Job Hopping: Good for You, Bad for Them
It is widely said that a job hopper resume is a bad thing, but is it really? Many supervisors and hiring managers believe that employees should stay in a position for two to three years. While there are benefits for employees who remain in the same position for a few years that the greatest benefit is to the organization.
Why is Job Hopping Frowned Upon
1. Hiring new employees can be very costly for an organization. Some of the costs incurred include listing the job with the various placement organizations on and off-line. Screening resumes for prospective candidates to be considered for interviews. Onboarding and training of new employees once hired.
2. Team dynamics are impacted by the addition or departure of members. A once high-performing team can revert all the way back to the storming stage of group development. This is because bonds are broken, and new ones need to be formed. Trust has to be developed between existing members and new ones.
3. The depth of knowledge of employees is lower compared to similar organizations where employees are in the position for several years.
4. The employee is viewed as lacking commitment. Longevity has its benefits as members tend to have bought into the organization’s vision and mission. This commitment then results in the members’ values being aligned with the organization and willing to sacrifice for the benefit of the organization.
Why is Job Hopping Good for You
1. Gain skills in different areas of your field in a short period of time. This is especially true when you work in a field or organization with many different functional areas. Instead of being pigeonholed in one area for many years, you are able to get a broader career experience in a fraction of the time. This makes you more marketable than the subject matter expert that very good at one function but would get lost if asked to do something else.
2. Increased pay and compensation. Many employees are made to believe the senior individual makes much more than the new employee. This is definitely not true. New employees many times negotiate their salaries coming in. The incremental salary increases an employee gets cannot compete with what a good negotiator can get as a new employee. You could find yourself in a position where a new hire’s salary is comparable to or higher than yours if you elect to remain the in the same position for years.
3. Get out of a toxic environment. There is a common saying; employees don’t quit a job they quit bosses. Having a bad boss or working in a toxic or hostile environment can make it extremely difficult to go to work daily. Studies have shown that employees in such environments are absent more than employees working in a favorable environment. An employee’s mental and physical health can suffer in a toxic environment. If you find yourself in this situation, get out immediately or as soon as possible.
4. Develop a broad diverse network. Studies have shown that most jobs in the private sector are filled through network contacts and not a posting. My first job waiting tables at a luxury hotel restaurant was gotten because of a referral from a friend. Even within the strict confines of the government, networks play a vital role in getting a job. With the right connections, you’ll about openings before the position is posted, and you’ll be told when the position is posted. In some cases, the job posting is tailored to your skillset giving you an upper hand over other candidates.
Grab the Reins to Your Career
Don’t be afraid to change jobs as often as you need if you are not challenged, or the environment is less than optimal for you. A supervisor will willingly hire you if your resume shows you’re highly productive in each position. Additionally, make sure you do your best no matter if you don’t like the position, supervisor, or location. You want to position yourself, so the supervisor provides glowing remarks about you as a worker. One of my best jobs was in a location I did not like. I applied for a transfer five days after my arrival at the location. It took four and a half years for me to get that transfer.
Rather than becoming a disgruntled worker, I focused on those things I liked about the job. The mission and vision of the organization appealed to me, and the organization took care of its people. Although I was seeking a way out, I was able to excel in the organization being recognized as an outstanding employee multiple times during the four and half years. To this day that was one of my favorite jobs and I made many lifelong friends there.
At the end of the day, it’s not so much what a hiring manager thinks about job hoppers as it is about your happiness in the workplace. Don’t stay in a position a day longer than you need just to make someone else happy.