Candidate Resource Center
Once upon a time, a reputation as a job hopper was the kiss of death for anyone seeking employment. If your job history revealed a succession of short-term stays with different employers, you would be branded as flighty, disloyal or lacking in judgment. Not to mention a poor planner. But the rise of independent retirement portfolios, corporate instability, lackluster raises and fast-changing job descriptions has altered the calculus for many workers eyeing a change in employment. And from the employer perspective, sometimes a job hopper is actually a smart hire -- one who brings: Especially in fast-changing fields like technology, the opportunity to hire someone who has been trained by another company can be an enticing proposition for a potential employer. Nevertheless, job hopping still has its downsides: Perhaps worst of all, a prospective employer might wonder: what will she do when the going gets tough here? The cost of recruiting, hiring and bringing a new employee up to speed is substantial, and nobody wants to hire someone he thinks will be out the door before adding at least as much value as she cost to bring on board. Still, job hopping is increasingly common, especially among younger employees. A recent survey of hiring managers found that 55 percent had hired someone they considered a job hopper; and nearly a third said they have come to expect employees to change jobs frequently, especially younger workers. While the average time American workers have been with their current employer is 4.6 years, the tenure of those aged 20-34 is half as long, at 2.3 years. These statistics alone suggest that shorter job terms, especially early in your career, will not hold you back the way they once did. And if that didn't convince you, this just might: a Forbes blogger says his math shows that those who stay more than two years in a job on average will earn 50 percent less over a lifetime than those who job hop. It stands to reason, when you think about it: while average raises in 2014 are projected to be a ho-hum three percent, changing jobs can often garner you an increase of 10 to 20 percent. So, how do you job hop the right way, wending your way towards jobs that are better suited to your talents and desires, and that also pay more money? Here are a few tips:Job Hopping the RIGHT Way is Good for Your Career