In the world of about 40 years ago, when my parents were in their working years, the prevailing notion was that an employer would "take care of you" for a long time with a secure job and a decent pension. But that's gone the way of the typewriter and carbon paper. Today, it's not uncommon to change jobs — voluntarily or not — every few years.
Employees are more likely to say "take this job and shove it" and move on to something new than put up with a job that doesn't launch them out of bed in the morning with a daily sense of joy or hopeful anticipation. That illustrates a big difference between my Baby Boomer generation and our parents.
TWO PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES
- My dad spent the last 30 or so years of his working life at a job he grew to hate. One night after he complained about work, my then-teenage self asked why he didn't look for another job. He thought about it a bit, then replied, "Because I'm stuck there!" Changing jobs wasn't even an option in his mind.
- In the 30 years since I graduated from college, I've worked full-time for nine different employers. Give or take, that averages out to a job change about every three years. That was enough to make one potential employer uncomfortable about extending me a job offer in the mid-'90s (yes, he was of my dad's generation).
Of course, job mobility and job searching are commonplace now. It seems the younger you are, the more apt you are to switch employers when the current job is no longer satisfying you.
Certainly, employers are aware of how frequently some people change jobs. In fact, they're partly to blame, since they don't hesitate to lay off people if they need to meet profit or budget goals. But at what point does repeated job changing stop being a sign of ambition and motivation, and instead start making you look like an undependable job hopper? (Or, maybe this question is not as simple as it seems?)
That's the question I pose to you: How often is too often to change jobs?
RELATED LINKS
The Basics of an Effective Job Search
Brag Your Way to a New Job or Pay Raise
Finding the Right Fit: Would You Last in This Job?
I agree that 30 years ago job stability was normal. With todays economy situation changing jobs seems to be a natural.
Technology and gain for companies is evolving at an incredible pace, just look at the Automobile industry.
It is said to say but job stability seems to be almost impossible to find . So if you change jobs every 3 to 5 years I think it is normal
@ 411 -- That sounds about right.
No matter how much the companies say they value their employees. Now a day Enterprises only focus on what their employees can do for them today and forget all the hard works they have putted-in in the past. Employees lost their sense of belonging and there are no such things as loyalty anymore
I agree with David Lam. Today there is no loyalty anymore. A friend of mine spent 29 years of his life at his job and suddenly the employer laid him off. It wasn't enough that 10 yrs prior the company had taken away their retirement. So here is my friend, no retirement, no job. It really sucks with employers.
@ David and Loretta -- Yes, for the most part, loyalty means squat to an employer. Today, you need to create your own sense of loyalty - to yourself! You can't depend on an employer to look out for your interests. That's up to you. That's why it's important for everyone to manage his or her own career.
The volatility in the job market and economy in the last 10 years has been devastating to showing stability in a resume. It's exactly like what Rick said - you need to be loyal to yourself. Employers will NOT put your career first and sometimes circumstances out of the job seeker's control results in job changes. It's a double edged sword, employers want you be loyal but they are not willing to show it in return.