Job hopping and generational differences in opinions about careers has been an interesting topic of discussion lately, and I’ve taken it to my colleagues, too. The generational differences are obvious. My older colleague, who is about five years from retirement, has been in the same job for decades and wouldn’t even think of moving.
A younger colleague (older than me by just a couple of years) has already moved a few times in his career, and he only graduated a few years ago.
So I wanted to bring it to the blog.
My Job
I like my job and have been with the organization that I’m currently with for a year. I started with the same job title, but was paid way less and performed different duties. In April, I started making roughly double what I made last January, but with the same company, same job title and vastly different duties.
Because of a reorganization of our department, my twenty colleagues and myself (those of us with the same job title – large organization) were split into two different functions. We kept many of the same job duties but some were taken away to streamline our positions.
In any case, I’ve had the same job title and have been in the same department with the same company for 1 year. My resume will always reflect this because, well, I’m not going to lie on my resume.
I like my job. I don’t love it, because it’s considered somewhat “entry level”, and I spend most of my days editing spreadsheets, but I know I have to pay my dues before enjoying less.. er, clerical work and more serious work. But I can’t deny this; I have an awesome job for somebody my age. I am far ahead of my peers that I graduated with, in wage, benefits and job security. I know this. I know I am blessed. I’m lucky enough to have landed an awesome gig.
The Scenario
Those who know me in real life know that, if I see an opportunity that will serve me well, I take it. I don’t like sitting on things and if I want to do something I tend to do it. I always need a project, and, as my mom often says (like it’s a bad thing, and maybe it is) I’m always “on to the next thing” once I finish something.
Because of this, I hate the thought of doing the same thing in the same job and doing nothing else for years on end. I work for a large public organization which doesn’t offer a lot of room for advancement in the short-term. The position that might seem like an obvious stepping stone from my position requires, on the job description (to which they adhere closely) a minimum of 7 years of experience in a similar role.
This means that, in order to move up the proverbial ladder with this company, I would have to stay in my current role for 6 more years and do a lot of side work to bring it up to the “similar role” standard. Furthermore, they don’t typically hire for that particular role within the organization.
I recently saw an opportunity to advance my career and make tens of thousands of dollars more than I’m already making. It seemed like an interesting job, and it was a step above my current job in title, and would allow us so much more financial freedom. In addition to all of this, it’s with a company that a family member works for and really likes, and it’s a well known company that isn’t going anywhere. So I applied.
The job would require some pretty big lifestyle changes, including being away from home for a couple of weeks at a time, travel, and living out, so I talked with J before applying and we both decided that it would be a good idea for me to test the waters.
I got a quick, pre-screen phone interview which I told my mom about. She didn’t react much except to say, via email, that it seemed like a good opportunity. After the pre-screen interview, they called me back a couple of days later for a real, longer interview over the phone in a couple of weeks.
The Question
I told J that I got a real interview and he was excited for me. I told my mom and she .. wasn’t so much.
It all started with my stepdad saying, kind of randomly when I was questioning whether to put an ingredient in something we were making (but not in a mean-spirited way, though it sounds that way in script) “oh just do it. You do everything you want anyway”. He laughed. When I got to the bottom of the random question, I found out that he and my mom were completely and adamantly against me taking the job.
Now, I had to talk them down from the ledge a bit – I hadn’t even been offered the job, let alone been on the interview. My mom didn’t give me any concrete reason why she didn’t think I should do it except she didn’t think it would be good for my relationship with J because I would be away from home for periods of time.
My stepdad on the other hand told me that if he were a hiring manager and saw my resume with a bunch of short stints on it, he would not hire me. He thinks that it looks really bad, because he thinks that most companies are looking to hire people for the long term.
When I asked a few of my friends they though that having a job over a year on your resume, especially when it’s entry level, is just fine. My stepdad thought very, very differently.
