Well, perpetually jumping from one software job to the next looks bad. The diverse experiences you gain — and show off on your resume — from job-hopping doesn’t always outweigh the risk an employer might believe you’ll pose to his or her Software company. Having multiple Software Employers and positions can initially make you less attractive to potential employers because they are going to immediately wonder if you’ll be a flight risk to them as well.
Recruiting and training new employees is costly. Hence, the investment made in you will go down the drain when you resign in a year — or sooner. That investment recruitment experts say could be up to $20,000 per job hopper. But beyond dollars, it doesn’t always make sense for an employer to hire a known job-hopper.
Employers invest a ton of time not only training the perfect candidate but also selecting that candidate. They don’t want to spend a ton of time finding someone, vetting, and then vouching for them only to have that hired jump ship within six months.
Signs that job-hopping is working against you:
1.Your jobs are all over the place:
If you’ve spent most of your career jumping from one unrelated gig to another, that could send up a red flag that you’re still trying to figure out who you are and what you want professionally.
2.There’s no clear forward movement:
You should change jobs. Maybe, a new one pays more, or it comes with a better title. If that kind of forward movement isn’t clear on your resume, it could be taken as a bad sign by hiring managers.
3.You Lack passion for your work:
If you keep jumping for money but don’t explore your passions, you’re going to end up feeling dissatisfied. You’re going to hit a stage where you’ll be overpriced for the market, but you won’t have built a track record of results throughout your career, so no one’s going to want you.
4.You hold jobs for months, not years:
Job hopping is fine if it’s done for the right reasons and in the right way. But it’s hard to justify job changes when they are super frequent. It’s one thing to change jobs every few years to earn more money, learn new skills or take on a fresh challenge but a resume that shows job changes every few months isn’t sending that message.
5.You seem short-sighted:
Sometimes, job hoppers aim for short-term gains rather than long-term goals. Companies don’t like seeing an employment history that demonstrates this type of career approach. Steadiness and consistent progress are better. It shows an employer that you know how to work hard on a sustained basis.
"You should treat your career more like a marathon than a sprint."
So, if you are a job-hopper or are heading that way, make sure that you keep these points in mind before you decide to jump ship. While jumping from one ship to another could have several reasons, it is most likely to break your career, not make it. So, be a thoughtful change-seeker and not an adrenaline junkie!