Could “Job hopping” advance your career?

As a result of the recession and as the job market changes “job hopping” has become more popular with an increased number of people moving jobs every couple of years.
Employees who have worked in a variety of different places tend to have more transferable skills than those who’ve remained with one company for a long period of time– making them far more employable. Employers are increasingly viewing those who make more frequent job moves as a benefit to their organisation. Here at Renovo, we have years of experience of offering employment advice to thousands of people looking to advance their careers. We’ve heard a lot about job-hopping over the past couple of years – and while some employers view it favourably, others are yet to warm to the idea.

The advantages of changing roles frequently

One of the key reasons that changing jobs is becoming more common is because it equips employees with a variety of skills, as well as experience of working in different company cultures and under varying management styles. Those who move jobs more frequently are able to flourish in a wide range of environments, and are able to bring the experience of working in these different ways to a new role. They’re likely to have been exposed to many different ideas that they can then apply to future jobs. They are seen as more adaptable and can show that they are clearly focussed on their career path if they are able to fully explain reasons for their job moves.

They could move up the salary scale quicker than if they stay within one role for a longer period of time, so, if salary is their main motivation, they could potentially benefit financially from moving jobs voluntarily more often.

Taking new opportunities can also give you access to a wide network of potential employers or business partners. It allows you to work out which roles you enjoy and excel at. Moving jobs regularly can show that you’re not afraid of change and are constantly motivated to progress.

The disadvantages of changing roles frequently

Depending on the industry you’re in and the type of company you’re looking to work for, many employers, agencies and HR managers still value employee loyalty. Hiring new staff is an expensive and time-consuming business – if your record shows that you’re likely to move on again in little over a year or even less, your potential employer is likely to be reluctant to invest their resources in training and hiring you. As a job seeker you will be better equipped if you can explain how you could offer your next employer the loyalty they may potentially be looking for. Prepare for the interview questions “What interests you about the role / company” and this will give you the opportunity to address the issue of previous job moves whilst talking through what you can contribute to the role and company.

Justifying your employment record

It is important to be mindful that there is a risk that if you move jobs too frequently that you may have your CV or application rejected when the HR manager first looks at it. If your job-hopping habits are relatively restrained, you’ll still probably be asked about them at the interview stage. As long as you can justify why you’ve made your career moves, employers are likely to give you a chance. If you’re able to explain to them that it’s helped you gain a broad range of skills and prepared you for many different situations it’s more likely that you’ll still be considered for the role.

If you’re a job seeker and you’re unsure about where you want your career to go next, Renovo’s career coaches can help. Your personal career coach will give you advice in addition to access to a whole host of quality online job seeking resources. Contact us now if you’d like to take advantage of our award-winning services.

Renovo is one of the UK’s leading providers of outplacement and career transition support. We work with both organisations and individuals to support all their career transition requirements. If you would like to understand how Renovo can help you please call 0800 612 2011 or email info@renovo.co.uk