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Serial job hopping: good or bad?

Femmeonomics | July 5, 2011

Do you have commitment issues? Do you find yourself looking at job boards or returning to email threads from recruiters less than a year into a new role? You may be a job hopper, my friend. And you’re not alone. As a regular LinkedIn user, I find many acquaintances proudly announce their new roles after only being in their current one a year or less.

Why is a year a magical date for job hopping? According to career coach Obi Okere, it usually takes that long for a professional to come to the conclusion that the job is ill suited and find it intolerable enough to quit.

“It doesn’t look good for a serial job changer to switch jobs frequently because it tells the story to a future employer that the person is not sure about what they want,” Okere explains. “The employer would then wonder where that job seeker’s commitment lies.”

Take away: Be prepared to meet this charge about “commitment”head on in any potential job interview.

The other challenge facing serial job hoppers, according to Okere, comes down to building experience.

“The big challenge with changing jobs frequently is that it doesn’t allow the professional to truly build their experience in any one thing or understand the main problems of jobs and have the experience of solving it,” explains Okere.

Take away: Be prepared to explain the lessons you learned on the job and how you can apply that experience in a future role.

Although, long-thought to be a negative trait, the concept of loyalty to a firm or company is on the wane and there are benefits to job-hopping. Here are some positive reasons for professionals to give in to their wandering eyes:

1. Job satisfaction. If you’re not content with your role, that frustration will not only impact your success and productivity but your overall quality of life. I don’t think anyone can argue against wanting a meaningful role.

2. Rising more quickly. For those adept at spin, it’s not difficult to explain away your job-hopping tendencies in an interview by insisting that you’re in demand and are often poached.

3. Professional growth. If you see those around you with stagnating careers and worry about your professional growth, jump ship. But before you go, here’s one last bit of advice: build your network.

“I would tell mid-career women to first build their network of other professionals who have the type of job they want to have,” suggests Okere. ”They can also join career related industry associations to find out about job opportunities that aren’t publicly advertised.”