The Risks of Job Hopping for Sales Professionals

How Many Jobs Is Too Many? 

People under the age of 30 change jobs, on average, every year and a half. Workers over 30 change jobs, on average, every three years. In the current economic climate where pensions are obsolete and downsizing can strike at any moment, it’s no surprise that workers switch jobs every few years. Even so, hiring managers will often think twice before considering candidates who have a history of job hopping.

The Risks of Job Hopping

It’s easy to get caught up in job hopping if you’ve switched jobs to advance your career or receive raises, however, you could be making yourself unemployable in the long run. Hiring managers don’t want to take risks on candidates who have a long history of leaving jobs after just one or two years.  It costs a lot of money to recruit, hire and train a new employee, and most companies won’t gamble that investment on a person who isn’t likely to stay.

Even if you do get hired, you could be positioning yourself to be the first to get let go if the company faces downsizing choices. New additions to the team are almost always the first to get a pink slip, and if you’re one of the highest paid employees on a team, your salary will jump off the page when the financial team starts crunching numbers.

Hiring managers may also question your judgment if they consider you to be a job hopper. They may think that you are prone to bad decision making, which makes you a risk to their team.

Framing a Colorful Work History

Employers understand that the economy has been shaky for quite some time, and they can overlook a lengthy resume if you have a good explanation. If you work in an industry that has been plagued by downsizing over the last several years, job hopping may not need to be explained. However, if you’ve simply hopped positions in a search for more money or you just don’t quite know what you want to do with your career, you’ll have some hurdles to overcome. The key is to frame your resume correctly so that it tells your individual story.

Highlight your accomplishments with each employer, and be sure that each job showcases advancement. Emphasize goal achievement and career progression, and frame each stint at an employer in terms of years, not months. You can also prepare the hiring manager for what she will see on your resume in your cover letter. A well-crafted letter can tell the story of your career, and can explain why you’ve held so many positions.

Working with a professional recruiter can also help you overcome the hurdles you’re likely to face if you’ve been labeled a job hopper. A recruiter can help you craft a resume that showcases your achievements and will shine a positive light on your work history. Additionally, they can work with you to match you up with a company that will meet your long-term career goals, which may help you settle in to a long-term employment situation.

If you are a professional sales person in the enterprise software field and you’re looking for new opportunities to help you build a sable resume, contact Strategic Search Solutions. We are a full-service recruiting firm that works to place enterprise software sales professionals in exciting opportunities. We work with some of the most dynamic organizations in the industry, and we’re actively looking to grow our network of candidates. We’ll work with you to help you understand the current job landscape, get a handle on your market value, and connect you with an opportunity to help you create a stable, steady resume.

 

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