How Often Should You Change Jobs?

By Perminus Wainaina

In an earlier article on what employers look for in a CV, I pointed out that the duration of employment with current and previous employers is a key consideration. Employers will consider you a high-risk hire if you change jobs now and then.

Stay in a company for too long and employers will wonder whether you are flexible and your ability to adjust in a new organization. However, employers and personal circumstances differ and so long as you have a valid reason for changing jobs, you should not worry.

In this article, I’ll explore some of the factors that influence an employer’s perception when it comes to a candidate changing jobs. I’ll also highlight some of the questions you should ask yourself before making a decision to change a job.

Where It’s Okay To Change Jobs

For some professions and industries, it is normal for people to change jobs within a short period. In the NGO and construction sector, for example, it is common to find employees with one year contracts. Most of the NGO work is project based and relies on donor funding. When the project is over or funds run out then your employment ceases. The same goes for construction where employment is tied to completion of a real estate project. These two examples are sectors where employers tolerate frequent job changing. In a fast paced industry like information technology, candidates change jobs as often to remain relevant.

If you are a fresh graduate or a professional starting out and thus with less than three years experience, it is expected that you will change jobs now and then as you try to figure out what you want. Majority of employees don’t stick with their first employer. However, employers don’t take it kindly when you keep changing jobs even after getting enough work experience. No employer wants to hire someone who has held 6 different jobs in a span of 6 years. There needs to be consistency. After settling in your career, it is expected that you will change jobs after 3-4 years and the higher you rise the less you should change jobs.

Acceptable Reasons For Changing Jobs

Whenever I interview candidates and I ask why they want to leave an employer after a short period, many will give generic answers like career growth and more responsibilities or challenges. After interviewing more than 2,000 candidates in a period of 6 years I can tell when a candidate is not being straight.

More so when I can see from the CV that the candidate left a previous employer where they had stayed for an extended period and now want to leave the new employer in less than a year. What I have come to learn is that there are underlying reasons that a candidate does not wish to divulge. Some of the reasons why an employee would like to move so soon include employer not keeping their word i.e. promise of commissions that are never paid, salary delay, toxic work environment and even a bad working relationship with a supervisor or boss.

A prospective employer will understand if you want to leave your current job due to any of the above reasons. However, be careful not to come out as unprofessional, bitter or vindictive. For example, if it’s the issue of salary delay, you can explain that you have obligations to meet by a certain date and the fact that salary is never paid on time inconveniences you and that you are unable to concentrate and this affects your productivity. If you are based in a different town, say in Nakuru away from your family in Nairobi and this is affecting your young family, then mention that you are in the job market as you are looking for a position near home.

Sometimes telling it as it is can set you free. You might have thought that the distance would be a non issue when you took the job but one year later you know better.

I am a firm believer that job hopping is not a bad thing. At times it’s the only way to get a better pay and learn new skills. Some employers will take advantage of the fact that you’ve been with them for a long period and therefore assume that you will always be there. It is not uncommon to find that new employees are joining at better salaries. That is why I recommend that you change jobs after every three to four years. And it doesn’t have to be with a different employer. If your organization is big, aim for a promotion. Job hopping shouldn’t be for the sake of it. Aim to acquire transferable skills otherwise no one will take you seriously.

To sum it up, Marsden-Huggins, a Career Advisor writing for Executive Style recommends that you ask yourself the following questions before making a move:

• Are you leaving for the right reasons – better job, more money, and more flexibility?
• Are you prepared to assure prospective employers you’re not a high-risk hire?
• Is there anything you can do to improve the situation in your current job if the timing isn’t right?
• Is this the best time to move on, for both personal and professional reasons?
• Will changing jobs now impact your chances of securing a new job later on?