<p>I have worked at my current company for two years, and about a year in I switched departments. There was really no opportunity for me in my first department, and they were under-using me, so I switched to a busier department that had more use for my skills. I liked it much better, but I am starting to think maybe I would have been better off switching to a completely different company and I am looking at my options. </p>
<p>On one version of my resume, which is tailored for job opportunities in the same industry, I list the company and then I list both positions separately-- I held the same title in both departments but they were drastically different jobs with completely different responsibilities. If I want a job in the same industry it would be good to highlight that I have experience in both areas, and it won’t look weird that I switched-- it’s typical for a person to “fit” in one particular area and move around early in their career. </p>
<p>I am also applying for a job outside the industry, though, and my instinct was to just list my title with the company and list all my duties under one since technically my title didn’t change even though I changed departments, and the difference between the two departments won’t be relevant outside the industry-- two different types of the same thing. But if I do that, some of my duties are in the past tense and some are in present tense, and that feels jarring. I don’t want that to attract attention. But I fear if I list them out separately, they are going to think I look for a new job every year. At the same time, if I don’t list them out separately it’s not like I’ll be trying to hide anything and it will probably come up in the interview, and I don’t want them to THINK I was hiding something.</p>
<p>Does anybody have any advice? Maybe I can list them out separately and supplement with a good cover letter that explains why I am looking now so it doesn’t just look like I am job hopping… but at the moment I have no idea how to do that. I can’t say the real reasons I am leaving in a cover letter, and the typical politically correct fake reasons aren’t going to convince anyone I’m not just job hopping…</p>
<p>Ema,
Explain that you are seeking professional growth opportunities;
Listing both jobs, but different departments, will highlight your enthusiasm for embracing the opportunities that present themselves.</p>
<p>In addition, at your age, staying two years with one company is pretty good. I don’t think anyone considers it job hopping anymore to look to leave after that length of time.</p>
<p>If I understand you correctly, your first version of the resume is something like this:</p>
<p>ABC Company 2011 - present
Manager, Research Division 2012 - present
Manager, Sales Division 2011 - 2012</p>
<p>Then under each header, you describe what you did.</p>
<p>I like this better than one header for both departments. But if it’s of any use, I thought resume protocol was to list all responsibilities in the past tense, so maybe that would make Version 2 hang together better.</p>
<p>Ema, I agree with the above since you only have two roles but in different departments. </p>
<p>I’ve bounced around between so many areas at my company in looking for advancement that I do have merge some together on my resume… if I had to separate them out step by step it would look vaugely like this</p>
<p>ABC Company 2005 - present</p>
<p>new title, IT Division 2011- present
job description
promoted title, Sales Division May 2011 - Sept 2011
job description
promoted title, Sales Division May 2010 - May 2011
job description
new title, Sales Division November 2007 - May 2010
job description
promoted title, Service Division April 2006 - November 2007
job description
title, Service Division August 2005 - April 2006
job description </p>
<p>that’s enough to make anyones head spin so I break it down and say
IT division 2011 - present
all inclusive job description and list titles occupied
Sales division 2007 - 2011
all inclusive job description and list titles occupied
Service division 2005 - 2007
all inclusive job description and list titles occupied</p>
<p>This is for internal resume’s - i haven’t made an external one for several years. Hope it helps. I’d be happy to read yours if you want to send it over.</p>