Best Way To Explain Your Job-Jumping Past

Welcome to the "AOL Career Luck Project." Inspired by you, our readers, this new weekly series offers practical advice by showcasing real-life examples of career makeovers. Learn to create your own career luck using the tips and techniques given to project participants. Every Thursday.

Meet Dave.

He had an incredibly diverse and rewarding career over the last 15+ years. He worked in several different industries and roles. It had never been a problem. Until...

Move To New State = Past Job-Jumping Can Hurt You

Dave and his wife had a chance to relocate for her job to a new state. Being adventurous people, they made the move. As Dave began the job search, he quickly realized it wouldn't be as easy as in the past. Without a local professional network who knew of his abilities, how could he convince employers he was a good worker?

Dave Must Create Some Career L.U.C.K.!

Using the following four steps, Dave can establish his credibility and focus his job search. Here's what he needs to do:

Locate the Problem = In this case, Dave's varied past is coming across as disconnected and lacking professional focus. Hiring managers and recruiters are assuming his job-jumping means he has "Career ADD" - and are immediately putting him in the "no" pile.

Uncover the Issue = Without a unified career track, people looking at Dave's resume and social media profiles can't easily see his areas of expertise. They shouldn't have to work so hard to connect the dots! Therefore, they'll keep ignoring him as a viable candidate.

Create New Plan = Dave needs to step back and look at all his past roles to determine the singular passion he had for solving a particular problem while employed with each company. By identifying the commonality in the value he provided across all jobs, Dave will be able to more clearly showcase how he alleviated his employers' pain and brought measurable results to every job.

Know Your Next Steps = With his problem-solving expertise clearly defined, Dave will update his resume and social media profiles to concisely convey his value. Then, he'll create an interview bucket list of companies in the local area whose mission he admires. He'll use his storytelling abilities to create cover letters and online introductions to proactively reach out to people who work at these companies so he can A) share his passion for what they do, and B) showcase how he's used his passion in the past to help employers. (For those of you not familiar with the storytelling approach to cover letters, here's a free resource to help you.)

Dave Will No Doubt Find A New Job He Loves (Again!)

Having worked with Dave, I know all it's going to take for him to finally land a job in his new hometown is for some hiring managers to actually meet him. Dave's a go-getter with a positive attitude and the rare ability to be an exceptional spokesperson for the right business. However, getting those meetings so he can prove his value will take creating some career L.U.C.K. He can do it, and so can you!

PS - For those of you who have a job-jumping past but want to change careers yet again, fear not. This article will show you want to do.