Accountemps Study Finds Job Hopping Becoming More Accepted

 A study just released by Accountemps found that Millennials in particular take job hopping in stride, and that men are more likely to seek greener pastures more often than women.

The Accountemps report included highlights such as:

• 57 percent of employees between the ages of 18 and 34 said changing jobs every few years can actually help their career;
• 38 percent of employees between the ages of 35 and 54 said job-hopping can be a career booster;
• 22 percent of those age 55 or older agreed that it could help one’s career.

Broken down by sex, 47 percent of men accepted job-hopping as a career strategy, compared to 37 percent of women.

Asked to identify the top five benefits to their careers of job-hopping, job hoppers in the survey listed the following:

• It leads to higher compensation;
• Job hoppers gain new skills;
• Job hoppers the corporate latter more rapidly than non-hoppers;
• Job hoppers experience more corporate cultures; and
• Job hopping quickly builds an impressive resume.

“Conventional wisdom about the perils of job hopping has begun to shift, but professionals still need to look carefully before they leap,” said Bill Driscoll, a district president with Accountemps. “Changing jobs every three to four years is one thing; more frequent moves could indicate the inability to dig into a role and put employers on guard. Professionals considering job moves should evaluate not only salary but also where they will have the greatest opportunity to build skills and advance their careers.”