My friends are mostly Gen Y, with a few Generation Xs mixed in. It’s been proven that Millenials are more likely to “job hop”, and stay at jobs for substantially less time than other generations. It’s shown that starting new jobs helps advance careers, but may be detrimental to those worker’s ability to find work in the future, due to the “old school” thinking of older higher managers.
So.. What?
I want to know what you think. I want to know which generation you are in – are you a Gen Y, Baby boomer, what? & I want to know what your thoughts are on leaving an entry level job after a year to advance your career.
If you received a resume from somebody who applied for a job, would you toss it in the recycling after seeing that they worked at their first job after college for only a year prior to moving on to another company, or would you be okay with that?
What are the pros and cons, in your point of view, of job hopping?
X.
To expect a 20-something to have more than a few years of experience at any one position is a pipe-dream. They aren’t old enough to have done it.
I think the “loyalty” thing is somewhat outdated. Unless your resume is full of 2-8 week positions (unless you’re working as a temp) then any manager would be foolish to overlook it.
The get a job seconds after you finish school and stay at it until you retire (then drop dead 3-6 weeks later) is a VERY dated belief and no longer a reality in our current environment.
Often startups get bought up after only a few months just for the patented idea or process and all the staff get terminated.
It’s all something that should be sorted out during the interview process anyway.
That’s my $0.02… but I’ve never been part of the corporate world. The closest I’ve ever been was working for an insane mom n’ pop operation.
Its a very interesting topic. I think you know how CF and I think, but if not, I would definitely jump to a better job from an entry level one. Yes, you’ll need to spend more time at higher level positions, But no one expects you to stay at entry level if you can move up quicker. In talking with other Gen Y’s, one year seems to be the minimum length of time to be taken seriously.
When my brother was interviewing for his current job, my dad made a casual comment that it “might be his last interview ever”. So, I understand where the generational gap exists. To her credit, my mom immediately chimed in and said that “people don’t do that anymore”…
I am no longer at an entry level position, but I would still go for a job that was higher in an instant.
I just turned 30, so a little older, but not so much. There is a balance, and it depends on your industry too. The first job after college, I would be fine if it was 1-2 years. The quickest way to advance early in your career is to go to a company that will let you advance. Job hopping is very normal. However, a resume filled with 1-2 year jobs over a 10-15 year history would raise some red flags. I don’t think that is the case in some industries.
Personaly, I stayed with my first job 1.5 years. I left mostly for personal reasons (moving to CA!), then have been at this company about 5 years. In those 5 years, I’ve done a lot of different things and feel like there is tons of room to grow. I see no real reason to leave, since there is growth in my current job.
When I first graduated and was about to take my very first “real” job, a teacher told me about her “3 year” guideline. She said she wouldn’t hire anyone who left a FT job within 3 years of first starting (with few exceptions), and that I better be sure I could work the job for at least that long, or it would be a permanent red flag on my resume. While I can see her point, this is also the same woman that told me all women must wear high heels and business suits all the time on the job. (Flat shoes were also a “red flag”.)
Although, I guess her advice seeped in, as I’ve been in my job for 3.5 years, and I’m ready for something new. (I came across this article which defends the 3 year mark as well: http://money.howstuffworks.com/second-career-ideas/10-reasons-to-change-jobs.htm)
I think if you have the skills/education/experience relevant that a hiring manager would be able to look past a little job hopping and at least bring you in for an interview; then they could better asses why the job hopping occurred rather then just assume you were a slacker.
I’m 25, so Gen Y. I’ve moved jobs but that’s because my husband’s school caused us to move locations. Honestly, I’m like you. There’s no way I could do my same job for 6 years just to move up. That would be pretty hard. Sometimes, the security is nice, but you’ve already shown how well you can support yourself even with just your side income. The traveling is tough, but it’s better to do it while you’re young. Eventually you can probably move up to a non-traveling job. As someone who did a long distance relationship, and for a few months long distance like in two different countries, I can say that it actually makes the relationship stronger and you miss each other a lot more and cherish the time you do have together.
We’re Millenials. I think that if you have an opportunity, you need to take it! When I finished my 2nd degree, I only stayed at my first job for only 6 months before jumping to a better opportunity.
