Hopping on New Opportunity? Pros and Cons of Being a Career Butterfly

Back then, when someone is switching careers after short period of tenure (usually one or two years), he would be considered as being unstable and disloyal. Owing to such perception, job hopping is often seen as negative behaviour and thus discouraged by employers. However, in today’s rapidly evolving society, job hopping is no longer seen as a peculiar behaviour.

For younger generations entering the workforce such as Millennials, job hopping has become a common practice. Instead of seeing it as a form of unfaithfulness, they see job hopping as an effort to seek faster upward mobility in career.

According to recent survey by Gallup, 66 percent Millennials are open to a new job opportunity. 21 percent Millennials respondents say that they have changed jobs within the past year. Compared to other generation, those who are born between 1980 and 1996 have been widely-known with reputation as job-hoppers.

Considering this trend, what actually makes job hopping so attractive for Millenials, while being resented by some other generations? Here are the pros and cons of being a career butterfly:

PROS

Receive higher salary

Let’s face it. Among other reasons, better financial offer from other companies remains to be the main force for people to change jobs. When you have the right experience and skillsets needed by a company, you can get a higher salary than what you earn in your current organisation.

Have more options

Millennials possess a high level of curiosity, they do not want to be bound in a monotonous and tedious routine. Instead of staying in a single company for a long period, they want to explore other job options out there. In addition, they are always in the position to search for a job that suits their passion best.

Build broader network

Job hopping means that you have to interact with new managers, co-workers, and customers. Connecting with multiple companies will develop your network, as well as give you chance to observe how people conduct their business in diverse fields of expertise. You can also get access to wider resources that you cannot get from a single organisation.

Demonstrate soft skills

People who switch careers usually have great skills. Adapting from one company to another is not easy. Therefore, job hopper usually has a great adaptability, flexibility, and communication skills. In addition, they are also open to change and do not hesitate for experiment, including taking risks.

CONS

Employers want loyalty and endurance

Past attitudes can be used to predict future behaviour. When hiring managers see that there is a long list of employers within a short period of time, they could be hesitant to offer you the acceptance letter. Onboarding and training new hires can cost high prices, so employers do not want the gamble hiring someone who will likely leave after couple of years.

Insecurity at jobs

When the worst scenario occurs such as economic downturn that forces company to conduct employee lay-offs, chances are, job hopper might be asked to go first.

Difficulty to build relationship

Build strong relationship takes time, and you simply cannot do that in your job hopping. It is true that you can get to know more people from diverse backgrounds. However, that does not mean that you know them well to build a strong business relationship. This will weaken your professional network and thus suffer your future opportunity in the long run.

Shallow experience

Not all skills can be acquired and learned in a short time. While you have the opportunity to try many new things, does not mean you can easily master the skills required to excel in the field. In addition, within short tenure, job hopper cannot give a meaningful impact for the company.

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