Job hopping is the pattern of switching jobs quickly, usually under three years. In the tech industry, this pattern has become the norm (at least before all these layoffs started), and it's used as the primary method of boosting your salary and career prospects.
Job hopping used to be taboo, but changing jobs every two to three years has become widely accepted.
There has been a generational shift in the last few years: years ago, employees worked for the same company for decades and wanted to be loyal.
“Rather than letting their progress be dictated by a single employer, many workers felt empowered to actively manage their own careers: moving between companies as needed to advance, gain new skills or look for new opportunities.”[The case for job hopping]
Over the last few years, though, employees have been rejecting the notion of company loyalty and starting to do what suits them best.
[...]They should be intentional and strategic with each career move, and they need to be prepared to explain those transitions when discussing their job history with future employers.[What Is Job Hopping? (Pros, Cons and Considerations)]
What are the positive aspects of job hopping?
Higher salary
When you stay in the same company for several years, the usual salary increase you can get is 4%. However, when you change jobs, you can receive a significant pay rise of 8%+.
Variety of experience
Changing jobs frequently exposes you to various skills and domains you wouldn't be able to gain if you stayed at the same company for a long time.
Adaptability
Changing jobs frequently may also signal that you can quickly adapt to a new environment and, therefore, impact the company soon.
Career growth
Managers cannot always give you a promotion for reasons outside their control (position not being available, budget not being enough, hierarchy, etc.). Job hopping allows you to get your desired promotion at a different company.
New environment
Job hopping allows you to experience a new environment with new colleagues and managers and perhaps better internal processes.
How can job hopping hurt your career?
Limited professional growth
When you frequently switch jobs, you cannot absorb enough information and experience to be successful in the long run. When you stay in the same company for a reasonable amount of time (3+ years), you learn the company's domain and the business challenges the domain may carry. This knowledge can significantly benefit you in the future.
“An employee moving jobs too often can mean they aren’t in a position long enough to truly learn the role or gain new skills,” says Thomas. “It can ultimately damage a person’s career: it may be challenging to demonstrate to a new employer previous proficiency and achievements.”[The case for job hopping]
Weak social connections
Switching jobs too frequently doesn't allow you to build solid connections with your colleagues. This may hurt you if you ever need a referral or endorsement from a colleague in the future. Having a solid network is crucial, especially during these difficult times.
It may look bad on your resume
Even though switching jobs frequently has mainly become accepted, some recruiters and hiring managers may be reluctant to consider someone who displays a pattern of consistently changing jobs on their resume.
Is job hopping in tech bad in the end?
This depends on how you go about job-hopping.
If you intend to job-hop solely to get a salary bump, you'll eventually reach a point where it becomes unsustainable.
However, job hopping strategically can benefit your career when you stay in a job long enough to gain skills and experience you can leverage in your next role.
A balanced approach would be ideal. Staying at a job for less than a year isn't smart, but working for the same company for 10+ years would mean leaving too much money on the table.
The ideal approach would be to have a balance between short and long job experiences.
Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter if you enjoyed this article.