Is Job Hopping Bad for the Careers of Gen Zers? We Asked Experts for Their Insight

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4 days ago

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Liz Coulbourn
Work in Progress is a column about finding your way in the working world. Have a question for Rainesford Stauffer? Send it to [e-mail].
I've been through two layoffs over the last three years. My current job is okay, but it can get extremely tedious, frustrating, and often both. There are aspects of this work that I wasn't quite prepared to deal with, like managing client expectations, and it's causing a lot of stress. I would like to look for something else, but I'm worried about what having three jobs over three years means for my resume. —AD, Canada
Moving from job to job over a short stretch of time, a.k.a. 'job-hopping,' is a practice that has been in the headlines for years. Millennials were dubbed the 'job-hopping generation,' and then similar claims were also made about Gen Z. A 2023 report from ResumeLab noted that of the over 1,100 Gen Z workers it surveyed, 83% considered themselves 'job-hoppers,' and 19% said they had plans to stay in their current job for no more than a year.
Generational discourse aside, the current labor market has shifted thoughts on how viable job- hopping actually is. Some experts say that changing jobs for a better salary or to move up in the workplace isn't necessarily happening as much right now, in part because there's less 'churn' in the workforce overall. Workers aren't switching jobs (or getting fired) as often, so there are fewer jobs to move into. Recent reporting from Business Insider detailed that overall job openings are down and hiring is occurring at its slowest pace in roughly a decade.
Still, recent reporting from Fortune cited an ADP Research report outlining that about 75% of workers end up leaving a role before they ever get promoted within the workplace they're ditching. The unsteady political and economic environment might mean some people are staying put, but others may still seek out new positions as the cost of living increases or as companies revoke remote or hybrid work policies.
Marcia Robinson, founder of the HBCU Career Center, tells Teen Vogue that there are many reasons younger workers want to move around the job arena. Part of it, she says, 'is they just don't feel they should put up with jobs that are not feeding them or allowing them to be able to do what else they want to in their lives.'
Many don't want to repeat cycles they might have seen grandparents or parents endure, she adds, such as being loyal to a longtime employer only to be laid off or end up with the bare minimum for retirement. Younger workers also know that what companies are looking for is changing.
We're in a skills market, Dr. Robinson explains, and it's rapidly shifting what companies need and look for: 'If they're in an opportunity that's not allowing them to grow or learn or build the skills they want, they might see leaving and going someplace else as an opportunity.'
We spoke to experts about how to address job changes during interviews, and whether you really need to 'stick it out' for a year.
Why make the switch?
People switch jobs for all kinds of reasons. According to a 2023 report from LinkedIn, the main reasons millennials or Gen Z'ers consider changing jobs include higher compensation, opportunities to grow in a career, and flexible work arrangements.
In addition, a 2023 research brief for the Shift Project found that younger workers who changed jobs during the 'great resignation' period of the COVID-19 pandemic found better positions with improved compensation and scheduling. This contradicts the popular but unsubstantiated claim that young people simply left jobs during this time because they didn't want to work. In reality, many young workers were in roles deemed 'essential' in the early years of the pandemic, while others struggled to find employment at all.
The flip side of narratives about young people who don't want to work is that a lot of jobs don't pay well, don't provide good benefits, and have challenging schedules, says Kristen Harknett, a sociologist at the University of California San Francisco and co-director with the Shift Project. Young workers may worry that moving around could be viewed negatively by future employers but, Dr. Harknett tells Teen Vogue, the 'workers come, workers go' approach is bad for everyone. The churn in the workforce isn't just the result of employees moving from one job to another, she explains; it also stems from the choice by employers 'to say we're not going to work to hold on to the workers we have, we'll just keep hiring new ones.'
Dr. Harknett continues, 'It's no surprise that it would be hard to attract workers if the jobs themselves are so unappealing,' so it's worth flipping the script and asking whether these jobs are 'reasonable to expect somebody to want to pursue.'
How long should you stick around?
When we spoke to experts about quitting for a previous column, many suggested that the oft-repeated phrase 'Stick it out for a year' isn't one-size-fits-all advice. The decision depends on your situation, including financial realities, and whether you're comfortable with the potential consequences of leaving after one year.
Paige Soltano, director of placement and outreach for Silberman College of Business at Fairleigh Dickinson University, doesn't think there is a specific amount of time one should stay in a job, though she does like to say a year. That gives you time to onboard and understand the expectations, contribute, and go through different seasons, she explains. During that time you're learning skills that will be useful, whether you stick with your current job or move on.
But if the job is negatively impacting your well-being, Dr. Robinson says, she'd rather see someone job-hop than 'stay in a position two to three years and be so beaten down that when they leave, or they get let go because their work has suffered because of it, then they need months to regroup.'
Think through what might be asked of you
Dr. Robinson advises thinking ahead to the questions a hiring manager or recruiter might ask based on your resume. Their perspective could be that if you've been in a previous job for under a year, you might dislike the industry. You want to counter that in your cover letter, your resume, your LinkedIn profile, and your interview, Dr. Robinson advises: 'You want to emphasize how much you've actually learned. You want to talk about what your goals are, and how it is that what you're trying to move into aligns or fits with the goals that you have longer term.'
During your interview, Dr. Robinson suggests, use language like: 'Here's why this step was really important. It allowed me to learn about XYZ. It introduced me to XYZ concept. I worked on a project that showed me XYZ is really important to me, so I want to pursue more of that.'
She adds, 'Just have that answer ahead of time. Focus on your ability to learn and the skills that you pull[ed] together in the time you did work for an organization. You can be a significant contributor even in a short time.'
Consider what you need before moving on
Before moving into a new role, experts suggest, take stock of what you're hoping to gain by leaving. Keep factors like job satisfaction, compensation, and lifestyle in mind, Soltano advises, and consider what you think the next job should offer — then make a list of pros and cons.
Soltano also notes the importance of trying to leave on a high note, including staying in touch with colleagues: 'Maybe the last three jobs, for whatever reason, didn't work out. [But] it's a small world, and you don't know who's going to remember you at the next job.'
Dr. Robinson encourages workers to practice what she calls 'scanning the horizon' of the industry, looking into what political, economic, environmental, social, or legal factors might be shaping a field. 'Is this a growing industry? Is this an industry that's disappearing?' Robinson asks. Ideally, you want to be in an industry that will grow with you.
That may also count for your current job: Could you ask for a promotion or apply for different roles within the organization? As Dr. Robinson puts it, when you're looking for a company where you want to apply, 'is it one that has a ladder that you can move up? Is it one that has bridges that you can move around?'
Dr. Robinson also reframes the idea of changing jobs: 'You're seeking better and better alignment,' she explains, between the industry, your values, skills, and interests. She encourages young workers to be bold and unambiguous about who they are and what they're interested in when writing cover letters and resumes, on LinkedIn, and in person. 'It doesn't mean job-hopping is the end of your life,' she says. 'See it as a ladder.'
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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
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