Job-hopping doesn’t seem to carry the same stigma in today’s job market as it once did.
A survey from CareerBuilder finds that 55% of American employers have hired a job-hopper, and 32% have come to expect workers to job-hop.
“More workers are pursuing opportunities with various companies to expose themselves to a wider range of experiences, build their skill sets, or take a step up the ladder in pay or title,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice-president of HR at CareerBuilder.
By the age of 35, 25% of workers have held five jobs or more. For workers age 55 and older, 20% have held 10 jobs or more.
While employers may be more accepting of job-hoppers, their expectations still tend to vary based on the candidate’s age. Forty-one percent of employers said that job-hopping becomes less acceptable when a worker reaches his or her early to mid-30s (age 30 or 35). Twenty-eight percent find job-hopping less acceptable after the age of 40.
Employers expect a higher rate of job-hopping among younger workers who are still trying to find their footing for their long-term career. When hiring a new graduate, 45% of employers expect the new hire to stay with the organization for two years or less, while 27% expect new college grads to stay five years or longer.
IT, an industry with a notable talent shortage and highly competitive recruitment tactics, has the largest percentage of employers that expect workers to job-hop. Rounding out the top five industries are IT (42%), leisure and hospitality (41%), transportation (37%), retail (36%) and manufacturing (32%).
The study shows that a significant number of employers (43%) won’t consider a candidate who’s had short tenures with several employers. However, others point to advantages in hiring people who have worked for numerous companies. Fifty-three percent of employers said job-hoppers tend to have a wide range of expertise, and can adapt quickly (51%).
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