I was perusing CraigsList this morning and stumbled upon an ad for a new restaurant that is apparently coming to a town near me. The ad didn’t identify the company, but stated great benefits, distinctive menu, yada, yada, yada. What really caught my eye in the vacancy announcement was the following:

Candidate Criteria:
• Must be employed in the restaurant industry or recently unemployed (1-4) months out
• No more than 2 jobs in 5 years, 3 in 9-10 years.

This really floored me, because anyone who has ever worked in the restaurant industry will tell you that these folks tend to move around a lot. Now the hospitality industry is getting picky with its candidates and demanding an impeccable resume with solid company loyalty and no gaps in employment. In other words, those with a history of short-time gigs need not apply.

Six months ago I attended the NRWA annual conference where there was an employer panel to answer our questions. One recruiter blatantly said, “we will not consider any candidates who did not stay in former positions a minimum of 3 years.”

Times are a changin’. I have to wonder how this economy will affect the resumes of today’s job seekers. Many are losing jobs as quickly as they find them through no fault of their own and that can be detrimental to a once perfect background.

The only thing I can suggest is keep networking, choose your next job WISELY, and chase your passion. As long as you’re doing something you love, it won’t matter if your job lasts a month, a year, or a decade. Passion shows and grows, and it’s something you either have or you don’t. You can’t learn it or earn it.

–Susan Geary, 1st Rate Resumes