Beware of being a job hopper
Consider this. If you make unjustified shifts from job to job, you are job hopping, which never amounts to anything constructive to your career. Net photo.
What you need to know:
A job hopper. An employee you never serve your contracts to completion or stay long enough to realise any form of career growth.
Moving from one place of work to another in a short while may be exciting and necessary to career growth but did you know that it the frequency with which you do it could negatively impact your career too?
Who is a job hopper
Lucy Asiimwe, a human resource practitioner, describes job hoppers as individuals who move from one job to another in the shortest period of time.
“The difference is that while most people will change jobs in search of better chances and for career growth, job hoppers change jobs more frequently without necessarily good reason,” she adds.
Asiimwe says you are considered a job hopper if you don’t settle on a job for the company’s anticipated time. For example, if you never complete your contracts or, for those without binding contracts, never make it to the employing company’s policy time limit.
Connie Musisi, head of careers at Uganda Christian University (UCU) considers job hopping as a bad idea. In her opinion, one should stay in a job long enough to grow their career in some way. There is no way, according t Musisi, this can be achieved in a month or in some cases, a year.
“If you are on a contract job, finish up the contract first, then think of changing jobs. This way, there is no negative effect to your CV even if you don’t renew the contract,” she advises.
Asiimwe adds that it is more likely to impact your CV positively if you take some considerable time on a job. Also, the longer you stay on a job, the more likely people will trust in your capabilities.
The employer’s point of view
Jumping from one job to another creates a feel of discomfort among employers because it is a symbol that you won’t be with them for long.
“If I am an employer and your CV shows you have worked in three places in three years, I will not hire you because this shows that you will not stay long on the job I’m offering you either,” She adds. “Employer want employees they can trust to stay on the job long enough to make meaningful impact.”
According to head of careers at UCU, Connie Musisi, job hopping is mostly done by people who have just joined the co-operate world and are in most cases overly expectantations hence hungry for new opportunities. “These people keep running from one job to another in hope of finding a better life in other jobs. Things such as the search for better salary, promotion opportunities, and maybe flexibility on a job, are the main reasons for job hopping.
Justifiable reasons to leave
“Staying on a job without growing shows lack of ambition on an individual’s part since it exhibits settling in small positions which puts your career and economic growth on a standstill,” tips Musisi.
Since career without progress is no career, if you have held one position for three to five years then you are not progressing. Change of job here is realistic.
When your salary isn’t increasing
Primarily, work is so that we can make money. So, if the economy is growing and your salary is at a standstill, then think twice.
Also, if you are offered a better job than the one you are holding, then you can consider moving on because that is career growth and hence a justifiable move.
When to stay
If you are wondering whether to stay on your job or move on, consider whether it gives you a chance to grow careerwise, pays you well and gives you peace of mind. If so, retain it for as long as you can because in most cases, these are the main reasons people switch jobs.
How job hopping affects you career
According to Connie Musisi, head of careers at Uganda Christian University;
Influence on employers
“Employers don’t take job hoppers seriously because their stay on a job is uncertain. Their CVs are weak and will not qualify them for a serious job and no employer will give a serious job to someone who has worked in four places in two years,” Musisi notes.
Affects skills development
Because you don’t get to settle long enough to learn, you don’t acquire nay new skills at your various jobs. You need time to learn the environment and how work is done at every new job before you can learn or develop skills. If you are always new at a job, all you will amass is knowledge of different work environments.
It is hard to get a promotion
Most companies promote people who have been with them for some time. For the case of job hoppers, your employers never get to explore your potential so there are limited chances for promotions.
According to Musisi, you have to start from square one every time you join a new job making it hard to be promoted therefore most likely, you will never hold a big position in your career.
