Originally Posted by Unregistered

After reading through this entire thread, I finally found the courage to share my story with everyone....

I majored in marketing during my uni days and graduated in 2008, coming into the workforce in early 2009, but it was a bad timing and with financial dues, I took up a job as quickly as possible with an IT MNC doing customer support. However everyday I looked forward to getting back and doing marketing but constantly under restraints, I made due with a seemingly mundane job that I have no passion for.

After a 2.5yrs stint with the company, I left for the Telco industry for better salary in order to quickly pay back my financial dues. I was on probation in a perm job which in retrospective, should expect a conversion of 6mths. But that didn't happen and I was further extended for another 3mths again, with no hints of perm conversion. At then did i realize I'll be out of a job by Aug 2012. It was a painful experience for me...coupled with the financial burden I had to shoulder as well. I had no choice but to leave the company on my own accord voluntarily rather than being let go or asked to leave.

As of now, at 5mths, I'm still out of a job and out of luck...especially when every month, there's only an outflow of expenses rather than inflow. It was a very discouraging fact and it mattered to me so much that I left a company within 1 year.

I need some advice on how I can better position myself with interviewers and agencies, hopefully the people here can offer some insights on the below:

1. How should I/would you position yourself when people ask you why you left your previous company within 1 year?

2. Would saying "end of contract" or decided not to renew/extend your "contract" term to pursue other oppurtunities viable?

3. If I want to do my line of study again and start from scratch(including taking a pay cut) , what are some of the ways I can try to justify the issue of being overqualified so as better secure interviews and job oppurtunites?

Thanks for anyone in advance who can offer their insights.

I thought I was in a very bad scenario but see some of people who posted (esp. 30s and mid 30s with family commitments) being unemployed/jobless are probably in a much worst scenario that I am. Nonetheless I hope everyone in a unemployed/jobless scenario like myself can get the chance and oppurtunity that we need to turnaround.