Is Job Hopping Prevalent in Today’s Workforce? It Appears So.

You’ve worked hard for years gaining knowledge and a reputable position in your company. However, you soon realize that happiness is not just around the corner and your career is not the awe inspiring path you once idolized. So what do you do now? Many business professionals struggle to find that perfect job or ideal career path that will lead to longevity and happiness. Therefore, they are becoming more proactive with their careers and are now, more then ever, interested in switching jobs for numerous reasons—whether it be for better pay, closer location, or personal satisfaction, today’s workforce has proven that it does not fear change. In a recent poll conducted by Nexxt, a network of more than 15,000 online niche career communities polled its members on “How many different companies have you worked for over the past five years?” With over 5,500 business professional respondents, more than 63 percent of poll participants claim to have worked for two or more companies over the past five years.

With a vast array of available online resources, professionals have access to job search tools and career resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so it is no surprise that they are more comfortable than ever searching out and applying to new job opportunities. Given that job hopping is becoming a more common practice among business professionals, how does an employer interpret ones’ resume if the applicant seems to jump ship at the sight of a better opportunity? Don’t think that you don’t have a chance of obtaining that next great job if you fit the job hopping profile—there could be several logical explanations for your sudden movements that would make you a valuable asset to any employer. Located below are a few helpful tips that you can use to promote your vast experiences gained from working for multiple companies and improve your overall resume:

• Limit your resume employment history. Keep your resume to a concise one or two page attention-grabbing document. List all relevant employment history by year and avoid using months of prior employment, as dates might seem to overlap and highlight obvious short-term gaps in employment.
• Put a positive spin on working for a variety of companies. Demonstrate the positive qualities and wide-range of experiences that you have gained from holding a variety of positions, such as degree of management skills, flexibility, decisiveness, and your ability to acclimate and learn quickly.
• Demonstrate how well you meet and exceed company goals. Regardless of time spent at a job, it is important to make sure your resume shows you have made positive contributions wherever possible. Include examples of major accomplishments you brought to previous employers such as processes you have developed, tasks completed, money saved or revenue earned. Use expressions like, “Increased client sales by 50% over a two quarter span.”
• Use brief explanations. If you have experienced any short-term engagements with a company, make sure you explain why your employment lasted for a short period of time, versus leaving obvious unaccounted for time on your resume. Provide a brief, yet simple explanation such as: “Left XYZ company because senior management decided to alleviate marketing research department due to financial constraints.”

Before you search for your next job opportunity and hop into your next role, first consider where it fits into your overall career goals. Make sure that it is a positive move that will be both a rewarding experience as well as advance your career. For more information on how to improve your job search process and your resume, please visit our Career Resource Center.