How your employment history is looked at

The underlying question is simple: is this income going to keep arriving? Everything a lender asks about your employment is in service of that.

That is why a stable history helps, and it is also why a recent change is not fatal. A change can be perfectly consistent with continued income — a promotion, a move to a similar role, a switch to a better-paying job in the same field.

Moving to a similar position in the same line of work is generally straightforward. Moving into something entirely new may need more explanation, because the income is less predictable on its face.

A short gap between jobs is common and usually manageable. What helps is being able to explain it plainly and, where relevant, to show that the new role is at least as stable as the old one.

People worry about this one constantly. It is worth knowing that starting a new job is not automatically disqualifying, and in some cases it strengthens a file because the income is higher.

The detail that matters is the structure of the pay. A salaried role is simpler to document than a role that is mostly commission or bonus, where a history may be needed before the income can be counted.

Expect to show your recent pay history and your recent tax returns. If something changed recently, be ready to explain it in a sentence or two.

The honest version of this: employment questions are almost always about clarity, not about disqualification. A well-explained change is far better than an unexplained one, and nobody is judging you for having a career.