I am on my third job almost 4 years out of college. I had very obvious reasons for changing jobs each time and can explain it well. That said there are some people that wont even give you a chance to explain but I probably wouldn’t want to work for them anyway. If you have a strong resume I don’t think it should matter.
Jumping in the beginning makes sense to me but there will be a time where you so need to settle down for a few years. You can’t expect to change jobs once a year for life and keep moving up!
I think younger employees should try and stay at their first job for at least 2 years, and they should try not to job hop. It never looks good and you will most likely be ruining any chance of a good relationship with the first company.
The more I work at my job, the more I’m unsure I’m going to stay here for an extended period of time. I’m probably looking at 3 to 4 years. I think my plan is to get promoted to Sourcing Manager, once I’m at the level I can move elsewhere to another manager position more easily.
Or corporations are no longer loyal to you.
I think in the long term, job hopping does hurt you. (Gen X, BTW.) It takes time to get a new employee up to speed, and why would an employer take that chance on someone who won’t stick around.
However, having said that, one job that you’ve stayed at for a year is not a huge problem. If it becomes a trend of 3 jobs that you’ve stayed at for a year or less, it’s a bigger issue.
You might want to check out askamanager.org for a hiring manager’s view.
As a late Gen-X or early Gen-Y, I think there is benefit on having time in a single position. But I think the dividing line is right around a year. If you’re looking to move up and have had 6 jobs in 3 years, then as a hiring manager I would question hiring you, yes (and as a hiring manager I have rated folks lower because of too many short term positions.) I’m not saying that anyone should expect you to have 4-5 years at a single company or position for the first 5 years after school. But I think your point above is fair, job-hopping makes for a better career, but it does hurt future hiring prospects if it occurs too often.
Does the job title/responsibilities/description of the new position show that it is a clear and marked step up from your current role?
Many of our friends have moved every 1.5 years or so. Some have been unlucky to be in industries which really have taken a hit and their resumes are much choppier.
Moving so quickly, I would want to make sure that the fit of a potential new position would be good, in order to ensure that you can stick around for over a year at the new job.
Regarding time away, it all depends on the expectations. If the position is as an auditor for a public accounting firm, the time on the road will likely suck badly. Likewise, camp based jobs can also suck. Personally, I enjoy having time away from my spouse, but the converse is not true.
I’m Gen Y, fwiw.
I think the game has changed–when I graduated college, I spent 4.5 years at my first job then another 2.5 at the next. Now, I’m in a job for less than a year and considering another move.
I’m with you on taking the opportunities as they’re presented–doing so has afforded me some pretty incredible life experiences and I personally could never put a price on those!!
I think I read somewhere that the average person will work at 7 different jobs during their career. I don;t think job hopping is a bad thing as long as it doesn’t go overboard. Sometimes you need to make a lateral move in order to move up.
You don’t mention if the colleague who has worked at your company for 30 years, began working there right out of college, or had several other jobs first.
I think it is advantageous for you (and does not put you at a disadvantage in the hiring process) to try out different things within the first ~5 years after graduating college. You need to figure out what you like! Do you prefer small or large companies? Do you want technical or managerial positions? Do you want to try a different position in your field?
Finding the perfect job for you is a lot like dating. Some people do find their “soul mate” right away and some need to try out different options first.
In my 7 years as a therapist, I worked for 4 different agencies. It definitely wasn’t intentional (like my first job, where I walked out because my boss literally threw things at us and screamed and cursed) but that’s the way it happened. After going through the first three jobs at a year each, I found one that was a better fit and was there for 3 years until I became self-employed.
I don’t know ANYONE in the mental health field who stays at a job longer than a few years, and most just try to make it to the one-year mark before running for their lives. I think some career fields are different, but mine was very dysfunctional and the pay sucked with no raises or bonuses or anything. I made the same when I left mental health in 2011 that I did when I started in 2005.
