Job hopping for kids

July 30, 2010 7:28 PM

Am I considered a job hopper?

I'm reading about job hopping (example here), how bad it is, and how Gen-Y kids suck for it.

I've stayed at my current company, a large Fortune 500 firm, for over 3 years, but have moved around a couple of times within the organization, trying out different roles - each technical or in manufacturing operations, but each very narrow in focus. I find myself itching for a smaller environment; I'd like to bring what I've learned in each of my roles together into one wider-ranging job and I don't think that opportunity exists at my company.

When I'm searching, will I be considered a job hopper? I've been with the same employer (my current company) for the 3+ years since I left school. Is it unethical of me to combine two of my roles (which were very similar) into one of my resume, or is that considered misleading?

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (15 answers total)

No... job hopping as I've always understood it is moving between companies or organizations, not within a company. In fact, I would say that moving within your company is seen as a good thing, especially early in your career. Depending on the roles, I would general think that indicates growth of skills and expertise.
posted by kimdog at 7:35 PM on July 30, 2010

No, you're still at one company. For all anybody knows, you're in some rotational management program.
posted by anniecat at 7:37 PM on July 30, 2010

That article is the POV of one grumpy old man who thinks loyalty should be absolute from employees even when it's non-existent from employers. You've been with the same company three years anyway- that's a lot. One or two years per company is the norm in my industry (tech), and if you refused to hire people who "hopped" that often you would have a very empty office.
posted by drjimmy11 at 7:39 PM on July 30, 2010 [6 favorites]

This is your first job, and you've been with the same company three years? No, I wouldn't consider you anything close to a job hopper.

If you want to, you can paint your past experience as sort of vertical integration. I interview people quite a bit, and see this on resumes all the time - I take it as a good sign. Usually multiple positions mean more responsibility and trust.

That all said, I'm just a lousy, lazy Millenial.
posted by punchtothehead at 7:46 PM on July 30, 2010

Oh - and don't combine the roles. It's wrong, and you know it.
posted by punchtothehead at 7:50 PM on July 30, 2010

I'm a job hopper who has never regretted leaving, but occasionally has regretted staying too long. Considering that you learn a job in three to six months, three years on one job seems more than adequate.

(Boredom usually starts at year two, at leas for me)
posted by francesca too at 7:54 PM on July 30, 2010

When acting as a hiring manager, one of the things I look for in a resume is stability in employment. A slew of two-month-long jobs looks unstable. 10 years in one field then 6 months in an unrelated field and then two months in another unrelated field looks unstable. Large gaps in work history look unstable. 3 years at one company looks stable, especially if it's your first job.

If you're concerned that your work history looks unstable, you can mention it in your cover letter: I took time off to go to school/refocus on my family; I determined Law wasn't the right field for me and have been happily surprised with the things I have learned in these wildly different fields; as a military family we move around a lot but I'm excited to be stationed here for the next few years.
posted by rhapsodie at 8:13 PM on July 30, 2010

I always specify that I've had multiple assignments at a company, but put it under one major heading:

XYZ International, Kansas City, MO, 1992-96
- 1992-1993, Copy Machine Technician, Fiscal Section
- 1993-1994, Second Assistant Gaffer, Internal Communications
- 1994-1996, Junior Assistant Vice President, Human Resources, Tokyo

Admittedly mine look a lot more like "I went from just doing retail sales to being trusted with the stock room keys after 8 months" but, yeah. Same thing with temp jobs, because otherwise I changed jobs every three months for five years, which is the definition of job-hopping. In one case, the last job I had before my first permanent full-time gig, is actually three different temp jobs through two different agencies with the same Fortune 100 company, but in three different departments, with a gap to work at a different Fortune 500 company. You have no idea how much work it took to make a one-page resume.

And you're not a job hopper.
posted by SMPA at 8:14 PM on July 30, 2010

I can't imagine most people feel the way that crazy guy does.

My husband worked two years for a place and then we moved so I could go to university. Then he spent a year at a place and was laid off (along with 175 other employees). Then he took an AWFUL job just to pay bills because we were hemorrhaging money.


