The Truth About Job Hopping
One of the things you often hear about Millennials is that they change jobs more than their predecessors, but the truth is that they tend to change jobs at the exact same rate. Millennials aren’t hopping from job to job in an effort to disrupt the job market and bankrupt companies. They are changing careers, entering new fields, and working with new companies to ensure they are earning their optimum salaries and doing something they are passionate about. So does it feel that Millennials are making a shift so often?
Data and Connectedness
We are all so connected. The social media platforms we use give us a chance to showcase when we are looking for work, if we’re hiring, when we get a new job, and more. It is more common to see that someone is looking for work because we are more in tune with every other person’s thoughts. Data is passed around more easily as well. We don’t have to go to a library to find out that Millenials in 2016 changed their jobs at the same rate as their Boomer peers in 1983 (Rich, 2020).
We have access to so much data and can see what others are doing. That’s the difference between now and the past. Previously, our private circles were smaller and we would not hear about numerous job changers. Now, we can hop on LinkedIn, scroll through our feed, and be presented with posts and updates like, “Congratulate Aaron for starting his new position as a …” It feels like this is more common just because we can see it more often.
So people are changing their jobs as often as they used to, and that seems fast…so it’s always been fast?
Job-Changing is Common
Changing jobs and careers is common. People have been doing it for generations. Younger individuals tend to change jobs more often as they ramp up towards better pay (Rich, 2020). The data showcases further consistencies among individuals in their 20s and 30s from two generations. In 1983, the median tenure for individuals in their 20s and 30s was 3.0 vs. 2.8 for the same ages in 2018. Nothing has changed. As Millenials continue to dominate the workforce (they’re still the largest generation in the US workforce), we’ll see the numbers level out even further as they get older.
Job changing is as common as ever, but the resources available to do so are not. Expectations are what has changed. Organizations no longer want to train. They expect new team members to have the skills needed to get the work done and to ramp up quickly because “people are changing jobs faster than ever”. The workforce needs to have the skills and organizations aren’t providing them as frequently, resulting in larger skills gaps that people are struggling to overcome(Scweer, 2020).
There’s a solution to this problem, but it’s riddled with high costs, imperfect matchmaking, and inefficient engagements.
One of the best ways to transition to a position in a new industry is with the help of a mentor, to help you both with making the decision and the transition — E. Zimmerman
Guidance is the Future
When people change jobs, many organizations aren’t open to help support that change. It goes beyond changing careers. This has been the paradigm shift. A similar shift happened to our education requirements (“Bachelor’s is the new high school diploma”). Guidance through mentorship is the next standard that has yet to become a fully digitized process.
Many people in common “must-read” books talk about mentors. In How to Win Friends and & Influence People, Dale Carnegie references mentors that helped him in the space. In the Rich Dad series, Robert Kiyosaki references “His Friend’s Dad” as the Rich Dad who influenced his whole career. Even Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said:
Every man I meet is my superior in some way and in that, I learn of him.
As we continue to change jobs and careers, we need to supplement these changes with a line of support that can help us transition easier. This support can come from many different sources, but you should try to find someone who has relevant knowledge in the space and is open to being there to support you. To be blatant, it sucks that organizations are shifting to be less involved in the professional development space, but many people are more than willing to help you out. Just take the time to find them!
References
Cheng, M. (2019, June 6). The scourge of millennial job-hopping is a myth. Retrieved from https://qz.com/work/1636066/millennial-managers-say-changing-jobs-has-aided-their-success/
Rich, C. (2020, January 7). Talking Tenure: A Look at Generational Job Hopping. Retrieved from https://www.qualityinfo.org/-/talking-tenure-a-look-at-generational-job-hopping#:~:text=Comparing similar interview rounds reveals,18 to 22 years old.
Schweer, Z. (2020, January 28). Skills Gaps Rise as Organizations Ignore Workforce Training Preferences. Retrieved from https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/jan-feb-2020/skills-gaps-rise-as-organizations-ignore-workforce-training-preferences/
Zimmerman, E. (2016, May 11). How a Mentor Can Help You Change Industries. Retrieved from https://www.ivyexec.com/career-advice/2016/mentor-career-change-industries/#:~:text=One of the best ways,the decision and the transition.
