Job Hopping Can Hurt You
As companies start hiring again, people who stayed put during the slow economy may be ready to move again.
But how is job-hopping currently perceived by employers?
During the dot-com era, it was normal and more acceptable for people to go from one job to the next for what looked like better opportunities. But these days, although employers expect to see some transitions after several years of downsizing and restructuring, they'd prefer a little more stability.
This is especially true for those who have been in the work force for awhile.
"In today's world, people are more lenient for the first two or three jobs," says Dianne Durkin, president of Loyalty Factor, a Portsmouth, N.H., consulting firm. "After that, they want to see some stability and they want to see some progression."
Indeed, for people at manager levels, it usually takes at least two years to get some results or make an impact in a job, says Heather Corcoran, a Palo Alto, Calif., career coach. For more senior-level executives, it is often more of a two-to-four year commitment. "It can just take that long to initiate and execute new strategies or programs," she adds.
Of course, job hopping is more acceptable in some industries than in others. Technology companies may be more willing to hire a job hopper than, for example, service-sector areas such as law or accounting, where employees build relationships over time and require lots of practical experience.
Many employers say it really comes down to each individual's experience. "If I see someone who has been at a company for 10 years but hasn't done anything related to our specialties, they can't help me," says Todd Noah, a principal at R.K. Executive Search LLC, an affiliate of Rothstein Kass & Co., an accounting firm in Roseland, N.J. "But if that person had held three jobs in a short amount of time and gained relevant experience, I'd hire them."
Others say it's not the actual job-hopping that makes them nervous, but the possible behavior it can indicate.
Wendy Alfus-Rothman, president of the Wenroth Group, a consortium of business psychologists in New York, says when she sees job-hopping on a résumé, she questions if that person has the ability to build and sustain relationships. She also explores if the person blames others for their short-term jobs or has a positive attitude despite the changes.
Depending on how the candidate responds to the questions about his or her job-hopping, Ms. Alfus-Rothman says that she can figure out the person's level of accountability, self-awareness and resilience. "No one wants a person without these qualities, whether they have worked for one company all their lives or changed position every six months to a year," she adds.
So job-hoppers should be prepared to thoroughly explain their various positions. There are several ways to help minimize the employer's focus on the number of jobs and more on the quality of the candidate.
The candidates can stress that their experiences have prepared them for different situations, departments and projects. They can also add that the variety of experiences proves that they can handle different situations simultaneously.
In addition, work seekers could incorporate a reference from one or more of their former employers during the job-hopping period. "This will help point out the fact that you are a valued employee and demonstrate that your loyalty and work ethic are central characteristics and are valued by your former employers even after leaving," adds Beth Doling, a marketing coordinator at LucasGroup, an Atlanta search firm.
But despite best efforts to explain the moves, "not everyone is going to be receptive to a person who has moved around a lot," says Roy Cohen, a New York career counselor.
Just be prepared: "You can't take that personally."
频繁跳槽可能对你不利
随著各行各业又开始招聘新人，很多迫于经济形势低迷没有换成工作的人现在可能蠢蠢欲动了。
可是，如今雇主们是如何看待频繁跳槽的呢？
在网络泡沫时期，看到更合适的工作就走人是很正常的事，也是容易让人接受的。而如今，尽管雇主们预计几年的收缩规模和重组会使很多人频繁变动工作，但他们仍然希望看到具有稳定性的人才。
对于那些已经工作多年的人来说，这一点尤其重要。
“如今的社会，刚开始工作时跳两三次槽，人们不会觉得什么”，新罕布什尔州一家咨询公司Loyalty Factor的总裁戴安娜?杜金(Dianne Durkin)说。“但随后，就应该表现出一定的稳定性，并且在工作中提高自己的能力”。
事实上，对于经理级的人物来说，通常至少也要两年的功夫才能干出点成绩，开始在工作中发挥自己的影响，加州一位就业培训师希瑟?科科伦(Heather Corcoran)说。如果是更高级的管理人士，时间就更长了，至少得专心工作2－4年。“这么长的时间才足以提出并实行新的战略和项目”，她补充说。
当然，有的行业比其他行业更能接受频繁跳槽的人才。科技公司就会比法律、会计等服务业公司更乐于雇佣常常跳槽的人。在服务业供职的人需要时间来建立客户关系，而且需要很多实践经验。
很多雇主认为这要看个人的具体情况。“如果我看到一个人在原来的公司干了十年，但他的工作与我们需要的专业毫无关系，我还是不会考虑他”，R.K. Executive Search LLC的一位主管托德?诺亚(Todd Noah)说。“而尽管有的人短时间内换了三份工作，但如果获得了我们所需要的相关经验，我还是会雇佣这些人的。”R.K. Executive Search LLC是新泽西州会计公司Rothstein Kass & Co.的关联公司。
有人说，并不是跳槽本身让他们觉得有什么不对，而是跳槽可能反映出来的个人行为特点。
Wenroth Group总裁温迪?罗斯曼(Wendy Alfus-Rothman)说，当她看到简历上的人换了多份工作，她就会怀疑这个人是否有能力建立和保持客户关系。她还会看看这个人是把工作干不长归咎于他人呢，还是会用一种积极的态度看待换工作。Wenroth Group是一个由商业心理学家组成的团体。
不同的求职者会对跳槽的原因做出不同的解释，罗斯曼可以从这些解释中判断出这些人的可信度、自我意识和适应能力。“没有人愿意雇佣缺乏这些能力的人，不管这些人是在一家公司干了一辈子，还是半年到一年就换份新工作”，她补充说。
因此，爱跳槽的人需要做好准备，他们很可能在求职过程中被问及常换工作的原因。有一些方法可能帮助这些求职者将招聘单位的注意力从他们跳槽的次数上转移开，而更加专注于求职者本身的素质。
求职者可以强调多种工作经历使他们可以适应不同的工作环境、部门和项目。他们还可以说，多种工作经验令人具备同时处理多种情况的能力。
除此之外，求职者找工作的时候还可以带一份前雇主的推荐信。亚特兰大一家猎头公司Lucas Group的营销协调人贝丝?多林(Beth Doling)说，“这可以说明，你是一个有价值的雇员，即使在你离开之后，你的前雇主依然赞许你的珍贵品质--忠诚和职业道德。
尽管尽力作出了解释，可“并非所有的人都喜欢频繁跳槽的人”，纽约一位职业发展顾问罗伊?科恩(Roy Cohen)说。
你要做好准备：“不要将跳槽和个人情绪联系起来”。
