In my current position, one of my “other duties as assigned” includes occasionally
reviewing resumes of applicants seeking temporary or temp-to-hire employment
opportunities. One of my immediate searches on a resume is for tenure. I am always
drawn to how much time a person has spent with their previous employers. I always assume
that most of my clients share the same opinion when it comes to job hopping…consistently
changing jobs shows a sign of instability and indecisiveness. Remember, this is just my
opinion. I have been doing some research to find the opinions of others and recently
found an article on Yahoo that sparked my interest. It shares various “opinions” on job
hopping.
The New Norm?
Some experts say frequent job changes don't mean death to your career -- they're just
part of work life.
"I don't think you can be judgmental [and say it's] good or bad -- it just is; it's a
fact of life in today's workplace. It's fruitless to impose a judgment on it," explains
Sally Haver, senior vice president of business development at the Ayers Group in New
York. "If people don't move with change, they get left in the dust."
Rich Gee, an executive career coach based in Stamford, Connecticut, agrees, and suggests
finding a new term for job-hopping.
"It's just the nature of the beast of employment: Expect people to leave after two to
three years, and be happy if they stick around longer," Gee says.
Brooks Savage, CEO of the Executive Staffing Group in Raleigh, North Carolina, sees it
differently.
"When you don't have someone stay in a post two to three years, how do you learn? To get
a degree out of college at least takes four years," he says, noting neither he nor his
clients are interested in resumes of job-hoppers (people who change positions every year
or so). He'll also ask candidates about any jobs where they spent less than five years.
Savage questions the commitment of individuals who don't stick around long, and says the
U.S. job market could change dramatically if commitment levels don't increase.
Job-Hopping Pros & Cons
Ultimately, it's important to plan carefully when evaluating a job change and not switch
too often, experts say, citing the following pros and cons:
Saundra@blackfrederick.com
reviewing resumes of applicants seeking temporary or temp-to-hire employment
opportunities. One of my immediate searches on a resume is for tenure. I am always
drawn to how much time a person has spent with their previous employers. I always assume
that most of my clients share the same opinion when it comes to job hopping…consistently
changing jobs shows a sign of instability and indecisiveness. Remember, this is just my
opinion. I have been doing some research to find the opinions of others and recently
found an article on Yahoo that sparked my interest. It shares various “opinions” on job
hopping.
The New Norm?
Some experts say frequent job changes don't mean death to your career -- they're just
part of work life.
"I don't think you can be judgmental [and say it's] good or bad -- it just is; it's a
fact of life in today's workplace. It's fruitless to impose a judgment on it," explains
Sally Haver, senior vice president of business development at the Ayers Group in New
York. "If people don't move with change, they get left in the dust."
Rich Gee, an executive career coach based in Stamford, Connecticut, agrees, and suggests
finding a new term for job-hopping.
"It's just the nature of the beast of employment: Expect people to leave after two to
three years, and be happy if they stick around longer," Gee says.
Brooks Savage, CEO of the Executive Staffing Group in Raleigh, North Carolina, sees it
differently.
"When you don't have someone stay in a post two to three years, how do you learn? To get
a degree out of college at least takes four years," he says, noting neither he nor his
clients are interested in resumes of job-hoppers (people who change positions every year
or so). He'll also ask candidates about any jobs where they spent less than five years.
Savage questions the commitment of individuals who don't stick around long, and says the
U.S. job market could change dramatically if commitment levels don't increase.
Job-Hopping Pros & Cons
Ultimately, it's important to plan carefully when evaluating a job change and not switch
too often, experts say, citing the following pros and cons:
- Pro: Pay increases. "The way you make a large jump in your pay scale is when you
leave a company and go to another one. It's proven time and time again," Gee says.
- Pro: Networking. Gee says different gigs expose you to new networks of people, which
can be a real asset.
- Pro: Learning new skills. New environments sometimes teach workers new skills and
how to function more quickly, says Kathy Jeffery, vice president of human resources
at WhittmanHart Consulting in Chicago.
- Con: Landing in a worse situation. "You might jump into a new job that's worse than
your old job," Gee explains.
- Con: Moving too soon. "If you're really leaving places rather quickly you may not be
extracting the full value from what that particular workplace has to offer you,"
notes Haver, of the Ayers Group.
Saundra@blackfrederick.com
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To Job Hop Or Not To Job Hop?
That Is The Question!
Contributed by Saundra Harvey,
BlackFrederick.com Career Place Editor
Published May 4, 2008
That Is The Question!
Contributed by Saundra Harvey,
BlackFrederick.com Career Place Editor
Published May 4, 2008
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