Confessions of a Habitual Job Hopper

In my first five years of working in “the real world”, I held down five different jobs.  One of these was part-time and held in conjunction with my current day job.  However, when friends or co-workers would ask me about my job history, it would oftentimes seem that I was older than I really was — soley because of the fact that at the ripe old age of 25, I’d already amassed a whole resume page full of relevant job titles.

It was then that I realized I was what the adults called a “job hopper”.  With it’s adverse sound and generally negative connotation, I immediately jumped on defense — backing the countless responsibilities I’d been so lucky to nail down.  But the fact was — and still is — that I am indeed a job hopper.  And I’ve come to realize that there’s nothing wrong with that.

In fact, we’ve got a whole generation of job hoppers jumping into the work force.   While the recession may temporarily slow them down and dissuade them from making their usual career leaps, you can bet they’ll be back in full force once the economy builds up strength — moving from company to company looking for the next bigger and better thing.

Aside from the typical negative stereotypes of job hoppers, this isn’t necessarily a completely bad trend.  I say this knowing that I fit the description to a T.  So with a lack factual data about job hoppers (if there even is any), I will limit my ideas of the pros of “hopping” to my own experiences as a habitual job hopper.

Job Hopping Allows Companies to Keep New and Creative Ideas Flowing into the Workplace

Think about the first few months after starting a new job.  Maybe even up to the first year.  Most people generally have a good reservoir of creative ideas on how to more effectively manage projects, cut costs, be more creative — those ideas stem from many things, one being excitement over a new job and wanting to show your value to the company.  Job hoppers tend to crave that feeling and are able to capitalize off of it by producing fresh ideas often to a continually changing audience.  On the flip side, I think that employers can reap the benefits of the influx of innovative ideas coming in.  Even though the argument can be made that the person with the original idea may have left by the time the company is ready to implement said idea, fresh ideas are always good.  They can not only lead to better working conditions, but they can also motivate and invoke creativity in other employees.

Job Hopping Increases the Employee’s Ability to Shimmy up the Salary Ladder

Another good thing (for the hoppers, that is) is the ability to weasel up the salary ladder a lot quicker than someone working for the same company for 5 years.  When switching companies, one generally has far more leverage to negotiate a higher salary than their previous one.  On average, job seekers tend to nail down a 10-15% increase in pay when making a move to a new company.  Compare this to a typical raise of 5-8% when staying with the same company, and it’s not hard to see why frequently hopping the fence can be an attractive option.

Job Hoppers Build Networking Contacts at a Far Quicker Pace

Networking events are all good, but let’s be honest:  real contacts are made through day to day relationships.  Relationships with co-workers who’ve seen your abilities and your work ethic.  Job hopping can be tricky, as you certainly don’t want to burn bridges.  But if done right, constantly building and recycling your networks throughout different companies or even different industries, will build a huge pool of diversified contacts to turn to for future job prospects, career advice, or help when you decide to branch out with your own venture.

While it’s obvious that job hopping is clearly more beneficial to the employee over the employer, there are still benefits that can provide useful for both sides.  I’m a big believer in constant change, as nothing noteworthy has ever been born out of stagnation, and consistent turnover definitely delivers that change.

Even though it may seem audacious for a 25 year old to flaunt a two page resume, keep in mind that it certainly doesn’t mean those two pages aren’t warranted or that less energy was spent on their accomplishments — only that it was completed in a compacted manner.

*Salary increase statistics taken from CNN Money.

How Far is Too Far in the Quest for Employment?

It’s no joke that tales of unemployment and rising debt have pushed many of us to our limits. Between student loans, credit card debt, and monthly bills, things can get really overwhelming pretty fast.  If faced with a serious money dilemma, would you go to extremes in order to make ends meets?

The Associated Press (AP) reported this week that, “the tough job market is prompting a growing number of women across the country to dance in strip clubs, appear in adult movies or pose for magazines like Hustler.”

I can understand doing whatever it takes to put food on the table, especially if you have a family to support. But I began to wonder what other women who are only supporting themselves would do in a rough financial situation.

