Are You a Job Hopper?

Posted on : 17-05-2010 | By : Joshua Parker | In : Credit Cards Articles

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Loyalty used to be an admired character trait in American business. Companies held onto employees and, in turn, many employees believed that they could influence the direction of the company. Financial incentives, such as pensions, encouraged people to stay with a company for thirty to forty years. More and more, however, the regard for loyalty has begun to diminish.

Company mergers, takeovers, and downsizing are now common occurrences. Add outsourcing and the new global economy and you have a perfect recipe for anxiety in the workplace. Thanks to the recession, employers know there are many unemployed workers who are so hungry for a job they’ll accept less money. This raises tension and creates disloyalty in the workplace; during periods of large layoffs it only gets reinforced. The Ipsos Loyalty Study, the largest study of loyalty ever conducted, revealed that only 30 percent of employees felt loyal to their employers, and only 25 percent felt that their employers earned their loyalty. Further, in July 2009 a survey in Newsweek magazine indicated that 54 percent of employed Americans said they will look for a new job once the recession ends. Among 18 to 29 years olds, 71 percent said they wanted to change jobs once the economy recovers.

Although changing jobs does not carry the stigma it once did, “job hopping” can present some problems or concerns. First, by leaving a job too soon, you might not be getting the necessary experience that job would have provided. Frequent job hoppers may end up with a “shallow” resume; lacking depth and breadth of experience. Too many job changes put you on the defensive during an interview and will leave some prospective employers thinking that you are always on a search for a better position.

Second, remember that job interviewers typically require references. Leaving a position early can burn bridges. Though you may not be around to see them, be mindful that your departure has consequences for your old employer. Some of these consequences require that your old employer spend both time and money (i.e. recruiting costs, training time/costs and possibly a temporary drop in productivity) that they otherwise would not have had to spend if you had stayed.

Although employers today may be less likely to use job hopping against you, job changes are not to be approached casually. The grass may not be greener somewhere else. Before leaving a position try to master and understand the skills required. If possible, leave at a time when it is convenient for you and your employer. You can help your employer by lengthening your termination notice, giving them ample time to find and train a replacement. Keep lines of communication open even after leaving the job. Consider offering to take calls or emails to help transition your replacement. Remember that the former employer you’re assisting may be a future job reference. Finally, never mentally check out of a job once you have made your decision to leave; be as productive as possible until your departure. To a large extent, the way you behave in your final days is how you will be remembered.

Evan Ruccolo will be an 11th grader this fall at Saint John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA. He is the proprietor of the Boston Area Golf Group.