A Recruiter’s Tale of Job-Hopping

Job-hopping. It is all over LinkedIn as of late, along with quiet quitting and other notable employment trends. If you are considering whether it is time for a career move, consider whether job-hopping will benefit you in the long run. Chasing after professional development is great, but think how job-hopping could make you unattractive to recruiters and other hiring entities.

But first things first, what exactly does job-hopping mean? Job-hopping refers to holding multiple jobs in a relatively short time, typically less than two years. While job-hopping used to be a negative mark on resumes, it has become much more commonplace in today’s job market. But that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a good thing.

Job-hopping robs you of growth opportunities.

Job-hopping too soon in your career can often lead to a lack of growth opportunities. One of the biggest myths is that it is the only way to advance your career, but that isn’t necessarily true. Many often leave their jobs because they feel stagnant or fail to connect with organizational leadership. But true advancement isn’t always about climbing the corporate ladder.

Before you consider job-hopping, be sure to analyze whether a new job will lead you to leverage your skills and position for greater opportunities in the future. Every move should be a stepping stone.

Job-hopping undermines your credibility.

Too many job changes too often undermine your credibility as a leader. For example, if you are in a senior role, you have an impact on your direct reports. Leadership and management roles are often given to those with a longer tenure inside the organization, and these leaders have an impact on retaining their team.

Leadership that acts more like a revolving door disrupts the organization’s culture and performance. Creating cohesion between a team is one of the most essential characteristics of a high-performing team.

Job-hopping creates a never-ending cycle.

Professionals can easily get stuck within a cycle of lateral moves when job-hopping rather than advancing to management-level roles. Short tenures make it harder to sell yourself. As recruiters, we often recommend growing into a role rather than applying externally, and job-hopping often harms your chances of landing that senior position.

Job-hopping sends a bad message.

Low satisfaction in the workplace and the need for more stimulating and meaningful work often drive job-hopping trends. Like the digital world where many are bored with monotony and stagnation, candidates crave challenges and may want to move on to the next thing once they achieve mastery.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be engaged. However, for many employers, this sends the message that you get bored easily and will not achieve fulfillment regardless of the role.

Job-hopping says you’re a flight risk.

As a recruiter, we often look at the whole picture. Every situation and every candidate is different. A big part of our jobs is matching the right candidate to the right employer, so everyone is happy with the fit.

Seeing talent move jobs without reason or rhyme every year is a big red flag for recruiters and shows they will most likely be a flight risk for any future roles they may take.

An ideal resume shows meaningful tenure in each role. On average, experts agree you should stick with your current job for at least two years though we tend to think three to five years is better. How long you choose to keep a job is up to you, but if you want to be the best candidate you can be for your next opportunity, we recommend reevaluating before you choose to job-hop.

At The James Allen Companies, we want to support you as you make tough career decisions. Contact one of our recruiters today if you want to help develop the skills you need to make informed, careful decisions to help your career and happiness