The allure if greener pastures can inevitably lure ambitious young professionals into embarking on a job-hopping journey - impelling them to switch jobs without much consideration about how it will affect their portfolio. Many have fallen prey to the illusion of better prospects. But is job-hopping for career advancement merely a mirage or does it truly pay?

By NAZRY BAHRAWI

Unlike the previous generation of employees who takes pride in being selflessly loyal to a single employer during their entire working life, young professionals today are more prone to switching jobs, signaling a lack of the corporate loyalty that had branded their predecessors.

Ten years ago, this tendency to job-hop could prove to be a rather worrisome employment trend but given today’s increasingly globalised world, where employers are more susceptible to hire contract workers, job-hopping could understandably be viewed as an unavoidable option for some.

But what do the experts say? Lim Der Shing, a consultant with career services firm JobsFactory, commented, “The nature of the employer – employee relationship has been changing much over the past decade. Nowadays, many employers and employees do not see themselves partnering together over the next 10 years. ” He cited the changing business climate as a major factor that could have contributed to this trend of jobseekers resorting to job-hopping.

In a phone interview, Der Shing aptly pointed out that the slew of large stable conglomerates of the past have now either merged with other companies or downsized their operations, resulting in retrenchment of workers.

Taking an example from the banking industry to illustrate Der Shing’s point further, many local banks have had to merge in order to prepare themselves to fight the battle on the regional and local front against global giants like HSBC and CitiCorp. One such local bank who has successfully grew itself over the years via mergers and acquisitions is United Overseas Bank (UOB).

For UOB, to survive means to evolve and restructure. This unavoidably leads to retrenching some of its workers. Given that more of such large companies have restructured their operations and retrenched their staff by way of cutting down cost.

The affected individuals are left with little choice but to grapple with their situation by looking for immediate job vacancies to tide them over. Many would find themselves in jobs that may not actually be their preferred career choice. As a result of their unhappiness, these workers might possibly resort to job-hopping until they get settled into a position in which they are comfortable with.

When asked if job-hopping signifies a healthy market trend, Der Shing’s thought-provoking reply was, “Job hopping, if practised without any concrete career planning, will spell disaster for the worker in general. While it is normal for young graduates to change jobs until they find a comfortable post, this experimentation has to stop in order to gain concrete exposure and experience.”

Perhaps a more positive after-effect that has emerged from the changing business climate is the mushrooming of new companies by younger members of the workforce. Refusing to let the lack of stable jobs deny them of economic advancement, the young are braving the uncertainties by tapping into their creative juices and entrepreneurship valour. Although some recently registered businesses are struggling and others have failed, such set-ups are ultimately generators of employment opportunities and a possible prevention to the job-hopping phenomenon for these young entrepreneurs.

UNDERSTANDING THE JOBSEEKER’S PSYCHE

In addition to finding one’s place in their respective field of expertise, monetary remuneration is one of the major reasons why professionals change jobs. Grace Loh, a recent 23-year old Accountancy graduate, admitted to switching jobs thrice in six months.

“Lucrative offers presented themselves and my salary increased each time I job-hopped,” she shared.

Manisha, a financial consultant, confirms Der Shing’s earlier reading of the market trend when she said, “Job-hopping is an accepted norm among my friends. We need to explore the various opportunities before finally establishing ourselves, but not too much though!”

Although many young professionals share both their sentiments, there are still some who refuse to succumb to the job-hopping fad, preferring to stick to their current jobs for at least a few years. Steven Jay, a 28-year old research officer working in the biotechnology industry, feels that he should remain in the same job for at least three years. He believes that growing with one company is essential for a bright future.

Amidst the myriad viewpoints, Der Shing provides a voice of reason, cautioning job seekers and employees not to harbour unreasonable expectations. He says, “While monetary increases is often a valid reason to change jobs, one should realize that work environment, long term career prospects, colleagues and company culture are equally important factors in determining an ideal job.”

Steven commented, “Your future employer, who is probably looking for a long term employee, might not be impressed with your jobhopping tendencies. They might mistakenly perceive that you do not get along with your colleagues or employers, and that you are not committed to a particular organisation.”

Others like 29-year old Karen, who has been a civil servant for the past three years, remains unimpressed with the jobhopping frenzies of her peers. She says, “One has to bear in mind that problems with work, colleagues and employers occur everywhere. No job is perfect.”

Given the viewpoints of individuals like Steven and Karen, it seems clear then that not everyone in the workforce today is in favour of job-hopping because of its negative stigmas and apparent disadvantages. In addition, frequently job-hoppers have to be prepared with legitimate answers when queried on their employment history. Future job interviews may prove sticky when one is cornered with prodding questions about the person’s work history.

According to a self-confessed job-hopper who declined to be named, interviewers she has met tend to wonder about her implied restlessness and inability to stay for more than six months in her previous employments. “I do wish I had stayed a little longer in my previous employments. This would have made my resume look much more attractive.”

The answers from our interviewees indicate that there are advantages and disadvantages to job-hopping. It is advantageous in that it provides jobseekers with experience, knowledge of the industry and valuable skills. This, however, should be tapered with the need for stability, to grow with one’s company and climb the corporate ladder.

Here is a valuable advice for jobseekers – only switch if it offers you a much better career advancement or monetary prospects, or if your current company is proving intolerable to work for. In all other instances, do give yourself a chance to get rooted in your chosen profession by building up your portfolio in your current company. After all, a bad reputation may prove fatal to your career.

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