I’ve had a string of “bad luck” the past few years and gone through 3 layoffs, and left a job because it was so abusive (with rumors of upcoming layoffs, which happened right after I left). Each job lasted about 8-10 months so I can’t exactly justify taking them
off my resume. I feel bad sometimes because the last job I had before all these layoffs, I could have held onto indefinitely… many recruiters and hiring managers have totally ripped on and criticized my resume, even after I explain the layoffs. Anyone else in the same boat? I’m so embarrassed of my resume now, job hunting is painful enough as it is!
(And are people really that oblivious on how badly the fashion industry has been suffering the past few years?)
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I would adjust the dates on your resume to reflect a year or more. Or you can remove some things and say you were doing some consulting or freelance projects to fill in those work dates as that.
I think it’s dumb to lie on your resume, but everybody does it, apparently. Recruiters are nasty when it comes to re-writing your resume. I’ve had a recruiter ask me if they could re-write my resume, and I agreed thinking they must know what gets people hired. I was really put off by what I got back, where they basically lied for me on my resume, adding in things I didn’t even do while working at the companies, and adjusting the dates to be ridiculous. If this is the norm for the fashion industry to flat out lie to everybody you come across, that’s appalling and disgusting. No wonder I can’t get hired being honest!
I wouldn’t dwell on the reasons for why you had to leave your jobs. It wasn’t your fault like you intentionally did something horrifying to get fired, right? Just keep explaining yourself and that should be fine. Obnoxious, but it will keep your story consistent and not cause real trouble, like for people who lie.
I’ve listed jobs on my own resume that I didn’t have for very long and got fired from for various reasons, just because they seemed valuable to me - whether it’s the job title, the responsibilities, or to not leave a huge time gap…I think this is all up to your comfort level.
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I totally get you. I’ve been through layoffs many times… companies close; restructure; get bought out; new management or consulting teams are brought in.
Every single job I’ve taken has been with the intention of staying for at least a few years… but in this industry stuff just happens.
as @hardtimes2020 says, if I can i stretch the dates to a year or more. I don’t put MONTHS on my resume… that way a short term job can perhaps be 2005-2006 and no one questions it. The only companies that check or need actual dates are big ones, and usually if I can get my foot in the door, then I can explain my dates in person.
If I have a string of short term jobs and/or freelance in between (yup, slumming it with 24/Seven hourly temp work) then I try to lump it all together in one FREELANCE/CONSULTING role to hold that place in time. Then underneath, I outline what companies I worked at, and what I did there. When asked, that’s when I can say “I was filling in for a maternity leave at XXX” or “I did freelance work for so-and-so full time in-house while they were trying to find the budget to hire me.”
I never lie… I just need to re-frame how my time was spent. Anyone actually in the industry knows the lay of the land, and how tumultuous this industry is. I explicitly let people know I was busy, and staying current during these hard times. And I try to make sure I stay away from any kind of “sad sack” stories about what happened… No one wants to hear you were laid off 3 times in a row. If you re-frame it as “I was in a re-adjustment period in my career, so I took on consulting/freelance work and did X, Y and Z, and learned that I really wanted to focus on XXX” it sounds like you were carefully considering a pivot, and not a string of bad luck.
Best of luck to you!!!
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I have just about the same issue!! To me it would seem common place for recruiters to see this on other resumes as well! I really don’t have very much to say but that you are not alone! I’ve been in the business for over 30 years and I think it is time for something new. What!? I don’t know yet but I have to move on from this business! Wait, I do know what to say to you! Believe in yourself and keep trying. Search for something else also in the meantime apart from this industry. Or if you are really brave, start your own something. It does not have to be fashion!
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I agree here. Never lie on your resume because when the truth comes out it will just make you look dishonest and untrustworthy. I speak from experience. I’ve interviewed and hired MANY people and then found out once they were hired that they lied and I couldn’t respect them and ultimately they didn’t last.
Next to the dates on your resume simply put a dash and then just say what the reason was. For example: 1/21/2019-1/9/2019- Laid off due to company restructuring. There is not set way of laying out a resume, you can put as much or as little information on it. Don’t let recruiters tell you differently either. It’s not their reputation on the line, it’s yours. Respect it.
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Thanks for your input fabricologist!! Agree with you… sometimes recruiters can really get it wrong! And many of them haven’t really worked in our industry (besides 3rd party recruiting) so they just don’t get it. And I’ve kept these short term jobs on my resume for the same reasons, since they do offer some value… I guess I just had a mini meltdown moment looking at my LinkedIn profile and seeing how “bad” it looks the last few years. I won’t get far moping 
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Thanks for your input twirlgirl! I’m sorry to hear you’ve gone through similar! Given how tumultuous our industry is, I couldn’t believe it could just be me, despite some of the responses I was getting… wishing you the best of luck as well!
