Are Millennials Job-Hopping Too Much?

Employers seek individuals who strive for longevity within their careers, but the mindset of millennials is that job-hopping to find something bigger and better has changed the landscape of the job market. Millennial career goals are often focused on how to get promoted faster, but this practice could be stumping the generation's efforts to succeed.

Millennials are prime candidates for many jobs because they often possess can-do attitudes and seek out ways to advance their skills and experience. Consider the negative perceptions of job-hopping to find the next best thing, though. Your resume, chalk-full of multiple positions, does not always communicate that you are loyal or willing to invest time with a particular firm. Employers often view job-hoppers as a risk when considering job candidates, but on the other hand, a job-hopper also may be perceived as someone with extreme talent.

Millennial career goals are often in good faith. Job-hopping may be a sign that you are seeking out opportunities that help to improve your skills, knowledge of software and hardware, and the ability to work with team members with a progressive mindset. Millennials often strive to work hard, play hard and retire early after a successful run by climbing the ranks swiftly.

Millennials tend to seek out collaborative office environments that offer perks, such as employee outings and team-building workshops to improve productivity and help employees gain an understanding of each other. The company culture is important to millennials, as they see the value in collaboration and camaraderie in the office.

You might be seeking out job opportunities that not only make a difference in your professional goals, but also in your personal goals as well. Job-hopping may be a result of searching for a company that promotes contributions to the community and society as a whole. Businesses that involve employees in community volunteer opportunities are often desirable to millennials. In addition to seeking a career, you may be looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by working for a company that values charity.

Job-hopping to find the next best opportunity to utilize your skills, experience and community-minded efforts could be hurting your chances at getting the next best thing. Consider how employers view candidates who are quick to jump ship when they are not promoted quickly or offered perks. It may be worth it to stick with a position for a few years to show that you are a loyal employee.

The bottom line when it comes to your career search is that you have to seek out ways to impact the industry and society. Job-hopping may be viewed as detrimental to your career opportunities, but if you can show your talent and accomplishments in a manner that makes you an irresistible employee, it may work in your favor.

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Nancy Anderson • Sep 24, 2015

Thanks for the comments. @Eileen it is truly unfortunate that the company you worked for would do such unscrupulous practices. You are better are away from them. If asked in an interview why you left the company, simply state that it was not a good fit for you. Be careful not to let the interviewer probe too much as you don't want to end up badmouthing a supervisor or a company. Always keep true to yourself and never do tasks that are illegal, unethical or immoral even if it means that you will be fired. @Derek and @Laurie most employers today realize that people take part-time positions as well as short-term ones - just to keep afloat and take care of themselves and their families. You shouldn't have to explain that all too much. Yes you should include the positions on your resume - if they are applicable. One thing I have seen is that job seekers will list down every task they completed for each position... that can get quite lengthy. If you perform the same tasks on each position, only list the task once for one position - not for all of them. You don't want to be duplicating tasks. For instance if you had two recent positions in retail where you were responsible for greeting customers; assisting them in the dressing room and checking them out, you might be able to combine the two positions and then list the tasks: Salesclerk, ABC Company, Jan 2015-Mar 2015: Salesclerk, XYZ Company, Apr 2015-Sep 2015. Be creative when it comes to your resume. @Joann make sure that you are reading the job posting in its entirety and are sending a resume that fits it. Most companies today use ATS software to screen your resume and cover letter. They determine the applicable keywords based upon the job description and they will be looking for those keywords on your resume. So make sure that you take note and include keywords in your resume so that you will match. That's the first step in getting by the ATS and having a chance to be interviewed. Next step is to just keep applying. More and more jobs are being posted which means the economy is recovering. Best of luck all.

Joann C. • Sep 23, 2015

me too. but what are theylooking for not getting many interviews

Laurie K. • Sep 23, 2015

I fully agree with you, derek s., as I am in the same position. I do hope that, as more and more talented, experienced people fall into this category, employers will take note.

derek s. • Sep 23, 2015

What about short term jobs due to the recession? I had many different jobs between 2009-2014 because I was just trying to stay afloat and take care of my family. My desire is to be with one company long term but, unfortunately, now my resume looks like I job hop.

Eileen Pico • Sep 23, 2015

I completely agree with your assessment of job hopping. I am unfortunately one of those individuals ! However, what if job hopping is due to employers who do NOT share with you in the interview process that they are under-capitalizes, have no experience in their industry, change your job description 3 days after you start or ask you to do things that are either illegal, unethical or immoral and you refuse, so you are fired?

