Have you had multiple jobs over the past couple of years? Despite updating your résumé, do you have trouble landing the jobs you most desire? Are you a job hopper?
Job hoppers do damage to their futures by not sticking with jobs for sufficient periods of time. The good news is that these individuals may be able to turn things around and ultimately secure careers they love.
A person will typically fall under the label of job hopper when he or she stays with employers for less than two years at a time. Such activity is often seen as undesirable to quality employers and may wreak havoc on a job seeker’s chances of landing a great position.
The Problem with Job Hoppers
This is not to say job hoppers are flaky or have questionable character. It is more appropriate to assume that it simply takes some individuals several attempts to find jobs that work for them. The problem is that trying out jobs ultimately compromises the integrity of someone’s résumé and may send up red flags to future employers. Many employers seem to prefer hiring prospects who they deem dependable over prospects who have track records of seeming desirable to other employers. Some employers will consider job hopping to be a scarlet letter on a résumé.
How Job Hoppers Mitigate Repercussions
If job hopping has been an issue for you, you can mitigate the damages done to your résumé. Don Goodman from Careerealism says, “What you can do is divert the focus to your contributions and accomplishments on the job. Even if you were on the job for under a year, highlight significant contributions you made to show outstanding performance on the job.” Making such changes to your résumé may totally alter an employer’s opinion of you as a dependable prospective employee.
New Perspective Can Turn Job Hoppers into Dedicated, Settled Employees
Some individuals understand that their habit of job hopping is killing their chances of landing the career of their dreams. They want to stop the negative habit but feel powerless to change their course. For some of these people, a simple change of perspective can help them stop the bad habit of job hopping.
For example, certain job seekers may have idealistic views of life and believe they will finally be fulfilled once they attain perfect jobs. Exchanging this mindset for a more realistic one (accepting the fact that no job is perfect, and that it is wise to find the good in each job opportunity) can have a profound ability to empower someone to stop job hopping. Accepting the imperfections of jobs (and life) in general can actually expedite the process of landing a job that is ideal.
People job hop for understandable reasons. However, employers look for high quality employees that are dependable and can be counted upon and loyal. Invest in your future by developing the habit of staying with each of your jobs for at least a couple of years. Doing so can bring about the ultimate reward: Being offered a position you will want to stick with long-term.
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