The atmosphere has changed. Companies don’t value their employees, and employees don’t get the same incentives to stay that they did when our parents and grandparents were starting out. When I was a supervisor, I didn’t think twice about a resume that showed several one-year jobs – I couldn’t expect someone to do what I wasn’t willing to do myself.
I’m 32 years old so I guess I’m a Gen Xer, or I always like to tell people I sit on the cusp…lol
When I first graduated I took a few short term stints or didn’t feel like it was critical to stay in my job, I had three jobs one job was an 11 month contract, the other I stayed in for 2 years and the other 10 months. This was easy for me to do because I was single, had minimal expenses and lived at home. I think I used those opportunities to build my skill set and expertise, but eventually got to the point (I think around 28) when I knew I wanted to work with a company where I could stay for 5-10 years with a variety of positions. I think it really depends on the person and their life. I think if you can speak to the constant changing and show how you’ve built from that and also keep in mind that there is the potential that the person interviewing you might not be a GEN Y’er who may not be so keen on the constant change
The only real risk is if you don’t get over probation period or quit that job for any reason, you will have two short periods of employment. If you keep jumping from job to job with no break I don’t see it badly.
I’m 32 so whatever that puts me at?
First job out of college? A little over a year is fine to look for something else. If you had 6 jobs in the in the first year, that’s something else to look at. The flip side of that is that as a friend in HR recently said, “If they’ve been at the same job for 2 or more years without more responsibility or a change in title, I start to wonder why.”
Good luck!
I’m a GenX/Millennial cusper, and I think it depends a lot upon the industry and other stuff. In general, I think when you’re young job hopping is fine so long as you stay for at least a year or so most places. But from a personal perspective, it’s nice to see my 401K balance at 80% vested (which took 4 years), too…
I don’t know which generation I am–I never got that whole XYZ thing (I’m an early to mid 1980’s baby).
Anyway, I graduated college in 2006, and have had 5 jobs since then. Each position I took was better than the last, and always paid more. There were two jobs that I left because of downsizing, and I said so in my interview (ie, I was laid off and so was 30% of the company). I have never had an issue with the job hopping, and the people who interviewed me were older. If they like you, it doesn’t matter.And obviously, you want to MOVE up.
I strongly disagree with your stepfather. And frankly, I don’t understand what the big deal is–you don’t even HAVE the job yet! What’s the harm in applying? Any chance where you can advance your career is a step in the right direction, imho.
You are doing the right thing by testing the waters. And within a year you handled different job duties even with the same title. Don’t worry about. You are not job hopper. There’s nothing wrong with taking an opportunity when the door opens.
At this point, you have nothing to decide over. When and if you get an offer is the time to consider it. Many of the issues are excusable early in your career. If you get the offer, you will need to stay for a number (5 years) of years to show more stability.
I’m Gen X (I think) and I say go for it! A year at a first job, especially if you stay at the next job for a few years, is no big deal. And don’t let the travel throw you off – I travel all the time, and the nice thing is my husband I never get tired of each of other and miss each other while we’re gone, and it makes us appreciate the time we have together more. AND bonus, we have great vacations thanks to skymiles, etc.!
There’s a lot of factors at play. In my industry, it’s common to change up frequently, and also, layoffs and restructuring is pretty common.
My first FT industry job I technically was only there 18 months, but if you count all the time I worked there part-time while studying before taking up a full-time role, it’s closer to five years.
Depends on the industry and your personality. If you like your career to be an adventure and are willing to work hard to climb up the corporate ladder then going into a private sector company will give you the opportunity to compete with others fairly. But if you’re the laid back kind of person and don’t want to take risks, stay at your current job. If I were you, I’d take the new position. It sounds like a more interesting place to work. You get to travel and such :0)
I think that there is something to be said for both cases, however job hopping is really common practice these days. The way that I see it, there are very few companies with any loyalty to their workers any more. Why should the employee have loyalty to the company?