Nancy Anderson • Sep 23, 2015

@Donald thanks ever so much for your comments. Most of us would agree with what you said. It is true that many are job hopping because they are trying to find a job that fits their skills as well as their financial needs. So true that it's tough to survive on only one part-time position; we would need at least two just to make ends meet. Companies are being forced to raise the wages due to outside pressures so they are raising them but having to cut other staff because they can't afford to have them any longer. I am speaking of the smaller businesses as well as franchises. I have seen the push for 10-12 hour days for 4 day work-weeks. Personally I am in great favor of that. I would rather work longer days and then have a longer weekend to do more in. The latest push is for paid sick days which is going to force companies to cut even more staff just to make ends meet. It is so sad that we have come to this point. Hopefully we will start to see changes being made in favor of the workers. But in all reality, the issues facing the part-time workers and those in food management or retail have been around for many years - nothing new here. It's just that now, with social media and instant communication, the woes of these workers are being heard more and more. I am of two minds when it comes to this situation: my heart aches for those who are struggling but rejoices because they have work! Think of the alternative. That is what scares me with all of the hoopla over increasing wages, unlimited sick days, extended maternity leave because the bottom line is that companies are going to have to comply and their response is going to be to let more people go. We have to try to find common ground and a happy medium to make all of this work.

Donald G. • Sep 22, 2015

As I set here talking to a co-old person who has had no choice but to job hop for the sake of finding that one particular field of expertise that will be both accommodating and profitable to employee and employer. These days due to corporate greed and managerial staff members who treat current and potential employees as beasts of burdens of no consequence. And they are moronically expected to allow themselves to be treated as slave labor. Government and Corporations have for some time been pushing the Topic of Part time employees and minimum wages years below the cost of living standards and obligated to do full time work in less time needed. 10 and 12 hour work shifts for 36 hour if fortunate work weeks, and if you all are done brown nosing each other and do the research necessary to look into as an example, Retail and Fast Food chains. Part time!
Newest consideration on the political topic is pushing for the four day work week. Throw in the part time standards on top of that and cost of living increases that apply only to the wealthier and you have job openings and no potential employees to fill these positions.
Ask any of these employers why they have such high turn over rates and it is about The Employees are Lazy: not the true fact that they can't afford to live a full time existence on part time wages. Homes and Lives are lost because the wealthy steal lives for personal gain, and they are back by wealthy politicians.
As I have stated on a number of occasions to various sites on this exact topic.
A politician once said on a news channel, We cannot have total equality with the citizens of this Country. We have to have the Masses of the Lower Classes to Cater to The needs of The Upper Classes. Or all will be in Chaos.
Now then If the Highest Classes were obligated to survive on their own abilities, of providing for themselves; they would perish because in this Aristocratic Sociality of " Who Matters and Who Don't ". I ask you to figure out for yourselves: If we had the long overdue rebellion and the Wealthy had to do for themselves, how long would it take for equality to set in. Remember The Great Depression Era, when talking about what it costs for an employer to take their hiring and training expense serious.

Nancy Anderson • Sep 19, 2015

@Michael I agree with you. Job-hopping certainly can be detrimental both to the company and to the employee. 20 years ago no one would really have thought about job-hopping. I don't think it was even a phrase that was coined yet. Now, everyone seems to be doing this. Working at a job for a few months and then on to the next. Sooner or later the job hoppers are going to come up against that company that expects loyalty for more than 90 days. They are going to come up against an interviewer who asks "How long do you plan to stay with our company?" and who asks "why did you only stay with company ABC for 90 days?". Kind of tough questions to answer if your track record shows a bunch of short-term positions (unless they were temp positions, of course)! A couple of years ago, the cost for vetting a new employee was over $50,000. So we can only imagine that cost today. Thank you again.

Michael Capristo, M.H.A., B.S.B.A. • Sep 18, 2015

Great article! One of the most expensive activities companies participate in is on-boarding and training new hires. It is an extremely expensive proposition to advertise, attract applicants and vet candidates for open positions...and that is just the beginning of the process. Once hired, the process of training begins. Therefore, if the tenure of a new hire is going to be shorter, the company must recoup their investment in a much shorter period of time in addition to realizing a profit within that shorter window. If employees are not willing to demonstrate loyalty through longevity with companies, how can we expect companies to demonstrate valuing a commodity that is packaging itself as disposable? I think that "job hopping", while possibly valuable for fast-tracking the individual career, is detrimental to the over all market.

Are Millennials Job-Hopping Too Much?

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