People change jobs more often these days. So how much job hopping is appropriate before employers start to be concerned? A lot depends on your reasons for changing jobs. Here are some of the most common ones.
Job hopping can improve your prospects
When you move from one company to another there is likely to be a big financial incentive. The rise in pay combined with a promotion up the corporate ladder is the most common reason for employees to change jobs today. If that is all it takes to retain employees, why aren’t companies offering this option to their people? The truth of the matter is that it is just easier to get a better sounding job title and more money out of a new company than it is to convince your own company to give you a raise and a promotion. Sometimes you can earn more money doing the same job as in the old company, so it makes sense to switch over. This is why most job hoppers in middle management take the plunge.
Trying out different jobs allows you to find your match
If you are not a trained professional like a doctor or lawyer, it can take a while for you to find out what you enjoy working best at. If you have a dream job, your career path follows it around, but if you don’t have a dream job, you need to find one. The best way to figure out what you are best suited for professionally is to work in several different positions in different companies. This will mean that you will do some job hopping early on in your career and be able to determine where you take pleasure in working. Once you realize that a certain industry excites you more than others, you will be able to refine your work experience in it. Then you will need to change employers to find the ideal company in that particular industry that you wish to work in.
Loyalty to a company no longer a priority for employees
The average company today is not really interested in the welfare of its employees. They are just looking to make a good annual profit in a highly competitive market. If the bottom line is threatened, they have no problem letting people go in organized layoffs. This means that the job security factor is pretty low in the corporate world these days and the employees needs to watch their backs. If job hopping allows them to gain job security in a new company, chances are that they will grab the opportunity.
What do employers think about job hopping?
While job hopping can help you move ahead on your chosen career path, too much of it on your resume can also brand you as an unpredictable and untrustworthy employee and make it tougher for you to get your next job. But employers understand if you change jobs for positive and rational reasons. Be honest and be prepared to explain you career moves.