Job hopping isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, but its popularity has led to many people, both armchair and actual experts, sharing their views online about its pros and cons.

Fervent supporters of job hopping point to advantages like the freedom to try out different occupations and the ability to negotiate a higher salary, while critics highlight the trend’s inherent flaws, such as potentially gaining a reputation for lack of loyalty and self-centeredness.

Despite having convincing arguments on both sides, it can be difficult to choose if job hopping is really for you, so these are just a few considerations that you should think about before jumping on the bandwagon.

What are your intentions?

While there’s no shame in wanting to job hop simply for a pay raise, there are other reasons to do it that goes beyond just wanting to get that bag, especially when the job market is as tough as it is today and interviews are getting harder to secure.

One such reason is to find the job that suits your personality and lifestyle, because let's face it, sticking to a job that you’re constantly dragging your feet to get to isn't something you'd want to spend most of your adult life doing.

For example, maybe you prefer a fast paced sector that taps on your creativity, and gives you different challenges to take on like marketing or sales, or perhaps you prefer a more structured environment that is on the quieter side, and requires highly technical skills like engineering or biotechnology. 

Taking this opportunity to find the right job or industry that fits you when you first enter the workforce has many different perks. Not only will it help you ensure that you are satisfied with your job, but also allows you to align your long term personal goals with your career and can help weed out toxic work environments that you may not want to stay in for long. 

Do you have any important obligations?

Another reason why the start of your career is a good time to job hop is that you’re less likely to have any major life obligations that require career stability. Starting work as a fresh graduate is essentially a clean slate, and you’re free to pick any path that you wish to choose. 

Think about it: older adults often need to deal with responsibilities like children, large expenses (housing, car, etc.), and ageing parents, meaning that they’re less likely to make risky decisions or drastic career moves at this stage that will compromise their fiscal security.
 

This, however, doesn’t mean that you should just submit your letter of resignation tomorrow morning. It's still important to make an assessment of your current life status to make sure that job-hopping won’t impact any part of your life in a major way, which includes making sure you have enough in the bank to tide you over while job-hunting. 

It's a crucial part in making sure that this experience goes well for you, and having some sort of fool-proof plan is advisable before diving headfirst into job-hopping.  

How adventurous are you?

Let’s be honest, job hopping isn’t for everyone. The process can be gruelling, and stressful, especially for those who are more adverse to risk or struggle to do interviews. That’s why it's important to ask yourself if job hopping even appeals to you?

For some, the point of doing so is to experience something completely different, take on new challenges, acquire new skills, and put themselves to the test. For others, it might sound like a total nightmare; having to work up the courage to leave a position you’ve just gotten comfortable with, going through the whole job hunting process, working your way through interviews, and facing rejection.

This is why you need to reflect on your own individual personality and aspirations before making the decision to try this out. If you’re someone who just isn’t a fan of such a trend or find that it's not something that aligns well with your life, then don’t feel pressured by everyone who’s doing it and take things at your own pace.  

After all, job hopping should positively impact your professional and personal life, alongside your development, and if it's stressing you out, then it's probably not worth investing time in. 

Are you willing to accept the outcome?

There are undoubtedly many different upsides to job hopping, but there are also some “negative” aspects that have inadvertently arisen from this trend. The simple, but unfortunate fact is that not everyone views it in a favourable light. In fact, job-hoppers are sometimes perceived negatively, which are often rooted in more traditional beliefs from older generations. 

Such attitudes are often perpetuated due to assumptions that people who partake in this trend lack loyalty and resilience, leading to HR departments to offer less considerations to candidates who have many different roles within a short period of time listed on their resume. 

These ‘frequent applicants’, as they are known, are quickly deemed as undesirable by recruiters who interpret their good intentions as red flags like commitment issues and an absence of professional direction. In fact, applicants may not even get a chance to explain themselves since they aren’t considered for interviews. 

As such, perceptions like these can and will impact your chances during your job search, and you’ll need to keep this in mind, especially if you’re choosing to leave jobs after short periods of time.

Job Hopping Essentials: A Graduate’s Guide

So, is job-hopping right for you? 

Unfortunately, the answer is that it depends. While an inconclusive ending is a frustrating one, one thing that is certain is that job hopping really isn’t for everyone. The common denominators for those who succeed in using such a tactic is that they have a clear objective that they are working towards and are unafraid of risks. 

Be it experience, salary, or even personal fulfilment, those who job hop frequently understand the cons and are still willing to put the pros on the line for what they deem is better than their status quo. This seems to be the most likely path to success for job hoppers, and it could also work for you as well. 

As long as you’re transparent about your intentions during the interview, you don’t have to worry about anyone questioning the credibility of your experience, so feel free to do a little self-reflection and make the right moves for yourself and your life.