WHAT CAN JUSTIFY FREQUENT JOB CHANGES? I agree that my profile does not portray me well in terms of the frequency at which I have changed jobs. Are there reasons that would justify a job seeker changing jobs quite often? Answer Frequent job changes are a reality in the current market. Job seekers are often made to take offers of jobs they are actually not interested as they wait for their real interests to show up. This may often happen when the job seeker has not stayed long enough into a job. In addition, the prevalence of the headhunting and employment contracts that disregard employee notice periods is worsening the situation. Some common reasons why even noble minded employees fall prey to such job changes is reward and level of exposure. Ideally, the pattern of job changes should reflect one’s career priority and aspirations. Such movement like taking a junior looking opportunity in a more reputable organization is likely to portray you badly. Similarly, you are likely not to be trusted if you move from organization to another for same positions – meaning that you are not witnessing growth with your movements. Cross professional career changes may also project you as not focused. For instance, moving from marketing to operations and back to marketing may be confusing in terms of what you want. Frequent career changes may make the prospect employer fail to trust you from the onset and give you terms of employment commensurate with the lack of trust. It is unhealthy to be handled by an employer as if it is certain that you could be on your way out. There are reasons for frequent change of jobs that would be objective. Contract based jobs in which you have a fixed term nonrenewable contract may not put you at risk of being suspected of being jumpy. This may not be the case when they organization is known for having fixed contract staff whose contracts are always renewed. When your contract is not renewed, the issue of unsatisfactory level of performance comes to the picture. When organizations change, associated changes in job designs may lead to your job being eliminated or merged with others. This is a justifiable reason for a frequent job change but to the extent that the new requirements for the job do not fit your profile. If the job is in line with the profile, it may be a concern as to why you were not taken for the enhanced position. The other dimension of organizational change is retrenchment – especially if it is based on such non merit based approaches like last in – last out. There are also instances when you are employed in a philanthropic front as your wait for an opportunity or where you volunteer to provide services at modest payments. These can justify your mobility. Others reasons could include offers associated with professional development such as being accorded an opportunity to join a young professional development programme. Regardless of whatever reason that you give, frequent job changes will affect the impression that a prospects employer has about the intensity and depth of experience. At managerial level it may mean that there is no business plan or strategy that you have participated in making and followed through to the end. With this argument it lowers your eligibility to being considered for some levels of recruitment.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:22:40 +0000
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