Will Job-Hopping Hurt Your IT Career?
Tech recruiters look for candidates who exhibit two traits: Ability and Consistency. When I say ability I mean that they can see that the candidate has either done the work listed in the job description before, or shows the ability to do that work based on the work done and the skills available.
What do I mean by consistency?
HR managers look for consistency
When job seekers are new to the job market or just starting their careers, they may have only short-term experience on their resumes. These jobs may include internships, work of a short duration, part-time work, or even volunteer work. Recruiters in the tech field look for candidates who have worked at the same company for at least a year (ideally longer), depending on the type of company the candidate is applying for and how far along they are in their career.
Job hopping is not ideal
Job hopping is a series of short-term hires, each lasting less than a year. In the eyes of hiring managers, this is not ideal as it can show a lack of loyalty, skill or professionalism. A candidate who only works at one company for a year before moving on to the next may also not seem very loyal to the company they are applying for. Why would they invest time and resources in an employee who will only stay a few months when the expectation is at least a year and a half or two years?
Job hoppers not only show a lack of company loyalty, but also seem to be trying to accumulate only higher and higher job titles and salaries. Companies generally want employees to share their mission and goals. When they work solely for career and financial advancement, it can conflict with company values.
In addition, job hopping can raise questions about the candidate's ability to do his or her job well and overall professionalism. Was the candidate fired because they didn't have the skills they stated during the interview? Did they embellish the information on their resume or application? Perhaps this candidate is not very professional - not showing up on time or is difficult to fit into a team ... many questions can arise from an inconsistent work history!
Make the most of your work experience (good and bad).
After starting a new job, try to stay at least a year and ideally two years. If it's a good fit in terms of tech stack, company size, and culture, you can show that you're a good employee who also completes assigned projects correctly. Get involved or start your own employee resource groups, volunteer to host social events for the team, or work cross-functionally on new initiatives. If you're bored, maybe you can learn new skills with your company's training program and apply them to new projects.
If you generally don't like to stay in the same company for a long time, consider working with a staffing agency or going freelance, as this can make the work more flexible and varied.
If you are still extremely unhappy in one company, you don't have to feel trapped. Working at one company for less than a year isn't ideal but as long as it's not a recurring pattern, it shouldn't affect your long-term IT career. When you apply for a new job, you can then succinctly explain why you decided to leave the company early and deal with the issue up front.
