’s look at weaknesses in general, and then focus on your particular situation.

The Weakness Question

When candidates get to the interview stage, the “tell me your weakness(es)” question can be devastating for many of them, and the question deserves special attention. The key element with this question is to acknowledge that you have weaknesses, and that you are always interested in constructive criticism and self-improvement. Obviously, you should not admit to any fault that can reflect badly on your ability to do the job. The best strategies for answering this question are:

1) Put the weakness in the past, i.e. I used to have a problem with…

2) Choose a weakness that only caused a problem for you. For example, “I used to be a workaholic” is better than “I had a hard time relating with my coworkers.”

3) End the story on the positive effects of the change in your behaviour.

4) Try to shift the focus of the interviewer by asking about the organization’s support for self-improvement initiatives.

5) Try to change the perspective of the weakness and turn it into a strength, as follows:

I used to be a ____________________________ but now I’m…

Perfectionist_____________________Detail-Oriented
Obsessive/Compulsive_____________Focused
Self-obsessed____________________Ambitious
Workaholic _____________________Hardworking

Example:

“When I first started out I used to get upset when fellow workers didn’t pull their weight. I believe in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay, and resented it when others didn’t share that feeling. Now, rather than simply stewing about it, I get fellow staff members involved and try to make work a team activity that everyone can actually enjoy.” [provide an example story if possible]

Job Hopping

Your weakness question might come in the form of: “I notice that you’ve moved around quite a bit here, is there any reason for this?” In your situation in particular, your weakness is in the past, and is unlikely to be repeated. Employers will generally cut you some slack as long as you let them know that you value your commitment to your family (as I’m sure they do also), but that you are otherwise a very hardworking and loyal employee. There’s no need to get into a lot of detail about the circumstances, but it should be enough information so that they have an idea as to how serious the situation was for you at the time.

“It was a difficult time for me personally, that thankfully is now over, but I was required to help a terminally ill relative. I believe in being fair to my employer, and since I didn’t know when I could return to work, I felt it best to move on and deal with my personal situation, and not keep my boss in constant limbo.”

Best of luck!

Michael Mayne, M.B.A., CMA, is Managing Partner and a Certified Professional Career Counsellor at Catalyst Careers, a Career Transition, Counselling, and Outplacement firm. Michael has been involved in the not-for-profit sector for many years, and is Past President and Treasurer of ALS Canada. To contact Michael, visit: www.catalystcareers.com.

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Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.