Thanks to Mabel‘s comment and from it, I drew inspiration for this post. Below is an extraction from one of her comment:
“Working in many industries we go gain a wide-set of skills and we might find what we love doing. On the other hand, some might see this sort of person as being “floaty” or flaky, flitting from one job to another and that it will be hard to invest in things like property and shares later on.”
So is job hopping bad? I always believe that there both sides to a coin, nothing is truly bad if you do it with a little bit more thought and in moderation. If you job hop every 3 to 6 months and hop around without a purpose in mind, with various reasons of just because but not limited to:
– My pay is too low
– I hate my colleagues
– My boss hates me
– I wish I have more benefits
– I hate my job
Of course, all the above are valid reasons to quit a job however if you find yourself doing it one too many times, you need to ask yourself a really painful but realistic question: Is it them or the job unsuitable for you or is it you with unrealistic expectations?
However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with exploring different fields that you have been exposed to. Only trying out new things then will we grow as a person. Having a job is not all about putting food on our table and paying the bills, it is also about cultivating who you are and your growth. So before you make the decision to change your job, ask yourself earnest the following questions:
– Is the new job going to give you opportunities that your current job is unable to give you?
– Have you learned all you can learn from in your current company? In your current role?
– Is there anything else you haven’t explore within your role?
– Is the new job a step up from your current role? Meaning perhaps you are an engineer in your current position, is the new role going allow you to become a lead engineer in your field?
– Before you switch industry, are you satisfied that you have learned all you can about the workings of the industry?
These questions will provide you with the guidelines whether to move on or stay. Let me tell you this because to fully understand your role, you’ll need at least a year. The year will present its highs and lows surrounding your position, that’s also the reason why companies do evaluation of an incumbent yearly instead of quarterly because it is more accurate. And to understand your industry, you will need at least another year to fully understand how each departments in your company work and how they manage to collaborate with each other to produce the final product – the end results.
So to safely put across, yes a two years in your current position will not only helped you to see in-depth of the company but also help you to grow all around. I am using a medium size company to gauge the growth, of course the bigger the size of the company, the more to explore and to learn. Don’t just give up your job for a higher pay. Yes, realistically you should do that but you should also think about the growth and learning challenges the new company can give to you. Monetary compensation and benefits are superficial in exchange of self-satisfaction and self growth.
Let me share a true experience of mine:
I was very young and working in the retail industry because the money is extremely good. The job is easy enough and commission just kept flowing in. I learnt a lot from how to deal with difficult customers face to face and studied a great deal about body language; and because I was close with the store and area managers, from them I learnt even more about managing a store as well as tenancy agreements and how to pick a viable store location. I made myself available to befriend the back office folks and learnt about the logistics of goods receivables and what’s not. So much so I can run the store without any supervision by the end of my 1st year.
I was approached by an entrepreneur who wants a good independent administrative staff, someone who can help him to run his business on the paperwork end so that he could go out and procure more businesses for his company without worrying what’s going behind the scene. As his business is only starting, he couldn’t pay me very much. I took a pay cut of more than 50% with zero benefits and jump ship.
You must think I’m crazy. My parents thought so too. But I saw an opportunity that no one saw. I saw that from him I can learn how to run a business and to grow with a start-up company. I of course, being young, didn’t have much financial commitment except my monthly mobile bills. And I have never regretted my decision because I have gain so much in knowledge. I gave to him is my belief in his company and he gave to me is a triple promotion with pay raise once the business has picked up and was soaring with profits. That was the period, I learn how to use Microsoft Office, I learn how to acquire and liquidate a company and how I learn to become an operation manager of a school at a tender age. My reasoning was simple: Money can buy degrees but money can’t buy experience and education. My pay cut to me was the school fee in exchange for lifelong education and it was well worth it!
In comparison to some of my friends who either stayed where they are due to complacency and now they regret having stuck in the same company for more than 10 years or another group of my friends who kept hopping in and between jobs that they became jack of all trades and master of none. The key here is to find a comfortable balance and to truly identify the real opportunity.
Don’t see your career path as a list of companies you want to write in your résumé. See the different decisions as the next chapter in life. Be sure you have completely read that chapter before flipping the page.
Do you agree with me? Come and share your thoughts with me below. Or follow me here and Twitter for more updates.
MiddleMe 
Such an interesting article, Kally. I absolutely love that Kermit photo. Unbelievably cute 🙂 These days it is so important to keep learning, not only learning on the job but also learning through opportunities outside our job. Not only do roles change over time but that also assists us in making connections and moving on in life to where we want to be.
It really was brave and smart of you to join a start up company and very happy that it worked out for you. “Money can buy degrees but money can’t buy experience and education.” So, so true, and among other things too. On the other hand, staying in a job for a while – or in the same company – can guarantee one job security. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee that we will be satisfied doing what we do, but it does pay the bills. In Australia, it is still common to find people who work in the same organisation for ten or twenty years. Of course, in the unfortunate event that they get retrenched in their later years and still yearn for a job after that, it might be hard to move on on my levels.
At this stage in my life, I honestly don’t know what I want to do, and don’t believe in the way certain companies work, and it’s probably why I’m job hopping. Thank you for quoting me, I am flattered 🙂
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You’re most welcome!! It’s good to dip your toes in different industries to test your strengths and you might be in for a pleasant surprise!
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This post is so accurate with what I am currently experiencing in my own life . I actually have an interview today for a 9-5 job which isn’t going to be paid for the first few weeks but after that I will be paid an average amount-it will be working in an office .
