Pongo Resume

Job hopping is an issue that doesn't go away in the careers blogosphere, but no one seems to agree on an exact definition for "job hopper." Slapping that label on someone depends on your interpretation of the phrase. Is someone job hopping after working at one company for a year? Six months? Two years? Five?

Here are three reasons people might have a resume consisting of several jobs in a fairly short period of time:

• You take a job after being unemployed for several months during a recession because you needed a job, even though it doesn't advance your career. But you keep searching until something better comes around.
• You graduate from college not knowing exactly what you want to do, so you try a few different roles before you find one you like that has long-term potential.
• You have lousy luck and take roles with companies that have financial challenges, poor management practices, or bosses who could be distant relatives of Attila the Hun. In short, you're in constant search of a stable workplace that can turn your luck around.

So, is job hopping a good thing or bad thing? It depends. If you don't mind change at the expense of stability, it's a good thing. Otherwise, it's a bad thing, especially if the employers you're targeting value stability and loyalty. And, depending on the other parts of your life, you may also value the stability of a long-term job. Of course, employers must consider whether hiring a job hopper is a good investment or a risky one. And a job hopper who is serious about an opportunity may need to convince the employer that it's worth the risk. If you can effectively "sell" yourself and demonstrate that you and the employer are a strong match – and if they feel the same way – it may not be that hard to convince them.

How would you define a "job hopper?" Does job hopping help or hurt a job search? Give us your opinion.

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I was always taught that if you take a job then do it right. I always seem to run into some people that think,well,there goes your brown noser. of course these people just don't take their job as serious i as do. When given a task to do you have to accomplish it as best you can. I'm out to work for a living and to get as much knowledge as i can an some people don't seem to get it. I hate to hear or see i'm just here for my paycheck. Slow down, we have to make this last all day. I'm not going to be able to work with people such as this,which seems to get me in trouble.

It's a weird world out there, on one hand we would all like to believe in things like loyalty and trust, on the other hand employers don't always treat their employees with much loyalty.

This distrust can easily foster an "every man for himself" dynamic. I think that the solution can start on either side.

Companies that treat their employees well might find a few bad apples in their midst, but by in large should attract good workers. Employees on the other hand, who go the extra mile at work, might get taken advantage of in their current role, but if they keep looking around will eventually find a work environment worthy of their efforts.

I think it depends on the circumstances,Normaly if you have two people with excellent jobs,one makes more than the other and is knownin the enviroment in which he or she works and because of the enviroment must change jobs when contracts run out, as in aero space. Then the other party must go along,I know this was the situation in my case several times.

Job hopper is not alwaays in the control of the employee ie in construction we are always working ourselves out of a job. The employer has no commitment to the employee any more. The employer is always looking for somebody who will do the job cheaper. The board of absent directors only tend to care about the quarterly profit picture. My only defensive strategy is to be independent by enhancing my skill level so that i can be competitive in the marketplace. Taking advantage of opportunities that arise. No credible employer is going to employ their assets (tools, equipment, money) in one area if they can get a better return some other area. why would i as an employee do any less?

Enjoyed your article, Rick. Have to smile since I guess I've been a dreaded "job hopper" all my career, at least in the eyes of some folks. But I also wound up making a very good career for myself as a project manager and business process consultant, taking a little from each job, learning from it, and making it into my trusty tool kit. Often it's how you look at things - and how you tell the story. ;-)

~ Ronnie Ann

@ Don -- Sounds like you have a very healthy work ethic!

@ DC -- Yes! Sometimes it's hard to find that place, but you may know it when you interview with them.

@ Ross -- You can't do much about people who work on contracts. But this is an issue with paid staffers who either don't have a clear grasp of what they want, or realize they wound up in a place they don't want to be and look to take the first stagecoach out of Dodge.

@ Felix -- Sometimes you just gotta go it alone, especially if you're in the construction industry.

@ Ronnie -- Well, if you've had success while being a "job hopper," how can one argue with that?

Thanks to all for your comments!

As an HR Manager, I define job hopping as someone who has been in the market for a while and has spent less then a year with several companies (and I mean several). Sometimes even if it's in the same field. Less then a year is not always long enough to learn the ropes. They need a really good reason as to why they have moved around a lot. There are several instances, however, that it's perfectly ok. I've actually hired job hoppers that understand the industry or have done well on the interview. I tell them, I know people may not stay long as long as they learn while their here. I do like to give people a chance until they prove me wrong. Great article!

@ Dianne -- Thanks! Yes, less than a year is certainly a short time. I'd be skeptical of anyone who has a recent history of doing that with several jobs. To me, it would seem to indicate a lack of career focus and I'd want to know what the candidate's career goals are through the job opening I have.

How long a person ramps up at a new job can depend on how clear the company's work processes are. Clear guidelines and procedures can be a big help to someone new.

The problem is that this ignores certain realities of the current job market. Example: a person seeks a full-time job with a good company. While searching for that, he has the opportunity to do short-term contracts that pay two or even three times more than the jobs he finds, and are also more challenging and enable him to learn valuable skills.

Then he applies for a great job. Should he be penalized compared to another applicant who had a steady dead end job with a lower level of responsibility, fewer challenges (and opportunities to build work skills), and paid less?

@Barbara -- You make a good point, Job hopping is often seen as a bad thing but what if I'm gaining more skills and experience? Shouldn't this strengthen my resume? This is where the importance of a good cover letter comes in. The cover letter will allow you to go a little more in depth on you background as well as your current situation. Reading the cover letter will give the employer a better view of you before they read the resume.

So, I suppose I would be classed as a job hopper since I've never stayed in the same city (and usually not the same country) longer than 4 months. Nearly all my jobs have been seasonal positions though. I always finish my contracts and and I've gone back to the same places for another season in a few instances. So that shows some loyalty right?

As someone who job hunts pretty frequently, my all-over-the-place resume seems to work for me. I once went 2 months without anyone hiring me, but usually I can pick up a new job within a couple weeks of when I start a serious search.