Online Job Application Hates Corporate Reality
October 12, 2011 3:14 PM Subscribe
Online application quandary - how do I accurately reflect multiple positions at one company with arbitrary parameters?
Problem:
• web form requires entry of every position ever held.
• time at one specific job encompassed 4 distinctly different positions, each lasting a year or more and involved pay grade/title changes.
• only 1 job title will fit in title field.
• every entry requires "reason for leaving"; sole choices are "laid off", "terminated", "quit/resigned", and "still employed" - selecting "terminated" or "quit/resigned" yields "other" field and "describe, please" free text box.
• "description of responsibilities" section only allows about 2 sentences worth of description.
Tried to use last title as title then used "description" for brief list of responsibilities for each position, which is how I discovered the description limit. Fair enough, but I'm not sure what to do now. Putting each position in as a separate entry requires selecting unfriendly job ending classifications to be able to explain, and I don't think this will endear me to the processor.
Could use last title and put keywords for all positions held in description - not ideal, makes it different from the other entries, but would roughly solve the problem.
What would you advise? Thank you!
Problem:
• web form requires entry of every position ever held.
• time at one specific job encompassed 4 distinctly different positions, each lasting a year or more and involved pay grade/title changes.
• only 1 job title will fit in title field.
• every entry requires "reason for leaving"; sole choices are "laid off", "terminated", "quit/resigned", and "still employed" - selecting "terminated" or "quit/resigned" yields "other" field and "describe, please" free text box.
• "description of responsibilities" section only allows about 2 sentences worth of description.
Tried to use last title as title then used "description" for brief list of responsibilities for each position, which is how I discovered the description limit. Fair enough, but I'm not sure what to do now. Putting each position in as a separate entry requires selecting unfriendly job ending classifications to be able to explain, and I don't think this will endear me to the processor.
Could use last title and put keywords for all positions held in description - not ideal, makes it different from the other entries, but would roughly solve the problem.
What would you advise? Thank you!
Pick the most positive-looking option and clarify it in person if you get an interview.
posted by twblalock at 3:49 PM on October 12, 2011
posted by twblalock at 3:49 PM on October 12, 2011
Best answer: Put them as separate jobs. HR people aren't stupid (despite all the hatred pointed our way), they will get it if the employer is the same on three different jobs. Maybe put at the bottom of the description for each "Promoted to ____" or something like that.
Is the reasons for leaving box a drop down or a field to put in whatever you want? If it is a drop down, pick something like "personal reasons" or whatever sort of innocuous thing there is, like I said, they are capable of figuring it out.
posted by magnetsphere at 3:53 PM on October 12, 2011
Is the reasons for leaving box a drop down or a field to put in whatever you want? If it is a drop down, pick something like "personal reasons" or whatever sort of innocuous thing there is, like I said, they are capable of figuring it out.
posted by magnetsphere at 3:53 PM on October 12, 2011
Best answer: I went through this recently as well (four positions in eight years), and put them all down as separate jobs. I usually had free form entry sections, but if faced with your options, I'd choose "still employed". They'll get it.
posted by smalls at 4:05 PM on October 12, 2011
posted by smalls at 4:05 PM on October 12, 2011
I had four separate positions within my time at my last job; I put them as separate jobs, and when asked why I left it, put in 'transferred'.
Well, except the last one, which is "reduction in force" but that doesn't apply to you.
But if you did all those things, despite for the same company, show off! Talk yourself up.
posted by mephron at 5:29 PM on October 12, 2011
Well, except the last one, which is "reduction in force" but that doesn't apply to you.
But if you did all those things, despite for the same company, show off! Talk yourself up.
posted by mephron at 5:29 PM on October 12, 2011
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posted by jabes at 3:33 PM on October 12, 2011