Can Job Hopping Hurt My Chances of Getting Hired? 

The days of 20-years in an IT job and out for retirement are over. Job-jumping is in. Contracting is hot. The world has evolved and spending two-years or less in a job is a trend that is on the rise. However, sometimes too many jumps can make you look like a flight risk to a recruiter. How much job jumping is too much?  

Job Jumping is the New Normal 

The latest surveys show switching jobs at the two year mark in the technology field is just about the average these days. Workers favor a job switch at that time in part, because they may have the opportunity to increase their income. Millennials, in particular, say that job-hopping can help, not hurt, their income. 75% of people under 34 say job-hopping is a plus, not a minus. 

But managers and employers don’t agree. Sure, job-hopping can lead employees to more money or better benefits. But too many job-hops on your resume make you look like a flight risk. No company wants a revolving door on their hiring; it’s an expensive and time consuming proposition to constantly recruit, hire, and train workers.  

The problem for employers is that it takes months for an employee to fully come up to speed. Some roles take even longer than that, so the reasoning from employers is that if you only stay in jobs for one or two years there’s little ROI from their investment in you. 

Also, job-jumping makes employers think the workers don’t have the stick-to-it that they’ll need when the job gets tough or even if the job grows mundane. When workers grow disenchanted or bored in the job, problems arise, and that’s when many employees consider leaving the job. Employers can red flag resumes that show a lack of engagement in a job past the two-year mark. 

Up until the COVID-19 epidemic, the economy was booming for workers. There were plenty of jobs, particularly in IT. That made it easy for employees to job jump. While employers understood that it was a candidate market, with a less than 4% unemployment rate, they still questioned the loyalty of technology workers that jumped ship frequently. 

But workers are savvier now. Many employees saw what happened during the 2008 recession and developed a sense of skepticism around employers that laid off workers during that difficult time. Employees, especially millennials, are simply unwilling to put in 10 or 20 years in a company like their parents did. So how much job-jumping on your resume can you get away with? 

How Much Job-Jumping is Too Much? 

If you have more than three two years and out jobs on your resume, you’re starting to establish a pattern that employers will notice. When the market shifts, as it has recently, these short stints (unless you were a contract worker) will show up as red flags for most recruiters. Candidates that have had a more stable career will attract the best job opportunities. On the flip side, the IT worker that has been in the same corporate role for 15-years runs the risk of seeming too outdated to be hired in a company using the latest tools.  

If you’re uncertain about your resume, the best thing to do is get a second opinion from a professional recruiter at Blackstone. We can provide guidance on how to approach your resume and job search. Contact us today. 

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