Thoughts on Job Hopping
Hey, fellow Millennials! I’m sure this is not the first time you heard about this, but we actually have a reputation for being job hoppers.
I’m sure you’ve encountered the word several times in the workplace. Young professionals, especially those with less than 4 years of experience, are notorious to being called “Job Hoppers” — those viewed as unsatisfied, opportunistic individuals who will jump ship anytime a better opportunity or better paying job comes along.
But don’t fret if you feel like you are one. According to Monster UK, there are 3 types of job hoppers:
- the Essential hoppers — those who had to change jobs because of circumstances out of their control. It could be because they are project-based, hired as contractual, or has been in a very mobile role and decided to stay in the office-based role instead. These types of hoppers will find it easy to land their next job, provided that they can explain well the unavoidable circumstance of leaving their last company so soon.
- The second will be the Opportunity hoppers — this is where young millennials get most of their bad rap. This type of hopping is regularly done at the start of people’s careers, usually because they have not yet decided which direction they wanna take. But as long as there is logic in their progression, they can still scoop a new job, provided their goals become clearer as time goes by.
- Lastly, the Difficult hoppers. You may say that these people move out of jobs quickly with valid reasons, but their CVs will show a pattern that they seem to find it difficult to adapt to the work environment. These are mostly the candidates who have difficulty explaining success in interviews and will have stories about bad managers, bad colleagues, and generally bad experiences. If you identify as one, the key is to get to the root of your personal motivations and see if the company is really a personal and cultural fit. It’s the best time to introspect as well — do you easily give up on a job when the going gets tough?
The Good News
There is a change in trend that began just last year, in 2017. There is a decrease in the rate of employees leaving their companies in less than a year. Apparently, people are starting to seek the stability of being in one company. A CareerBuilder survey found that 45% of employees plan to stay with their employer for less than two years, and the average tenure for employees ages 25–34 is three years.
As a job hopper, job hopping can actually send a signal that you are adaptable to changes. If you are someone who changes jobs pretty quickly but you get hired on a higher level each time, it can mean you are a top performer who easily learns the job well or you’re someone who likes constantly improving one’s skillset. You gain more professional networks too as you move into different organizations and industries. Among many things, you are most likely to exhibit curiosity, relentlessness, passion, and daring.
How to job-hop the right way if you find yourself in the need to do so? Always have a backup job and have prospects and offers lined up so you don’t get a big gap in your employment. It will show your employability despite shifts. Complete worthwhile projects while in your current job. A big achievement will trump the short tenure in the eyes of your future employers. It will show you’re a doer and a go-getter. Create a good portfolio of all your successful projects, and make value propositions to your future employer and let them know your skills can definitely help them out.
According to Gallup’s study, “Millennials: The Job-Hopping Generation,” it is possible that millennials actually don’t want to switch jobs, but our companies aren’t giving us compelling reasons to stay. For us, it’s all about finding a job that is worthwhile. We want a work with meaning and purpose, not something we just need to clock in and out every day and get paid to pay the bills. We want coaches, not bosses. We want a work with impact. We want career development. And if we can’t find these in one company, we’ll keep looking for it elsewhere.
To our dear job hoppers, at the end of the day, it’s about the narrative. It’s how you tell the story once you sit down in front of a recruiter vying for that new job. Do you tell a story of utter dissatisfaction or a story of growth and journey to find your true calling?
Once you land that job you have been eyeing, how do you see yourself staying? Where will you find the motivation to go on even through multiple setbacks? Remember that being successful at something is not all about being adaptable. Resilience is one major factor too, and that is something you need to start thinking about as you glide through your career. Hopefully, you soon find that job that will make you stay against all odds.
Just don’t give up easily.
