Is changing jobs good or bad? That is the question
Before going to a debate on whether ‘job hopping’ and working for various organisations in a short career span is good or bad, I have to admit that I am considered a ‘job hopper’ working for 5 different organisations during the last 16 years of my professional career, and yes, no regret about my career movements and active career path.
During my career in Human Resources (HR), and while handling one of the recruitment campaigns, I cannot forget the job interview I had conducted to a young potential candidate.
After interviewing him for almost 45 minutes, I came to a conclusion that he is a good ‘fit’ for the company; his skills, knowledge and competencies were up to the expectation, BUT I realised that he worked for 4 different organisations in less than 10 years.
I asked him curiously, why this move in a short time span?
In HR jargon, this is considered hopping’.
He looked at me in confidence and ‘job said “security, work challenge, career progression, job satisfaction are among my main catalysts for moving around.”
His answer made me ask myself, is job hopping good or bad? In other words, is it a smart move or a career constraint?
In order to answer the above question, I decided to call few of my HR colleagues and business experts, forming a panel, to discuss and debate on this issue: finding out when and why to job-hop? Is it good or bad?
After a hot discussion, the panel has concluded that there are mainly 4 factors that lead to job hopping, and make people move from one organisation to another. These 4 factors are as follows: DIFFERENT GENERATION AND THE ISSUE OF ‘LOYALTY’ According to the labour market, employees are mainly categorised as 3 different generations; Baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y.
Actually many of the Baby boomers have already exited the labour market as they are above 60 years old, and they were known for being stuck to mainly one organisation in their whole career life.
Generation X and Y, on the other hand, are between late 20’s and late 40’s of age, and they are known to have a short career span in an organisation, changing one job to another.
Therefore, the panel debated on the issue of ‘loyalty’ and how it is defined and measured. One group of the panel (the elder ones) supports a long term career in just one organisation, claiming that they are loyal to the organisation for such long term period.
However, the other group (younger ones) has questioned loyalty, claiming that it should be measured in terms of delivery and adding value to the organisation.
The second group argues that it is not the number of years in an organisation that shines your CV and impress employers or interviewers, it is your delivery, significant contribution and achievements, even for a short term period, that impress them.
SECURITY VS JOB SATISFACTION The panel has all agreed that money and security are very important during early entries, as junior employees, to the labour market.
Home, food, shelter are among the basic needs that are required to live and survive, and which are located in the lower levels of Maslow’s hierarchy/ pyramid of needs. Although the panel agrees on this, yet all have argued that preferences also change when people progress in their career, or located in the middle of the pyramid, i.e. once they are secured.
Some people, and I know a lot of them, have changed their jobs searching for job satisfaction, job enrichment, a better work environment, etc other than money. Therefore, job hopping may depend on other factors than money. DIVERSITY VS ONE TYPE OF JOB One of the colleagues in the panel has claimed that job hopping may be good, if it is for the purpose of having different assignments and job profiles, hence enhance skill diversity, and ‘polishing’ your CV.
Nevertheless, another colleague, in the contrary, argued that job hopping may indicate lack of competency and doubts to person’s stability in his organisation, otherwise why the frequent move?
He also claimed that becoming an ‘expert’ in a specific lifetime career is better than a ‘mediocre’ in different careers in various organisations. MARKET COMPETITION AND
THE SEARCH FOR TALENT It is known that labour market competition has opened many job opportunities and the search for talents have made it easier for people to move between organisations and jobs.
However, I have raised a comment to the panel mentioning that this may be ‘tricky’; On one hand, junior employees may be eager to enter the labour market for desired designations and higher remuneration packages, hence job hopping, but may lack the experience or knowledge that comes with the years that is required for career progression.
After debating on those four factors, the panel has concluded that job hopping is considered a smart move BUT the strategy lies on when and why to move, based on the above factors.
At the end, I would like to leave you with a quote and a motto I somehow tend to support, “Don’t stop to hop until you reach the top” (Unknown Artist). Or remember the song by Michael Jackson: “Can’t stop till get enough”!
It is not the number of years in an organisation that shines your CV and impress employers or interviewers, it is your delivery, significant contribution and achievements, even for a short term period, that impress them.