Changing Jobs The Advantages of Being a Job Hopper

Changing Jobs The Advantages of Being a Job Hopper What some call moving on, or even moving up, others negatively dub “job hopping.” The decision to switch jobs relatively often is controversial. Will a company be willing to hire someone if their resume demonstrates a history of frequent job changes? There could be some downsides to switching jobs fairly often, but there are definitely some significant benefits as well. Let’s take a closer look at the potential upsides. 1. You’ll learn more. One of the pitfalls of staying with the same job, or even the same company, for too long is that it can start to feel as though you’re not growing. When you try something new, you experience and learn different skills that could propel your career. It’s good to continue to grow and learn, and changing jobs helps us get us there. This principle is especially true for those working in industries that move quickly, such as technology. “While job hopping has a negative connotation; this is more about a resource providing value to a company, and then realizing there is nothing more to learn in that environment,” says Laurie Lopez, Partner and Senior General Manager in the IT Contracts division at WinterWyman, at Forbes. “In order to keep their skills fresh, it is necessary for technologists to remain current in a highly competitive market.” Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions and subtitles off, selectedAudio TrackFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.PlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  Playback Rate1xFullscreen 2. It helps to be excited about what you do. This is especially true for millennials who value honesty, purpose, and autonomy. We all want to be excited by our jobs, but millennials (who make up a huge percentage of the workforce) have gained a reputation for looking for more than just compensation when weighing job offers. In fact, workers of all generations understand the value of being excited about what they do; and, this can be difficult to achieve when you stay in one place for a long time. Even just the willingness to move on might help us get what we want from employers. Read More: Why Most People Quit Their Jobs 3. It could help you increase your salary. It’s important, essential even, to negotiate your salary. You should be an active part of the process, not merely a passive recipient of the deal. When people change jobs, they’re often looking for better compensation as a part of the switch. When done right, job hopping could help you earn more money. Just remember to also factor in other aspects of the work, like vacation time, benefits, and flexibility. Read Next: Millennials, the Best Time to Quit Your Terrible Job Is Now The bottom line is that if you’re willing to job hop for more money, you’ll probably find the opportunity to do just that. Another article in Forbes recently noted that the average employee can expect a raise of about 3 percent when staying with the same company, but they might receive a 10 percent or even 20 percent increase when leaving and starting a new job. Perhaps our old ideas about job hopping are out-of-date. Today’s workers expect more and are willing to go after what they need and want. This could lead to some very positive financial and professional outcomes. Read Next: How to Quit Your Job Without Burning Bridges More From PayScale: 5 Ways to Fake Confidence Survey: 76% of Workers Are More Productive Outside of the Office Real Work-Life Balance Starts With Your Boss