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Thank you Meaty! I totally get it. I’ve been in the industry for half the time as you, 15 years, and definitely considering other options while still looking for opportunities in fashion. Crossing fingers that we find/continue on the path that’s right for us
Thanks for your input hardtimes2020!
Many thanks and agree with you oldfartdesigner! Our industry is so small and word gets around quickly, and I’m too honest to lie. I like your resume recommendation on being upfront about the layoffs right next to the dates- explains the situation right away, and if these recruiters still want to call me to pick on my layoffs they can go right ahead!
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Stay true to yourself and all the best!
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As someone who was labeled a “job hopper” for 28 years, I did quite well with getting hired. My full-time jobs usually lasted 1-3 years sprinkled with years and months of freelancing. It was my “diversified” experience that made me a valuable team player. I worked in Men’s, Women’s, Children’s, Accessories, Bedding and Bath, Knits, Wovens, etc Yes, my resume was 2 pages long and I was true to myself and my abilities. Towards the end of my career it did get harder as many of the recruiters were super young and inexperienced and had no idea what they were talking about. Their model of the valuable employee was very different than mine. I never lied as to why a job ended but was extremely careful about my explanation as to not put down anyone. You can always say, “it wasn’t a good fit”. Also, if you’ve been in the industry long enough…everyone knows who and where the bad bosses/ management are located. I’ve had many a good laugh during and interview when we both “knew” who we are talking about. There was an owner of a studio that brought her dog to work and the dog would run around the studio and pee on the floor. Etc. I have had my resume shortened but never added to. There were also all those times that my resume was very specific as to my skill set and I was sent on interviews that had no relationship to what I had on my resume. Try not to be embarrassed. You don’t deserve to be bullied. I left many interviews in tears. It can be tough out there.
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I dont think they are oblivious, but they certainly do not care to acknowledge it because they just want to get paid. To rip on someone during a time like this in our industry is gross, and extremely insensitive I’m very sorry… i know many people that lie to the extreme on their resume but I would only recommended it to a certain degree. Maybe 2 of these positions can be listed as “freelance” and don’t use as references? I too have had a couple of jobs with less than a year. Truth be told those places were complete misery, and Ive been honest with some recruiters before and they do not care/want to hear it. All i can recommend is to use these experiences to your benefit and try to make it seem as if you learned from them etc. I wish you the best of luck on your search.
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Don’t lie on your resume, it can reflect on you badly if you are hired for a certain skill set and you don’t deliver results. It is also a paradox in the fashion industry that needs new ideas all the time that companies will only consider candidates with many years’ tenure at a job: the nature of most design jobs is that they turn over in 3 years or less, and many are short-term non-payroll consulting gigs. So you freelance, call it “Consulting”, & set up an LLC with a business name for yourself to make it look very official . Then, lump all your freelancing into it, you can list some of your clients, makes it look like you’ve been doing it for a long time as an independent businessperson who obviously must have skills to do this. Good luck with your search!
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Thanks for your input, RDY! I appreciate your attitude and acknowledge it’s been shaped by many years in this tough industry. I do agree it’s important to be tactful/civil when describing situations that didn’t work out. It’s a small industry!
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Thanks for your feedback Patterntech! I haven’t lied on my resume in my 15 years in the industry and don’t plan on it. I’d rather face rude recruiters than lie, since our industry is so small! I have noticed some folks with some more years experience (say, around 20 yr+) have set up “consultancies” to batch together several short term jobs, even for non-designers, and it seems to work for them.
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Before the pandemic the industry was stable. As stable as fashion gets. If you are lasting less than 7 months you aren’t vetting the places you get hired at. It cuts both ways. I don’t count any job that lasts less than 3 months
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I have a fun trick - I list the year not the date and there’s no lying. If I worked nov 2020 - Jan 2021 I put 2020-2021. It’s more attractive and I’ve never been asked where the month is. Also, you could list a block of time for freelance and put those short jobs on there.
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PLEASE have hope, don’t be discouraged. 8-10 months at each place is at least enough experience to understand the development process functions at each of those companies, that’s valuable.
Your experience is as valuable as you present it to be. I personally don’t like to lie on my resume, because I like to be comfortable talking through my true experience and my real design capabilities. It’s all about how you interview and present yourself and your experience.
I had a similar concern, but I FINALLY was hired after 8 months of searching for the perfect fit. It’s truly tough out there right now, and I feel for you. I hope this gives you some hope. Continue to apply for a variety of jobs and networking with CONFIDENCE. It’s surprising how “enthusiasm makes up for so many deficiencies”. That’s an Obama quote haha but I have found it to be inspiring and helpful in my times of hopelessness.
Please, keep going, you’re getting closer every day to landing that job.
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