The second job , which I had an interview for last week, is unpaid but travel expenses will be paid for- it will involve getting hands on experience of how a start up fashion business grows, I will be in charge of growing their online presence.
I was doubting whether or not I should take the 9-5 paid office job or the start up company unpaid job.
Reading this post , I feel like the unpaid job will give me a lot of experience in different fields , which will benefit me hugely for my future. Once this fashion company becomes successful , I am sure there will be an opportunity for me to get paid.
Another option is taking on both roles ( if my interview today goes well !) – since the fashion role is a very flexible one.
Thanks for this post Kally , it definitely helped me out ! :))
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I’m so happy that this post came at the right time for you!!! Yes, I agree that the unpaid job will expose you more to challenges as well as opportunities! Don’t forget people tends to admire those who work for passion and not money, you might even be poached after a few months working there if you network enough around the circle. You may wish to take two jobs, just make sure you don’t overstretched yourself and end up not putting your best in either job. Best of Luck, my friend! 🙂
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One of the things no one ever mentioned to me but I feel is critical with going for jobs is getting the right personality match to the job. I am very extroverted and creative and was going for jobs which used my writing skills in the Direct Marketing area. I ended up getting trained on how to set up databases from a data point of view and ended up working on my own with minimal people contact and was miserable. In one job I was in a back office without any windows and no outlook onto the outside world. In retrospect, I feel like a character from a Dicken’s novel. Others end up working with people when they’d love the back room. Know thyself is good advice! xx Rowena
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That is an extremely important point. I did wrote an article about Knowing What you want. I felt a lot of people might not know who they are and what they want, in the end not pursuing what they are good at. Thanks for sharing your points and dropping me a comment!
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You’re welcome.
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Perhaps there is another reason for quitting a job, or moving on to something more positive, more in line with your work ethic and values–you’ve discovered the very unsettling information that your boss is a word, when spelled backwards is double “s” “o.b.” Alas, most of ’em are!
Either that, or you just plain hate work!
Bill
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Good advice too!
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Hey! Would you like to join a forum blog that I have started? There writers and poets from around the world come together to write. Anyone and everyone is welcome! To get to know how to join click here: https://iamjishnu.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/where-writers-come-together/
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“Monetary compensation and benefits are superficial in exchange of self-satisfaction and self growth.” This statement really struck me to the core… So true; so wise. And the whole article so very instructive and well-written (as always). 😀
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Thanks Jonathan! Always happy to have you dropping by 🙂
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And always my privilege to drop in … and always beneficial, so THANK YOU! Keep up the excellent work; you offer a great deal very worth while reading and heeding! 😉
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Thanks for this one, Kally, I quite agree. Growing in a position is more than getting a raise, and a good job nurtures different parts of us, whether that be business skills, social opportunities, or good old fashioned life experience. I’ve been with my current position for going on three years now, and while the pay isn’t fantastic, it’s a role that has crazy opportunities connected to it on many levels, and is also just something that I love doing. I’ve also learned tons of skills from it that some of my friends have paid a lot of money to get in university, which I think is pretty rad! 😊
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I’m so happy that the post resounding with you. After all, isn’t life all about learning? What’s the point of getting a monetary raise when you don’t challenge your mentality?
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Yes, exactly! There are some interesting studies that have been done that basically concluded the old adage of, “money can’t buy happiness!”. But a challenge on the other hand…well, it brings me happiness at any rate! 😊
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Your idea that money can buy you degree but not experience is really cool but there are very few who really want to believe in this concept, generally they want less work and more money, because I have so many friends who just leave their jobs just because of low wages. Its really hard to accept even by me also to accept that true professionalism comes through long experiences with small foot steps. Because I am a person like who just want to jump on big aims without crossing short ones, but this blog will inspire me to start from small point. And yeah change is always good but it .will be more cool if it will be positive one.
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Everyone wants less work and more money. Haha! Well, if you can find a challenging job that comes with a good pay raise, then why not?
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👍
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Image is too cute I love it
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I know.. Kermit is super cute, right?
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👍
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On point.
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😊
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I’m a retired executive but I still love Kermit the frog. God bless Jim Henson 🐸
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Oh yes!! Love his work. Jim Henson is a genius!! Do come back and read more. Have a wonderful Sunday!
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Reblogged this on Olamatts007's Blog.
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Thanks for sharing my articles!!
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Kally, your article is on point, and certainly deserve a reblog 😉
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Awww.. Thanks for the support!!
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You’re most welcome!
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Reblogged this on Simply Etta D. and commented:
Great read, especially if you’re thinking about job hopping 😉
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I think Job hopping is good because it allows us to explore our talents and skills in the same type of job which may be different from the one we are currently doing. Nice post 🙂
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Thanks a lot!
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I’ve been a salesperson, delivery man, painter, musician, teacher, and attorney, among other things. I’ve learned from all of those experiences, and I draw from them all the time.
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Wow!! That’s really diversified! I bet you gain a lot of experience from that.
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Great post.I have read many resumes and find the gaps often provide the best stories of life experience. They often have turned an individual into it a well-rounded person while adding a new skill set to their professional toolbox. I think you and your readers might enjoy this post “Riddled with anxiety over my future”
https://reallifeofanmsw.com/2016/08/14/2909
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Thank you! The most important part is not let that empty gap turned into an empty space where you can’t explain or remember what you did.
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