Very interesting topic. This is one that my family and I were discussing over the Holidays ourselves. I am a Gen X’er and I would not have a problem with this. At the end of the day, you have to look out for yourself because no one else will 100% of the time. The only real risk I think is moving every year or so as that’s might not look good on the resume. However, if you do have the chance at something like this I would do it.
It’s a fine line. Staying in the same role for years on end looks just as bad. Like you’re stagnating, settling and not developing professionally. Moving at crucial points in your career is essential. It seems like you have good reason to leave (more challenging role and responsibilities)which your current employer can’t offer you for some time, if at all.
In a tough economic climate loyalty isn’t worth much at all. You’ll never get it from an employer.
This is an interesting post as the answers can vary a lot depending on who you ask. I’m a recent grad, and have been at my job (which I got right out of school) for almost 20 months. I would consider a period of two years to be the minimum amount of time I’d want to spend here before moving on, with 3-5 years being ideal. I think you could get away with only spending a year at your job, as long as you don’t make a habit of it with your next few jobs.
You’re right and all sorts of research bears you out. There is a generational difference and new generations do more job hopping. It’s been a steady increase with each generation since they started looking.
One thing that’s increased job hopping is the way that pensions no longer vest. 401K are portable in a way that traditional pensions are not.
Loyaly is a thing of the past I believe. As someone who’s been with my employer for 6 years, I made a promise to myself that 2013 will be the year of change, and I’ll move employers.
In six years I’ve grown financially, but my skills are not utilized to their max potential. It’s also hard at times to work for someone who’s a micro-manager.
At the end of the day and as selfish as it sounds, the only person in the employment world you owe loyalty is to yourself.
I’m Gen X and have been a hiring manager. If you can show on your resume that this was a good but entry-level position, that the next job is a logical move, AND you stay in the next job for more like 2-3 years, you shouldn’t have any problems at all. I see no compelling reason to stay in your current job, and now (while you are young and relatively unencumbered) is the time for a job that will require a lot of road time.
I do not think it matters at all. Especially for a younger person. However if someone is never able to hold a job for more than a year or two sometimes moving backward in the job ladder and has extensive holes in their resume that can not be explained by meaningful project this rings *problems*.
I will however be carefull to never ever (unless your safety is at risk) leave a job until you are 110% sure that you have a new one with a set starting date. An interview is nothing but an interview and they might already have someone canned for the position and you are just there as a filler. Also some jobs (specially in academia) might have starting dates that are many months after you have indeed been offered the position…
I’m in my late twenties…so gen xy. Especially since 2008, job security is a major factor for older employees…youngers ones like us as well, but in a different way. My gen xys I know understand the volatility of the job market and seem more flexible into leaping into somethng new. Since graduating with an MA in 2009, I have had four employers: a research firm, a museum, a level of government and an adult education organization. They all seem different, but I always worked similar positions within the field of education and program evaluation. I believe our age group is more comfortable with job hoping because employers CANNOT BE loyal. All “sense of entitlement” aside, I work in a field of temporary contracts, so I NEED to be flexible and able to switch employers. The employers that I work for know this…they are the ones who are only offering temporary postions. They cannot offer permanent because the economy is so volatile. So, when an employer states, after giving a raving workplace evaluation, that there isn’t enough money in the budget for my position (or our positions), they also give me enough notice, excellence references, contacts and any support that they can to help me.
After moving 800kms earlier in the year, I received excellent advice from a career counselor. If you job hop (out of interest or necessity) be honest on your resume and demonstrate how you can adapt to different situations. Two no-brainers, but important to note. There won’t be a red flag if you worked a “Temporary contract”.
At the end of the day, do what you feel is right for you and your family. There are always jobs out there, you just need to look for them and adapt.
In my field, short term positions are not a problem. Most people in my organization have gone to grad school of some sort, and so I think they expect to see some short term jobs before and during grad school.
