外資系は転職回数が多くてもOK?職務経歴書や面接返答法を伝授Is it OK to change jobs many times in a foreign company?

I want to change jobs, but I'm worried because I've changed jobs so many times.
At Japanese companies, the more times you change jobs, the stricter the hiring process becomes, but at foreign-capitalized companies, the number of times you change jobs does not have much of an impact on whether you are hired or not.

In this article, we will explain what foreign companies are more concerned about than the number of times you have changed jobs, and how to write a resume for those who have changed jobs many times. We hope you will find it useful!

Many Japanese-affiliated companies hire on the premise of “lifetime employment,” and they want their employees to stay with the company as long as possible. Therefore, people who change jobs frequently tend to have a negative impression that they will quit soon, and are often shunned.

How about overseas, where “lifetime employment” is not a prerequisite? I will explain in detail below.

Shorter tenure in foreign countries that do not have lifetime employment and seniority.

Since Japanese-affiliated firms are based on “lifetime employment” and use a “seniority system” in which income increases with years of service, many people may be working there without thinking about changing jobs.

On the other hand, foreign-affiliated companies, which do not have “lifetime employment” or a “seniority system,” cannot increase their income simply by staying with the company. This is why many people change jobs.

According to a survey by the National Institute for Labour Policy and Training, Japan has worked at one workplace for an average of 12.3 years, the longest among the countries surveyed.

Citation: National Institute for Labour Policy and Training, “Databook International Labour Comparison 2024,P135 No. 13-3-2”

The shortest tenure at a single company is around 5 years in the U.S. and South Korea.

The U.S., with its meritocracy, employs people with skills and experience in “job-based employment,” so job descriptions and salaries are clearly defined. In order to increase one's income, one must change jobs to a place where one can utilize one's skills. In some cases, people change jobs in order to acquire skills. Therefore, there is little resistance to repeatedly changing jobs to advance one's career.

South Korea is a country where there is a large salary gap between large and small companies. For this reason, those who work for small and medium-sized companies tend to repeatedly change jobs in search of better conditions, and there seems to be no resistance to changing jobs.

The length of employment in European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark and Sweden is around 6 to 10 years. These countries have achieved employee satisfaction as a result of their emphasis on work-life balance, such as being able to prioritize private life and take solid vacations. As a result, employees do not seem to leave their jobs within a short period of time as is the case in the U.S. and Korea. However, since it is “job-based employment,” employees need to change jobs in order to increase their income and improve their skills.

Unlike Japanese-affiliated firms, foreign-affiliated firms do not increase income simply by staying with the company, so it is natural for employees to change jobs in order to advance their careers. Therefore, there seems to be little resistance to changing jobs.

Approximate number of times to change jobs in a foreign company

Even foreign companies that do not care much about the number of times a person changes jobs, in some cases, too many job changes may cause the company to shun a person who “has no plan” or “lacks patience and perseverance.

It is advantageous to change jobs as few times as possible in order to have a smooth transition from one job to another in your early 20s to early 30s. This is because this age group is still in the process of building a solid foundation, so it is better to stay in one place for a long time than to have various experiences, because it is thought that you have acquired more knowledge and skills by staying in one place for a long time.

After mid-30s, the number of times you can change jobs smoothly is from one to three times. If you change jobs too many times, you may be asked for a reason at the interview. If you are changing jobs as you step up your career, you can make a good impression, so make sure you can explain clearly that you are changing jobs based on your career plan.

What meritocratic foreign companies care about is whether you can make an immediate impact rather than how many times you have changed jobs. For this reason, we look at the following two points.

• Is your career consistent?
• Whether you have good communication skills and adaptability.

Let's take a closer look.

Is the carrier consistent?

If you keep changing jobs based on a clear career plan, foreign-affiliated companies do not care much about the number of times you change jobs.
In particular, IT and financial companies, which tend to have a lot of foreign capital, tend not to care.
This is because foreign-capitalized companies, which are based on merit, do not have any problems as long as you can deliver results.

If you repeatedly change jobs over the course of a consistent career, you will accumulate experience and skills. If you can appeal this to the company, you will likely be highly regarded.

If you have broadened your skills and knowledge related to the job opening, you should apply for the position without worrying about the number of times you have changed jobs.

Do you have good communication and adaptability skills?

Foreign-affiliated companies are looking for people with good communication skills and adaptability because they work with people from various cultural backgrounds.

In many cases, foreign-affiliated companies consider people who have repeatedly changed jobs and experienced various work environments to have good communication skills and adaptability. Changing workplaces means significant changes in human relations, corporate culture, and work processes. Therefore, people who have survived job changes are considered to have honed their communication and adaptability skills.

If you appeal episodes in which you demonstrated your communication and adaptability skills as evidence that you can thrive in a new environment, it will be a point that will be highly regarded.

Even in meritocratic foreign companies, there are cases where the number of times you have changed jobs is considered a disadvantage.

• When the reason for changing jobs is dissatisfaction or dissatisfaction
• Inconsistent career path
• If you have been blank for a long period of time

Let us explain one by one.

If the reason for changing jobs is grievance or dissatisfaction

In some cases, if the reason for changing jobs is dissatisfaction with the current situation, it may be detrimental to employment. This is because people who cannot communicate well with others, are unmotivated to work, or have extremely low job skills are more likely to complain about their jobs and change jobs more often.

Try to convey that your reasons for changing jobs are positive, not negative.

Inconsistent carriers

The key to a successful career change to a foreign company is the specialized skills and knowledge needed to be an immediate asset to the company. Therefore, if you have changed jobs many times without consistency in your career, you are not considered to have acquired sufficient skills and will have difficulty changing jobs.

