Tuesday, May 13, 2014

JOB /CAREER SPECIAL ..........................Hop, skip, fall?


Hop, skip, fall? 

The pros and cons of job hopping



    Today’s young generation of dynamic, qualified, and success-hungry corporate executives is driven by change. Gone are the days when employees considered it a moment of pride to have served in their organisation for over a decade. These days, a single work experience on the resume is sometimes considered an indication of professional stagnancy. The trend among young professionals nowadays is to stick to an organisation for a maximum period of a year or two (sometimes as less as six months!) and then switch to another company.
    The new generation of millennials is prone to faster workplace saturation.
    Gen Z is so obsessed with finding the ‘dream job’ that they don’t mind extending the timeframe for getting a job to long after their graduation in order to get into an organisation of their choice for a role of their liking. However, the nuances of the job come to the fore only after actually entering the workplace and not by merely reading the job description.
    Also, it is not just the monetary compensation that acts as a motivator for employees to stick to one job for a considerable amount of time. As clichéd as it may sound, job satisfaction is still the primary driver to continued employment for any individual with clearly defined career goals and aspirations.
IS JOB HOPPING GOOD FOR YOUR CAREER?
While a series of short stints on a resume might give recruiters the wrong impression about the integrity of the jobseeker, changing jobs frequently can actually prove to be advantageous in more ways than one.
    Good salary hikes: This is perhaps the main reason why people try to switch jobs frequently. Young executives desire frequent jumps in their paychecks and this is possible only by moving on to organisations that offer a higher compensation package and an enhanced role.
    Diversified work experience: Professionals who change jobs often experience a diverse range of technical and business environments with access to advanced tools and technologies and new processes. They not only hone their individual skills, but also understand and get a feel for different business cultures, corporate processes and other softer aspects of the workplace. All of this helps enhance their skills and makes them more seasoned professionals;
    More challenges:
Employees who switch jobs are challenged to live up to the expectations of the new role. This sets into motion a motivational trigger forcing the professional to think outside of their comfort zone and move to higher levels of performance. A resume highlighting frequent job changes to higher hierarchical levels serves as a testimonial to a prospective employer.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST JOB HOPPING
A majority of experienced executives will vote in favour of sticking to one job for a considerable period of time. Rightly so, since the adverse effects of job hopping can be quite disastrous.
    Questionable loyalty:
A frequent job hopper raises doubts in the minds of future employers w.r.t loyalty and dedication towards the company. Unless the shift is purely due to reasons for career advancement, a candidate who has changed jobs within a short span of time is often considered high-risk. Employers are hesitant about hiring candidates where they cannot justify the costs of training and development, as they are not sure of the staying capacity of the new hire.
    Unclear career ambitions: Constantly moving between jobs shows a lack of commitment towards a particular career path. Employers look for talent that can help them work towards a common organisational objective. In the eyes of the prospective employer, constant job jumps project a negative image of the employee as one of distrust and indecisiveness. What is important to consider is if the jump justifies the rationale behind it. Whether for monetary reasons or work satisfaction, professionals need to determine what they want from their jobs and act accordingly.
    -
Narayan Thammaiah : The author is VP, people practice, Capillary  Technologies

ETHF 140415

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