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Are you hopping jobs too often?

job hopper-1In the past, it was a practice to continue to work in the same organization for all your life and retire from there. Today also, you are likely to find similar examples where people have worked for 25 years or more in the same company. In some family owned companies when the son takes over from the father, these people are still there carrying on the legacy. Similarly, in the public sector organizations, people do not have a choice but to continue working under the same banner. The only solace is that of a transfer to another plant of the company at a different location. The transfer may offer some change in the working environment.

job hopperIn a private organization, it is perfectly normal to switch jobs. People will not take much notice of your switches when you are fresh out of college and have just begun your career. But ten years down the line the companies where you appear for the interviews may brand you as a job hopper. That may generate obstacles in your career path. Here are a few points that can help you to prove that you are committed to your career growth, yet allowing you to move on to greener pastures. These points will also help you in having a positive impact on the hiring manager, who is likely to see your contributions to the company irrespective of the time you spent there.

Skills, Knowledge, Abilities

Smart learner: Every company that you work for will offer development opportunities to its employees. Those who are smart enough are quick to grab these. If no one offers you the learning experience you will have to seek it out from within the organization. You can also take up external classes to up your skills as the last resort. By this simple effort, you will be able to prove that your time in the company was well spent. Leading quality circles; making presentations to top management or gaining expertise in ERP operations are some of the skills that you can acquire as a smart learner.

job hopper-2Go-getter: For an illustrious career you need to pack it up with accomplishments. For a sharp HR guy, it is very easy to spot the difference between the candidates who switch the jobs out of boredom and those who do it to further their careers. The former ones would hardly have anything worthwhile on their resumes while the latter would have their hands full. When you are spending only a few years in a company, you have to be a guy in a hurry to achieve his goals. The display of productivity is evident from day one from the go-getters. They launch new initiatives in case they find an absence of challenges.

job hopper-4Not afraid to experiment: To err is human and career advancement happens when you learn from your mistakes. Before you make a switch you can go ahead and try out something where you are not very sure about the result. The people around you see that you are not afraid to experiment. The results may show that you still can continue for more time in the same company or uncover some truths which will help you with your future stints.

job hopper-5Moving on every few years is not a crime so long as you are undeterred by the challenges. You have to take the plunge and overcome the obstacles. Taking responsibility and inevitably growing from the experience is going to make the difference.

21 Comments

  1. Wow! This article has given me some insight about job hopping and how to go about it. Thanks.

  2. I thought job hoppers were always at a disadvantage but it appears that it is a smart play. Good learning.

  3. I thought job hopping was bad till i read this article. Now I can switch jobs with ease.

  4. I have been working in the same organization for 12 years. After reading this article I am considering a change. However I need to gather a lot of courage to do it.

  5. This is an amusing article.I learned many more useful things from this article.

  6. I have just changed my first job after 3 years. This article has given me the direction what to focus on for future job changes.

  7. I was afraid to experiment on certain areas where I was not confident. Based on the blog view I am going ahead with the exercise as I have already secured a job with another company. If I get success in what I am experimenting it will give a tremendous boost to my career within this company. It is worth a try.

  8. Job hopping can boost your career if you do it right.

  9. Job hopping is replacing the concept of climbing the corporate ladder.

  10. I am 35 years of age and have spent 11 years in the same company. After reading this blog I am contemplating a change. However after spending a decade in the same organization I still need a lot of confidence to switch.

  11. While working in the same company for 8 years I have acquired numerous skills by joining evening classes and giving exams on the net. After reading this article I find that I have been moving in the right direction. I have a family responsibility and I feel I can put my acquired skills and job experience to use to get a raise in the company or switch jobs for a higher remuneration.

  12. I have been switching jobs for the initial 9 years of my career, mostly out of boredom. After reading this blog I feel that I should slow down a bit and take up to consolidating the important aspects.

  13. Awesome! This article is very very motivating.

  14. I did switch jobs initially; 5 jobs in the first 4 years of my career. Then I have been in the same company for 14 years. It is difficult for me to think of a change now. However I will still look for an opportune moment to try it once again.

  15. I have changing jobs almost every year as I was losing interest in my work very soon. The same monotonous work is not to my liking. After reading this article I feel that nothing will change in the companies till I take the initiative and lead the transformation. That will also make my job interesting. Good article with some very good points.

  16. I have changed 10 jobs in the last eight years. I have gained a different kind of experience in each of the concerns that I worked for. This has given me adaptability skill to work in different environments. It has become my strong point now.

  17. The interviewer did not tell me that I was a job hopper, but put the question in a refined way. He asked, “Do you plan to have a long innings in this company?” The message was clear, I had to reduce my frequency of job change.

  18. The cartoon in the article is hilarious, but it conveys the point to the reader very clearly. You better know the answer to the question or you end up fumbling like this in front of the interviewer.

  19. Over the years, I have learnt that job hopping is an art. As the article also points out that job hopping, if done properly can be used to one’s advantage. The job hopping then becomes an important tool for career growth.

  20. Congrats to the writer for making job hopping sound so interesting. I hated people who switched jobs to move up the rung but i have changed my perception now. For all you know I might be switching my job soon!

  21. Suddenly, I have developed some respect for the job hoppers. Maybe it is the effect of this article. However, I am going to observe carefully whether they are just rolling stones or gathering some moss as well. I happen to be in the HR department of a leading corporate house.

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