For example, if you have changed jobs many times, such as two years in finance, one year in the restaurant industry, and two years in manufacturing. The skills you have acquired in all industries will be considered half-baked.

If you have changed jobs inconsistently, you may find a common “axis” in your career by reevaluating your career. For example, a person who has been involved in marketing or accounting may be strong in “numbers” and “analysis. By finding an “axis,” you can make your career more consistent, so take stock of your career. It is also a good idea to ask a career change agent for advice.

If the blank period is long.

Even if the career is consistent, cases with long blanks are difficult to recruit. In this case, a blank refers to a case where the purpose is not clear. If you have a legitimate reason, such as “I was working toward a certification,” “I was studying abroad,” or “I was taking care of my parents,” it will not be a problem, so answer honestly if asked at the interview.

If the reason for the blank is that “your job search was not going well,” you need to be able to answer what you were doing during the blank period. If you honestly answer, “My job search took a long time,” you may be asked to consider your own reasons, such as “Why wasn't it going well? Be sure to conduct a thorough self-analysis and be prepared to answer the question.

The blank period is defined as the number of days you receive unemployment benefits if you resigned for personal reasons. Be careful not to blank more than 8 months.

There are three ways to write your work history

• Reverse chronological order, in which you write your work history in chronological order of newer jobs
• The “career style,” which is written by job title
• Mixed style” which is a combination of both

If you have changed jobs many times, the “career style” is recommended.
We will explain why and how to write them.

List in order of job description in the “career formula.”

If you have changed jobs three or more times, we recommend that you use the “Career” format, which clearly shows your main points of appeal. If you use the “reverse career format,” the number of times you have changed jobs may stand out, or you may include too much information other than what is required for the position you are applying for, and your “important points” and “strengths” will be buried.

Describe your job duties according to a specific cut-off point, such as industry, job type, or project. It is a good idea to describe thickly the contents of your career that can be utilized in the company you are applying for at the beginning of the application, and briefly describe the rest of your career in the latter half of the application.

• Advantages of writing in a career format
• Show that your past career matches the company to which you are applying.
• You can show off your professional skills.

Describe a consistent “axis” of experience, skills, and areas of expertise

If you have changed jobs based on a consistent “axis” of experience, skills, or areas of expertise, state this clearly.

For example, if you are changing jobs from the insurance industry to the banking industry, you could write, “I have used my certification as a financial planner to provide appropriate advice to clients and have honed my ability to build trusting relationships. This will identify your strengths and impress them.

Describe the reason for your change of employment.

If you have changed jobs many times, you will most likely be asked why in an interview. Therefore, we recommend that you include a “Reason for changing jobs” section in your resume.

By including it in your resume, you can tell the company why you changed jobs in advance. If you can write a convincing reason, your application screening rate will increase, and your interview will likely go more smoothly.

If you write negative things, such as criticism of the company you left, it will reflect negatively on you. Try to keep your reasons for changing jobs positive.

Notes on frequent job changes

You may be tempted to omit your career history because you think you may not make a good impression if you have changed jobs many times. However, if you omit your resume, the company to which you are applying may suspect that you have falsified your resume, which may lead to the cancellation of an offer of employment or, in the case of a job offer, to termination of employment. Do not omit your career history, but describe your skills and experience in an easy-to-understand manner.

Limit your resume to three pages or less. Hiring managers have to read many applications before they make a selection, so if you have too many, they may not read them. The more jobs you have held, the more information you will need to include, so please keep your resume brief if it is not relevant to the position for which you are applying.

The “career-style” resume is not a popular format, so it is important to keep your resume to the point and make it easy to understand. If you are unsure about the format, ask a recruitment agent for advice or have them correct it for you.

Intentions of foreign companies to ask why people change jobs so often.

During an interview, you may be asked, “Why have you changed jobs so many times?” You may be asked “Why have you changed jobs so many times? Since you have passed the document screening process, we do not consider the number of times you have changed jobs to be a problem. The intent of the question is to ask what kind of experience you have gained as a result of changing jobs. Give a positive response, such as how you have improved your skills by changing jobs.

At the same time, you may be asked why you are changing jobs rather than transferring departments. Since this question is asking about your reasons for applying to the company you are applying to, it is best to reply with a positive factor, such as to further utilize your skills, rather than complaining or criticizing your current company.

How to answer why you have changed jobs so many times

I will tell you how to answer when you are actually asked about the number of times you have changed jobs in an interview.

When an interviewer asks you how many times you have changed jobs, it is not a good response to reply only with the number of times you have changed jobs. This is because it interrupts the flow of the conversation. Also, making excuses for changing jobs so often is not a good idea, as it gives a negative impression.

If you can convince the interviewer that your reason for changing jobs was to improve your skills or advance your career, the number of times you have changed jobs will not be a problem.
 

A job change that is not of one's own volition, such as a company bankruptcy, a black company, or a family situation, can be understood by the other party, but it does not lead directly to employment. This is because there is no sense of purpose in changing jobs. It may sound cold, but unavoidable circumstances have nothing to do with the employer.

Give the interviewer a positive reason why you are applying for the company, and tell the interviewer that hiring you will be a positive experience.

If you are not confident in your interviewing skills, consult a recruitment agent. They can give you advice and conduct mock interviews. Many recruitment agencies that specialize in foreign-capitalized companies will offer English interview preparation, so be sure to take advantage of this.

Unlike Japanese companies, foreign companies are not so particular about the number of times you change jobs. Rather than the number of times you have changed jobs, the key points are “the reason for changing jobs” and “whether you can be an immediate asset to the company. If you have changed jobs many times, it is also necessary to write your resume in a “career style” and to make sure that your interview responses are positive.

Please consult with United World about how to write a resume for a foreign company and how to prepare for an interview. Your dedicated career counselor will provide you with one-on-one support!