Five benefits of job hopping (and how to convince an employer)

Person Jumping From One Job To Another

Person Jumping From One Job To Another With Slightly Higher Pay

Gone are the days when a company employed you and you remained there long term, working your way up to a senior position. Instead, zig-zagging or job-hopping across different jobs or companies has fast become the new trend over going up the career ladder with one company.

Recruitment agency, Randstad, states that in the workplace, job-hopping can propel the career performance of driven individuals. The ‘Gen Z’ employees – those born from 1996 on – are more likely to change jobs more frequently because they have greater leadership aspirations.

Job hopping amongst working mums

Similar trends are happening with working mums returning to work or those looking to change industry. More commonly, mums often find the job they had before going on maternity leave has changed, or that they use their leave as a time to reflect and consider a job change.

The trend began because of the ever-changing economic climate, an increase in redundancies and the evolving recruitment sector, such as changes to staffing structures. It’s good news for professionals who want to change jobs but may feel unconfident about their scattered work history and relevant skills.

Whilst changing jobs frequently is becoming more widely accepted, some employers still find a CV bursting with multiple employers daunting, says Randstad’s senior communications manager, Gemma Umney.

Here are five advantages of job hopping and how to convince a new employer of them:

Wide skillsets

You’ll have skills to put to effective use in a new role. Consider what these are by writing them down. If you previously worked in marketing, applying for an HR role may mean that you can create some promotional material for the next recruitment campaign.

Explain at interview your adaptability and that you can use your skills to hit the ground running, making a solid contribution.

Exposure to different businesses

Somebody who has worked in different environments will know a few things about team structures, procedures and how teams work together in different companies. They can step into a new working environment with ease and may have some suggestions to make about improving the way things work.

Driven and ambitious

Reflect on the job changes you’ve made and how they helped you achieve your goals. On paper, a job hopper may appear to some employers a person who can’t commit themselves to staying long in a job, but this is not necessarily the case.

To quash concerns of being too flighty, Gemma says candidates must demonstrate to employers that they are driven and eager to succeed. A candidate who has taken the opportunity to boost their skills during a skills shortage will prove highly appealing to a prospective employer.

Being able to justify with strong reasons for changing jobs, such as increasing responsibilities, will make a great impression at interview.

Working effectively with different people

Job-hoppers are better at working flexibly in a multitude of different environments, giving them communication skills and adaptability. An employer will see your future potential and consider you as somebody who will fit in with different departments.

Identifying greater job prospects

This is about considering how the next job will push your career forward. Karren Brady highlighted in Barclays’ Lifeskills study the value of transitioning between jobs to move forward in your career more quickly.

But how quickly should you move on?

A minimum of a year, but the average time to develop skills is three to five years, says a report by The Balance. This will look better than an employee who’s had a few jobs in a year.

*Emma Otusajo is a Virtual Assistant, Writer, Proofreader and Event Planner.



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