Tenure for Jobseekers
Tenure for Jobseekers. Have you ever worried about being perceived as a job hopper? Tenure – the time you’ve spent in jobs throughout your career – still matters.
There was a time when it wasn’t unusual for a person to spend their entire career – from their first day to their retirement day – with one company. It seems almost unbelievable now, doesn’t it? In today’s world, most people change jobs; some even change careers numerous times throughout their life. In other words, nobody expects you to be ‘married’ to your job or company for a lifetime. But a candidate who appears to be a job hopper can still be concerning for recruiters and employers.
What is job hopping?
Job hopping is tough to define, but I can state one very clearly: it’s more about a pattern than one or two jumps. In other words, if you’ve got one or two short stints on your resume, that’s not a big deal. Especially if, between those jobs, you’ve stayed with other companies for longer.
That begs the other question: what is a ‘long’ time, and what is a ‘short’ time? These days, four or five years with one company in one job is a reasonably long time. Three years isn’t short, but it’s not long, either. One to two years (or less) is short.
In other words, if your resume consists mostly of jobs you’ve only held for one or two years, this may be perceived by prospective employers as job hopping.
Why do short-term jobs matter?
It’s a valid question to ask. A job is just a job, right? You’ve got to look out for your own interests. Well, sure. But a pattern of job hopping can be a sign of a few things.
The first and most obvious sign is commitment issues. If someone has never stayed in a job for more than two years, a company is justified in wondering why things would be different for them. And given the cost of hiring, onboarding, and training an employee and the general disruption, it’s an important consideration. It’s a huge investment!
It can also indicate that an employee isn’t putting much thought into the kind of company or job that’s right for them. They aren’t researching the prospective employer or are making bad decisions. Every recruiter or hiring manager wants to create a good long-term fit between an employee and their job, so this is an integral part of that equation.
Diagnosing the issue – Tenure for Jobseekers
If you’ve had a history of job hopping, the first step is to figure out why.
For some people, the move has always been their decision. They’ve been the ones to start looking, land another job, and resign. If that’s you, it’s worth reflecting on those decisions and examining the underlying reasons. If you weren’t happy, did you take steps to resolve whatever the issues were? And If you weren’t growing as fast as you would have liked, did you proactively seek learning opportunities? If there were personality clashes with colleagues or managers, did you do what you could to repair the relationship?
For others, the decision hasn’t been theirs. Instead, it’s been what you might call a “series of unfortunate events.” Some people have been laid off or let go, and some have had their employers close shop. While these events are clearly out of an individual’s hands, some reflection is still helpful here. If your employer lets you go, have you addressed any performance issues? If you’ve had multiple employers shut down, were there signs you could have caught during the hiring process if you’d done more research?
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On this point, I must acknowledge that the early stages of the COVID pandemic caused a great deal of disruption for businesses, leading to disruptions in employment as well. That said, we’re mostly out of the woods. Companies have adjusted to the “new normal,” and we’re past the point where COVID is a reasonable justification for a string of jobs coming to an end.
Addressing job hopping in interviews – Tenure for Jobseekers
If any of these situations are true for you, take heart: job hopping isn’t a deal-breaker when landing another job. To any interviewer, the most important thing isn’t whether you had short-term jobs. The question is why, and that’s why the reflection described above is so critical.
When you talk about why one job or another ended, an interviewer is looking for more than “It was time to move on” or “I was laid off.” They want to hear that you’ve thought about why the change happened (whether it was entirely your decision or not). They want to know that you’ve reflected on it enough to be an equal partner in determining whether the job you are interviewing for is a good fit.
It’s also important to take responsibility for your part. Pointing your finger at all of your previous employers as bad companies and managers – even if it’s justified – isn’t a good look in an interview. Acknowledge what you did or could have done to fix the problems, and show that you’ve learned from the experience.
The ‘reset’ button
If you’ve got a series of short hops on your resume, do the work to reflect on what happened, so you can speak to the reasons why in your interviews. Make sure your next move is the right one. Do your research on the business to make sure it’s stable. Evaluate the culture fit to make sure it’s right for you. And hit the “reset” button. Commit to sticking with your next job for many years to break the cycle and show employers that you’re a long-term performer. Your resume will be stronger for it.
Additional Resources
LinkedIn.com:?Expert tip: How to explain a short employment stint
Monster.com:?How to explain why you’ve been job hopping
JimNewcomb.com:?Resources
Last week’s blog, in case you missed it:?Quitting Without Notice
[Jim Newcomb has been a Senior Recruiting Partner with?Goodwin Recruiting?since 2013, 2016 Partner of the Year, 2017 Ambassador of the Year, 2018 Extensive Support Coach of the Year, 2020 created Daily Positive Thoughts, and 2021 created JimNewcomb.com website for consistent contribution.]