Moreover, I work as a programmer within the organization, and (I think this is common across all types of programming), you have to submit a sample of your work during the interview process. Your resume matters, but only secondarily to what you can actually do. It’s very meritocratic in that way — if you have the technical skills, no one cares if you got them as a grad student at an ivy league school, or if you taught yourself how to code in your Mom’s basement at 16. This is one reason I really respect my field, and I hope to see more fields go in this direction. Seeing someone’s abilities makes it easier to figure out what they will be able to contribute day to day as compared to reading a resume that lists off their accomplishments.
I say jump if you can. I agree with your step-dad, but only if this were your fifth job in five years.
I’m 30, and did a service year before spending little less than a year at my first job out of college (I went to graduate school from that job). After I finished grad school I took a job with a large non-profit. I’m still there now, but have been promoted and moved sites. In a few days it will be my 3 year mark. If I hadn’t been promoted I definitely would have left by now. The stress of working in mental health professions makes most people leave after a year or two at most. Before I transferred within the company I was one of the most senior staff (after 2 years!).
If you can make more money and it’s a job that will make you happy, I say go for it!
I completely understand where you are at. Things are different now than when our parents were starting out in the job market. Back in the day you could work for a company for 20-30 years, but those days are long gone. “Job security” in that sense doesn’t really exist anymore. I graduated college about 3 years ago and am going through a similar situation. At the end of the day you have to do what is best for your situation even if that means not being in agreement with your parents. Best of luck!
It depends on the role that I would be hiring for and level of experience, skills and competencies I’m looking for. If I’m hiring someone fresh out of school my expectations may be different than what I’m looking for in an applicant with many years experience. I would also be intrigued to learn about the job progressions that a potential candidate has on their resume.What projects did you work on successfully, skills you learned etc. Tell me what I want to know without having to ask it. What you have to say may mean more than what you put on a resume. Ideally the goal would be to hire and retain the best employee that fits the vision and culture of the organization. I would want to know what they can bring to the company and why we should hire them. In the minds of a hiring manager or HR Specialist they may think about the cost of training and development and it’s worth to the company if the potential employee was to up and leave.Why is this candidate a top candidate? There’s much more cost for the company than some think when it comes to job recruitment, planning,compensation and training and development. If someone leaves the entire process has to happen again, costing the company money.It really depends on the goals and mission of the company and what they are looking for. It also depends on what you want from the company. The cost to a potential employee could be just as great ie moving city,family, children, leaving a well paying job with seniority and a good pension. If there is no room to move up would you take the job? Do you get bored easy? Ask about training, education and be honest. How long do you want to stay? What makes the recruiter or hiring manager want to come to work everyday with that employer? It’s fair to be honest to yourself and the employer.Most often there is a high volume of qualified applicants one will be up against. Ask the right questions to get the answers you want to know. This is something heard often, a candidate not asking questions or the right questions then being miserable when it’s not what they expected. You win some, you lose some I guess for both sides. No one is in charge of your decisions but you. As for your parents, well they say don’t follow in the path of others, make your own path. Great Topic.
I’m a Millennial working in Human Resources. Most people expect some job hopping with a little bit of stability. You want to see maybe 2-3 years in a position before moving on, mainly because how did a person truly learn and grow and gain new skills if they haven’t been someplace too long.
For myself, I’ve been out of school about 5.5 years. When I graduated, my internship developed into a full-time gig and I was there just over a year when my husband (yes, I married super young) had an opportunity to relocate us closer to my family. When I moved, I took the first gig I got. I realized quickly it wasn’t for me and was there only 3 months, but I had a lot of effective change while there and it’s easy to explain it wasn’t for me (and not an element of HR I ever want to go back into). Then I was at my last employer for five years. I received two promotions while there. I hit a wall in my last position, and was starting to get inquiries from the community.
I got a great chance to move to an organization where people still stay forever and have been there for a few months now. And it’s because they still offer the benefits that make people want to stay forever. Not the pension that’s guaranteed (although they only froze that a few years ago), but an OUTSTANDING retirements package, low cost health care, a really great salary, and a lot of loyalty to their employees. They’re more likely to hire an internal under qualified candidate that take from the outside (I’m a rare exception), and that’s what helps breed that loyalty.
