The modern work culture has conditioned us to view frequent job-hopping as a negative behavior. Some employers perceive switching jobs with frequency as a lack of commitment, inability to adapt, and weak work ethic. Many people from Gen Z who are job-seeking or settling into their very first jobs are often warned to avoid job-hopping if they ever want to advance their careers.
However, we may be sending them the wrong message. A significant portion of Gen Z workers consider themselves “job hoppers.” In fact, a 2023 study by ResumeLab found that 83% of Gen Z workers identify as such. Despite common perceptions, job hopping can actually benefit you rather than harm you. Here are three benefits Gen Z is getting from job hopping:
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Moving between jobs frequently can help you enhance your skills by dabbling in different areas of work. You can get exposure to a wide range of industries, tools, and processes that will allow you to advance in your career more quickly than you might think.
If you stay at one job for a long time, you may not be able to develop your skill set as much as you’d like to since you would only be complying with one particular company’s standards, limiting yourself from opportunities in other industries and organizations. In today’s competitive job market, a diverse skill set can help differentiate you from other candidates and make a memorable impression on employers.
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A popular misconception about job hopping is that you will not be able to advance in your career if you are frequently changing your jobs. However, starting a new job doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be starting from ground zero all over again. You may possess all of the necessary skills and experience required for a certain job — and your employer may not even see frequent job-hopping as an issue.
Believe it or not, job hopping can also advance your career by increasing your salary. An analysis of 18 million worker salaries from Yahoo! Money, as reported on by the BBC, discovered that individuals who stayed at the same companies for longer periods earned lower salaries than those who hopped. This is often because pay rates for new positions tend to be competitive, while raises for existing roles don’t always match market rates.
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If you’re a frequent job hopper, you’re more likely to grow your network, which is a clear path to better career opportunities. You’ll be able to demonstrate your skills to all different types of people in your industry. The more people you know, the better chances you’ll have at advancing your career!
According to Zippia’s networking statistics85% of jobs are found through networking. 70% of those positions are never even publicly published since they are filled by networking.
Connecting with experienced professionals and developing relationships with those in your industry can be much more useful than any resume! You just need to know how to find them (and one way to find them is through frequent job-hopping).
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Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.
