Job Hopping

I had a long meeting with Jemalin the other day to discuss career development and self-efficacy. This is such an interesting topic. I’m considered a “hopper.” I’ve bounced around from job to job and from position to position, trying in most cases to move up with each hop, and definitely trying to get 15-20% more with each hop too. When I was in contracting, this was the norm. People jumped constantly. It was almost an expectation. Why do I say that? Because the programs to try and keep people were non-existent. The rationale seemed to be, that if you don’t like it, feel free to leave, rather than promoting health and welfare employee programs to get people to be loyal. It’s not a good or bad thing, it just “was.” And in many cases having all that hopping helped create a sense of community within the industry and kept things fresh at the organization level. 

Within the past 3 or 4 years, I moved to go to work with a non-profit that focuses on training. This is a great “hop” because this helps me fine-tune and specialize my skill as well as support the community. What’s interesting is that this organization has a completely different attitude toward employee loyalty. This is a place with most people down my hallway having easily 10+ years with the company. Many have 15 or 20 years. 

Unlike in the contracting world where you had to petition your boss for a raise and prove why you deserve it, “what more are you doing to justify me paying you more” . . . Raises at the non-profit are annual and automatic. The difference? At the contractor, you would get 10% or 15% raise. At the non-profit . . . 2.5 or 3% max. When my employees come to me for more, I hesitate because I always want to say, the best way to move up fast, . . . “Hop.” So, it’s an interesting dynamic. 

What I find interesting, and to bring it back to your post, is that the social dynamic of a 401K and an IRA have made it easier to hop than to stay. Pensions? Who has those anymore? I wonder though if they may not make a comeback. 

As my final position at the contracting company, I was the Director of Career Development. We had 7000 employees and what I kept seeing is that kiddos who saw their parents suffer through the 2010s etc were more apt to want “solidity” from their jobs rather than fulfillment or high pay. They wanted to know it wasn’t going to be pulled out from under them. I wonder if kids who saw their parent laid off through Covid will want the same thing but more so. Will a retirement savings account that helps them feel more invested in the organization, like a pension, become the norm for these next working generations. Where our generation wanted the freedom to hop, maybe they’ll be looking for an anchor to tie them in place. It will be interesting to see. Nice to know there are fellow “hoppers” out there!