I think the guy in that article would consider him a job hopper, without acknowledging that, you know, most Americans will have 10 jobs in their lifetime which I assume makes them job hoppers too.


But even if you were being interviewed by that guy, I doubt he'd consider looking for a niche within a company a fault.
posted by Saminal at 8:16 PM on July 30, 2010

I think job hopping is not going to be seen as a black mark at all in a few years. I graduated three years ago and I'd say mayyyybe half my friends are still in the job they got after graduation, assuming they even got a job. Many (myself included) have moved companies voluntarily, and many more have been laid off due to budget cuts, companies collapsing, etc. Many others have quit to go to grad school. You've stayed employed at one company, which is more than any of us can say. I don't think there's any way your job record could be viewed in a negative light. On the contrary, the fact that you've managed to hold down a gig in a very tough economy will be a feather in your cap.
posted by little light-giver at 8:22 PM on July 30, 2010

I'm a Boomer, small-shop employer. I'm in agreement with the rest that you are not a job hopper.

SMPA is on the mark with his/her suggestion to put your positions under one heading on your resume. Even if your positions don't show a natural progression, it says good things about you that your company liked your performance enough to let you try different areas.

And, of course, in an interview, rather than say that you weren't sure what you wanted to do, emphasize your versatility, your ability to bring value to the company in number of varied roles. (But don't oversell. It will sound inauthentic, and reference checks may then disappoint.)

The fact that you even asked this question suggests that you're going to be just fine. Good luck to you.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 8:44 PM on July 30, 2010

I've had seven different jobs in the past ten years. No recruiter or hiring manager has ever batted an eyelash or asked me why I have changed jobs so often. I have received offer letters for every single interview I've ever had. 18 months is about my target tenure at any given job. Generally speaking, I find that moving to new jobs is the best way to keep my career advancement moving at a steady clip. Too long at one company and they tend to take you for granted. I generally have a long term plan for leaving each company better than I found it that I implement as soon as I start. I do extensive documentation so transitioning in my replacement is smooth and easy. I generally get great recommendations from my previous employers, and they are usually pretty hip to the fact that I'm a fairly ambitious person and that's just my MO.
posted by signalnine at 8:47 PM on July 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Recently, I was reading a book about the workplace (or resumes, i can't remember) that put forth the argument that job-hopping has becoming an archaic idea. The gist of it is as follows:

In eras past, there was an unsaid agreement between employer and employee - it was expected that you would find a job with an employer and you would be there for life -- or at least until you retired. You would show up day-in-day-out, and in return there was some expectation of job security; your employer would not fire you without a good reason. Some time between then and now, being a job-hopper was given a negative connotation because it clearly meant that you weren't loyal to your employer.

Fast-forward to the 2000s. Because employers are universally interested (broad generalization i know) in employing cheap labor, your job is in constantly in jeopardy. The concept of "job security' barely exists. You could be downsized and replaced with someone who is just as qualified, younger, and cheaper at any moment. So if the employer's end of the agreement is no longer holding up, then the employee is more or less off the hook. Thus, some degree of job-hopping is more or less expected.

The book went on to state that employers these days tend to be more suspicious of potential employees that stay in the same job too long than they are of job-hoppers -- it implies a lack of motivation.
posted by frmrpreztaft at 1:08 AM on July 31, 2010

This is not job-hopping at all. The fact that many different departments within the same company wanted you and your skill set is actually more impressive than just sticking it out in exactly the same position for the 3 years you were there.

Was there any non-lateral movement involved in these various positions? That's even better.
posted by xingcat at 4:28 AM on July 31, 2010

From my experience as a hiring manager, there is nothing better to see on a resume than a good internal move at an employer: a promotion preferably, but a move to clearly better responsibilities does fine too.

It is really the gold standard credential. Plenty of people can charm their way into jobs, cram their way into high scores on school admission and professional licensing tests, etc., but laudatory internal moves are the result of your job and interpersonal skills being observed up close and at length and being found more than adequate by someone with a stake in making that judgment accurately.
posted by MattD at 7:59 AM on July 31, 2010