Job-hopping: 10 Possible risks and potential rewards

Wyatt Ong

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Job-hopping: 10 Possible risks and potential rewards
How to ease the professional move and avoid big conflicts with your former employers

MANILA, Philippines – Job-hopping, or moving from company to company often and staying a relatively short amount of time (ranging from a few months to 1-2 years), is a complex topic with many layers and sides.

For young professionals, it may provide the perfect opportunity to grow one’s career, but it could also have a negative impact if mishandled.

This was the topic at a recently held Twitter conversation hosted by Rappler. 

Before we even go into specifics, it’s important to note that one critical point made in the conversation was that job-hopping, and all of its risks and rewards, is best seen from multiple perspectives and whether it’s good or bad isn’t black-and-white. 

There are times when dropping a job is a solid decision, and times when it may pay to stay and tough it out. It depends on your industry, where you are in your professional life, and how compatible you are in your company. It depends on whether there’s a pending offer, how comfortable you are in your field, and even your location, among many other factors.

Let’s take a look at how to handle some potential pitfalls:

‘Cycles.’ One of the bigger things to consider, of course, is what you won’t be able to see through. At work, there are cycles, and repetition is one way to practice and apply what you’ve learned – you may miss out on the chance to do that. 


 

When I started here at Rappler, one of my milestones was our Oscars coverage. My first one back in 2014 was okay, but I wanted to do better. Now with a 3rd Oscars coverage, a lot of kinks have been ironed out and things are a lot smoother in general. And I have a good benchmark and uniform experiences to compare the latest performance against. 

But just because you didn’t stay long doesn’t mean you can’t make the most out of the time you had.


 

During the conversation, I tweeted about these cycles and how you can recreate and reapply them throughout the various mini-projects you have in a shorter span of time. 


 

 

Three-4 projects will be able to show others how you brainstorm and execute ideas, handle conflict, evaluate metrics, and coordinate with others. And you can use those experiences to guide you in your future work. 

Still, you may want to consider what else there is to learn where you currently are. It’s all up to you.


 

Consider in what other areas you’ll be starting over. Moving companies frequently doesn’t only mean you’ll have to get used to a different role or new projects. You’ll have to get used to a new work environment, will need to get to know new colleagues, and of course, the culture at the new place. This shouldn’t stop you from moving, but it’s just one more thing to prepare for as you move. 

What is ‘job hopping syndrome’?

Adler Group CEO and writer Lou Adler presented an interesting diagram on LinkedIn illustrating differences between reasons for leaving jobs versus reasons for taking jobs, comparing between an intrinsic and extrinsic context. 

“In the olden days it took more effort to change jobs and it wasn’t done superficially. Rather than trying to work through short-term job problems the default nowadays is to find a new job. These are the same people who then complain their jobs are unrewarding,” he wrote. 

“Yet this is the likely consequence when people apply to ill-defined jobs en masse and those hired are seduced by superficial promises, an employer brand, and a nice sounding position. I refer to this problem as Job Hopping Syndrome. It’s caused by overvaluing short-term needs without considering the long-term consequences.”

Does this sound like something you may be going through? Examining your own experience through Adler’s grid framework may prove to be helpful. 

This cropped up in the conversation – only you can really know your goals and whether the job is compatible with those goals. The tension between long- and short-term is always there – but with a changing playing field, context will be very important. 

Be ready to explain. Speaking from a manager’s perspective, I can say that I’ll have questions if I see that a candidate has moved from job to job in the space of a few months. If the credentials are what I’m looking for, I would probably set up an interview so I can try to understand the situation better. I’d weigh the answers with the objective of trying to guess whether this person would likely leave after a few months. 

If you’ve been job-hopping and are interviewing for a new position, you should fully expect to be asked why you left those jobs and why you’re really interested in this particular role you’re being considered for. 

Understand how it may look without context. You are of course looking out for yourself and your own career at all times. But when you contribute to a company, a sudden departure also means you could impact business results and leave a gap that’s hard to fill on short notice.


 

Coming across as if you thought this were irrelevant won’t do wonders for your professional relationship with your employer. 

This is why giving reasons like “I have to find myself” (a real reason one job-hopper once gave me) or “I’m not really sure what I want or don’t want” (another true story) can sound painfully tone deaf to a manager who suddenly has to replace you. 

You don’t have to fake being contrite or give a thousand excuses, but it would be great if you could make sure your biggest projects will be taken care of and immediate deliverables accounted for. 

One thing potential employers are looking out for is hires who would rather give up and move to a different job rather than persevere at a problem at work.

Just keep that in mind as you head into the interview and be prepared with anecdotes about your strongest moments at work and clear reasons why you left. 

Execution is key. If you have already decided to leave, the way you do so is very critical and will say a lot about you. In general, leaving in a rush isn’t good, for reasons mentioned above. Two weeks’ notice is standard; if you have a bigger role, you may want to consider leaving some cushion time in order to finish your last projects. 


 

Evolving industry. And of course, job-hopping also depends on your industry. This 2014 survey on US industries from Career Builder listed the Information Technology industry and the Leisure and Transportation industry as having more employers expecting job-hoppers. This does play a role in how your leaving will be received. 

During the conversation, many people also raised great points in favor of moving jobs if it just isn’t working for you. Let’s take a look at a few:

‘Future-proofing’ 

Rappler columnist Jonathan Yabut raised an interesting point about how job-hopping could help you learn as much as possible from a company:



 

He reiterates what he has often said – that if a company is no longer showing you that there is potential for growth, you shouldn’t feel guilty about leaving.

It just isn’t worth being miserable. 

And of course, it is important to keep the big picture in mind – the fullness of your life, your ultimate road to happiness, and what you are willing (and unwilling) to sacrifice as you run the rat race. 


 


 

Comfort zone 

Making the decision to switch can also be a great way to dig deep and understand when it is time to move out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to build new skills again. 


 

Growing your skills and contact network. 

There are lots of benefits to really staying with a company and learning its ins and outs. But moving can also widen your contact network and add new skills to your arsenal. 


 

In the end, the decision to switch is up to you, as in the rate at which you change jobs. Being self-aware of your personal reasons and being ready to answer questions about it will go a long way towards making this professional transition. On Twitter, Makrene Lara Sampang put it very well when she noted the significance of going back to your goals. (READ: 3 reasons why it’s okay to job-hop


 

As you gain experience in your career, you’ll also gain more insights to guide you along the way. 

Good luck! – Rappler.com

Wyatt is the Lifestyle and Entertainment editor of Rappler and is the creator of Rappler’s Career section. She previously worked in the magazine and fast-moving consumer goods industries.

 

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