Job-hopping: How it affects your career success

Job-Hopping Among Young Malaysians: Why We Do It & Why Not To

"Taking a sip of a drink that doesn't taste good may mean that they forgot to stir well.

The sugar is at the bottom. Stir well, taste again and finish it before one should move on to another drink."

Dato' Fazley Yaakob

It was reported recently that there were a million jobs available in the country while 12% of workers job hop every year.

The labor force market survey by the Statistics Department showed that about 12 million people were in the workforce and 384,000 were jobless up to November last year, although there were plenty of jobs.

I can't be writing a blog piece asking young Malaysians not to job-hop because I've changed many jobs in the past few years.

Just to share my own experience, it will be five years since my graduation, and my current job is my fourth. I started in TV, then I went to print magazine. A few months later, I ended up in an NGO before entering the broadcasting industry again. It wasn't a major switch because it was still in the fields of Media and Communications.

My mum once said to me, "I stayed on in my job for decades, but kids these days, they just stay on for a few months, or up to a year. Even when I wasn't happy with my bosses - I stayed on!".

My friends and I often talk about this issue as over our usual meet-up because most of us are job-hoppers. By the time we meet at our next makan-makan session, one of us will surely contemplate about a new job offer.

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To understand this job-hopping issue, here are FIVE reasons why we, the younger generation, switch jobs more than our parent's generation:

Money. I think this is the most obvious and it's all about the dollar sign for most young Malaysians. We tend to switch jobs due to a better salary offer. I think this point is very self-explanatory!

Career development. Sometimes it is about advancing your skills and talent. Perhaps you are not given the opportunity to showcase your talent in the current job due to the hierarchy system in the company. After months of attempting to get a promotion in her current job, one writer friend got the opportunity to be an Editor of a magazine. So she left.

Boredom. You clock in and out of the office while doing the same thing every single day? You feel bored and perhaps you need a new adventure? Or you feel that you are spending so much time in the office that you no longer have a social life?

Colleagues. Bad colleagues and office politics can take a toll in someone's career. A friend of mine didn't like her colleagues due to the office politics in her workplace that she decided to quit her job. She is happier in her present job and the good news is that she has in this current job for two years.

Horrible bosses. We can't deny this a factor why most people switch jobs right? Some bosses might have "unrealistic demands" and may not appreciate the things that we do at the office. Worse of all, our bosses might just find ways to get angry at us. A friend of mine, upon getting his appointment letter at the new place, decided to give a 24-hour notice and just threw his resignation letter at his boss. Perhaps young employees just want to be acknowledged for a job well-done and to feel appreciated by the company, especially when one spends a lot of time in the office.

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On another side, I also believe there are 5 reasons why we should NOT job-hop.

You're still undecided? During your job interview, some employers may ask why are you switching jobs very fast. This may also show that you are still unsure about your career path. By you switching jobs often, your new employer may even ask you "How long are you going to stay in this company?"

So what your bosses are bossy? So you want to quit your job because of your boss? Over the years, I've had many bosses and there's this boss in particular who can be very demanding and bossy. At the end of my working tenure with her, I just realize she wants the best from her team. Let's admit it, sometimes we need some push for us to give our best!

Is it all about the dollar sign? Someone was telling me that he got a job offer with a better salary. The thing is that he is happy with the current job and what was on offer is something much different. I told him, "You might get a better pay, but it's a different career than what you're doing now. Are you sure you're going to be happy?"

Where is your "fighting" spirit? So you're part of the office politics but are you going to let your colleagues bring you down? Find the strength to stay and show the company that you are able to do whatever you're doing well and on time. No one can mess with you if you can perform well. Forget about that overly jealous colleague! Be resilient.

What's your niche? When we move around very often and it effect our personal branding as well. It is okay if we move in the same industry but what about if we're job-hopping from one field to another just because the other industry pays more? I have a friend who works at a telecommunication company and asked me about a job opening in the broadcasting industry. I told him politely, "This is a different field altogether, bro." Seriously, telecommunication and broadcasting? Plus he studied Engineering in university.
(@syafique, 2012)

@syafique. (2012, Feburary 18). 1. Retrieved August 29, 2012, from www.motivationmy.com: http://www.motivationmy.com/2012/02/job-hopping-among-young-malaysians-why.html

Job-hopping: How it affects your career success

s job-hopping and career success related to each other? What is the effect of one on the other? How long is too long for staying in a company? I must admit, the resumes that pass by my desk makes me conclude job-hopping is far too common.

Job hoppers do it for various reasons. More often than not they may not know what they are getting into. Sometimes, it is because they do not know what they want and hence are not ready for the challenges that lay ahead of them. Job-hopping and career success is related to one another.

In my opinion, job-hopping affects career success in a negative manner. Consider this, what signals are you sending to your potential employer if you job-hop too often?

The two-year rule
I have a two-year rule I tell my staff and potential employees. The two-year rule is this – you must be willing to commit mentally to spend at least two years in the company before you quit. The reason is this; you need to deal with the learning curve. If you job-hop too often, you learn nothing substantial.

For me, it takes you at least a year to know the ins and outs of the company. Then another year before you can eventually be truly productive in adding value to the company. To see the true results of your contribution to the company, for me it takes at least two years. So, if you are prone to job-hopping and career success is on your mind, then it is time to rethink.

Training you
Many well-established companies have training programs. They are willing to invest in fresh graduates and newbie’s. However, in order for them to make that decision they need to look at past track records. Ask yourself, if you are a manager – who are you more likely to invest training time and money on? Someone who is job-hopper and shows tendency to job-hop or someone who is stable? Companies are more likely to invest in people who are stable. The reason is simple. They are able to contribute back into the company. Everybody wins. If you are constantly job-hopping, you send a signal that you are not ready to commit.

Companies like to invest in people who see their career goals align with their corporate goals. Job-hoppers usually cannot see their career path beyond the next year.

Decreasing the incidence of job-hopping
One of the best ways to quit job-hopping is to truly know what you want. Once you know that, you will have singular focus in the pursuit of your career goals. Of course, it is understandable that as a fresh graduate or newbie at work it is tough to know that. You may be interested in some other industries.

If there are other fields that you are interested in then make a plan to find out about them. Start with the Internet, and then ask friends who may know people in those fields. Speak to them; ask them about the expectations of the company and the role of the position you are interested in. You may not have all the answers but at least you get some idea. That would decrease the chances of you job-hopping.

Make learning a key objective
If you are new in the work force and have been job-hopping quite a bit, my advice to you is this - truly find out what you want. Once you know that, find a company that is willing to train or how they are willing to commit to their employees\u2019 career in the long term. If they have structured training programs, join them.

Make learning the relevant skills and knowledge in that industry your key objective. The skills and knowledge that you learn will contribute to your career success in the long term. It is something that you can bring with you the rest of your life. Once you see the benefits of committing to a company who is willing to train you for more than two years, hopefully you won\u2019t be job-hopping often anymore.

(Siang, 2012)

Siang, L. Y. (2012). Career Advancement. Retrieved August 29, 2012, from careers.jobstreet.com.my: http://careers.jobstreet.com.my/career-advancement/job-hopping-how-it-affects-your-career-success

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 1003