Because of the way the job market is in addition to companies not having the loyalty to their employees they way they used to, it makes sense to be there about 2-3 years. If there’s not a promotion within there someplace or you’re not gaining new skills or knowledge, it’s generally time to start looking.
I am a baby boomer and work at a technology company. When hiring we would not consider a candidate who had several jobs with tenures of less than two years.
It takes a great deal of time and effort to train someone and we need to get at least a couple of years to make it worth it.
Having said that I’ve been at the company 18 years but that’s only because I love it; not out of a sense of duty.
I’m 47, been with the same company for 30 years; yes I started before I got out of school. If someone offered me more money and better benefits, I’d be gone tomorrow. I like my job, I like the company I work for, and my drive to work is less then 15 minutes, and I make good money. My wife is the same age as me, she’s worked 9 different place in the last 12 years, only because she is great at what she does, she has Headhunter’s calling her every week about jobs. Company’s want people that are good at what they do, they really don’t care how long you were at your last job. So don’t worry about mom & dad, your next job might be the one you stay at for 30 years.
First, I am a baby-boomer; second, I am a job hopper. Until my current job I had never been at a full-time, permanent job over two years. Most of my working life (just shy of 40 years) I have worked for temp agencies. I now work in an industry that a lot of people really want to work in even though they are not even close to being qualified (depending on the job). I know because I deal with them every day. There is a lot of moving around within this industry (A LOT). Most of the top people have held their positions one or two years and then moved on. My point – to a great extent it is generational, but also depends on the industry, the person, and other factors. Now a days you cannot make always make generalizations.
I’m think on the border between Gen X and Gen Y. In regards to professional jobs, I have had 3 already (including my current one) and I have been out of university for almost 6 years. My first job was more just to get my foot into the door, it wasn’t really the job I wanted, so I stayed there less than a year. I have the tendency to get bored easily and am constantly looking for challenges. I would say the upside in job hopping, is that you get to try out different things, find out what you like, what you don’t like. What’s the point in staying in a job that’s going nowhere? Cause you’ve been there five years?
Sometimes you have to job hop in order to find the right fit. You just have to be willing to adapt to change. Although some people are afraid of change….
Wow, this is such a heady question! First of all, I came from a field (TV news) where you were EXPECTED to job hop – moving not just from station to station but from city to city – your entire career. I had coworkers who had lived in 7 cities in 10 years. I didn’t want that. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I wanted more stability. Then again, I also had kids in my late 20s, so I was at a different point in my life. If I were younger and not married or not a mother, I may have felt very, very differently.
Great post Daisy. I just changed jobs, actually I changed careers and industries and I haven’t looked back. I took a leap of faith and it was the best decision that I ever made.
Great post; really enjoyed reading it, and it’s a topic that I’ve thought a lot about, with experience on both sides of the hiring desk. I, too, was once a doe-eyed 21 year old ready to stake my claim in the grown-up world, only to discover that advancement at my large corporate conglomorate meant putting in 5, 10, maybe even 20 years, at which point I’d be…well, old. When you’re 20, success at the age of 45 doesn’t sound all that alluring. By that time, you’ll probably have a few kids, and only a wisp of free time to actually ENJOY your success and wealth. There is, of course, a subset of people who live for that cocktail party cachet. Their definition of “making it” is a dollar figure in their bank account. If you’re at all interested, the preceding is actually one of the ideas that led me to co-create Jobstr, a job-related “ask me anything” site. What’s funny is that even though my co-founder and I had jobs that looked good “on paper”, we were surprised to find that happiness, but more importantly FULFILLMENT was largely UNrelated to job prestige. Check out this ice sculptor Q&A for example (one of my favorites): http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4365-ice-sculptor
Not a job that screams prestige, but any person who truly takes pride in doing what he does well is a rare find imo.
I think if you stay at your job for a little more than a year, 13 months and longer it won’t look that bad on your resume. But get it done when you’re young.