APPRENTICE TIPS : Can job hopping boost your career?

Job hopping is a term that is popular among the working class. It describes an attitude of moving from one job to another.

At 29 years, Benon has worked in six companies and spent an average of one year in each. The Information Technology specialist says he only works in a company for an average of two years or less, because the ‘companies are not his grandfather’s’.

Apart from this flimsy reason, Benon says he usually leaves a job because they get boring and conditions become unfavourable. But beyond Benon, many people tend to job hop because of different reasons.

Yasiin Magombe, a consultant at Addie Consults notes that whereas there might be mixed reactions to the practice of job hopping, the key question is why it has become frequent.

People job hop, he says, in search for better pay, career growth, relieve work stress, performance challenges, or fringe benefits such as medical insurance, lunch and transport allowance.

However, Magombe says it is important to note that much as job hopping may be positive in regard to available needs, it’s wise that you think more about the image or brand that you are building.

Some reasons

According to David Omoding, the Platform for Labour Action advocacy and communication officer, most times, extraordinary workers job hop because they are head hunted and offered more than their current pay.

Others, he says, change jobs because of the desire for quick financial gains and will take on any opportunity that comes their way.

Other reasons include abuse and mistreatment - physical, sexual and verbal, non-payment and workload, not being appreciated, tired of doing the same job over time and poor remuneration.

Impact on employability

Omoding argues that most times employers want to hire people who have had some stability at work so that they don’t have to worry about going into another recruitment process after a short while.

Certainly, many companies are not open to people with a history of frequent changing of jobs and in most cases, they consider a minimum of two years at a job.

Unless it is internship, voluntary work or end of contract, changing jobs frequently (in a year or two) is inexcusable.

Also employers are hesitant to hire applicants who are very mobile in the labour market for fear of wasting money, time and skill development on such personas; thus they stand to lose out at times.

Incidentally, job hopping can lead to loss of trust and employers may consider you as an unfocused employee.

Even with genuine reasons for frequent movements, Omoding says it is only logical that potential employers will view it as lack of seriousness on the employee’s side.

Besides, chances are that the current employer will be reluctant to promote someone in a position that requires mature reasoning.

“It (job hopping) points to credibility issues as you lose trust from potential employers who might also view as overly ambitious,” he says.

But, on a personal level, it affects career growth or consistency as changing from one job to another might require you to start from scratch yet it could be important that you build experience in a certain place before moving on.

However, while eyebrows could be raised, changing jobs exposes one to new tasks, experiences and skills that might hinder their career growth.

Such versatility could be an important aspect that employees will look out for in a certain individual.