With half of my friends unemployed and the other half hanging on tight, the idea of hitting rock bottom has most likely crossed their minds at some point. All young women under the age of 28 who are currently living in New York City, most of them come migrated here from different parts of the country, all with different beliefs and values. An eclectic group of publicists, administrative assistants, teachers, artists, and advertising executives, I was eager to hear their opinions , I sent out a quick message to all of them asking, simply, “How far would you go to pay your bills?”

Personally, I wouldn’t think twice about walking door to door to every retail store and restaurant looking for a job. I would rather scoop ice cream for half of what I’m currently making than to have to ask my parents to pay my rent for me. On the other hand, an unemployed friend scoffed at the idea of working any place other than an office job.

After I sent out the email, the responses came pouring in and I knew it was going to be interesting when most of them began with, “Are you going to print my name with this?”

Many of the women who answered my question said that they would work at Domino’s but never as a delivery driver and flipping burgers at McDonald’s was off limits. The consensus was that retail on any level is acceptable and some even thought that serving up ice cream cones sounded more fun than their current job. Another even quipped that she used to mow lawns in high school and would go back to it if she had to. Although, I believe the landscaping industry may not be thriving in New York City, but her work ethic was still admirable.

When it came to stripping for the benjamins, opinions started to change. One woman said that while she wouldn’t turn down any job that was presented to her, taking off her clothes was her limit.

“I wouldn’t turn down working at a strip club, for example, but I wouldn’t strip,” she said.

Another respondent described a prior job at a fast food restaurant in which she was so disgusted with the conditions of the kitchen that she would never do it again no matter what the financial situation. As far as taking off her clothes, she would only do it as a last resort.

There was only one respondent who mentioned the thought of moving back in with their parents in a time of distress, and another toyed with the idea of selling her eggs.

Some respondents were a little ashamed to admit that they would rather strip for cash than work at McDonald’s or deliver pizzas. But, they said that it was mainly due to the amount of money that could be made. According to the Associated Press, women who dance at upscale clubs in NYC could make anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 a year.

“If it was between me selling myself and living on the streets, I think I’d block it out and do what I’d have to do for the cash,” answered one woman.

While many may look down on strippers or club dancers, after speaking to other young women, I think it depends on the situation. I’m a firm believer in that it doesn’t matter what your job title is as long as you’re supporting yourself. As long as you protect yourself and remain in control of the situation, no one can look down on someone who is trying to keep their head above the water during these tough financial times.

5 Well-Paying Careers You’ve (Probably) Never Considered

The current rough financial times gets one to start thinking about the availability of interesting and recession-proof jobs — something outside the standard middle management number crunching. I was curious to dig up some jobs that aren’t the most obvious of career paths, but that pay well and offer a foray into an interesting industry.  Here are five jobs that are a little off the beaten path, but have room for significant growth over the next five years.

1. Librarian

These guys have to stay on top of their game when it comes to researching, being knowledgeable about various and multiple topics and staying abreast of current media and publishing trends as to be able to efficiently organize, store and find various bits of information.  Librarians not only work in public libraries, but are employed by universities, private schools, and the government.

Median Salary: $43,974

2. Translator/ Interpreter

Translate conversations and documents from one language into another. This obviously requires fluency in two or more languages, but the main points of this job is that fluency in multiple languages in the US is pretty uncommon which makes these candidates highly sought after. Many translators work for an agency that hires their translators out for specific jobs, but depending on what type of medium you focused on, you could most likely gain your own clients and work remotely.

Median Salary: $44,123

3. Environmental Consultant

Environmental consultants will probably be the next big thing in careers due to the growing concern of global warming and utilizing green business practices. EC’s monitor environmental legislation and use make sure that their company is complying with government rules and regulations. They also carry out environmental impact tests and review new company projects before they’re executed in order to maintain green working environments.  Environmental consultants can work for any type of company, but will most likely be hired to work in manufacturing or engineering, since those company routinely need to follow environmental safety procedures with plants and factories.

Median Salary: $52,923

4. Forensic Science Technician

Forensic science technicians are a small pool of professionals in a career that is expected to grow exponentially within the next three to five years.  These professionals work primarily for state and local governments under the supervision of a scientist or advanced technician organizing scientific data, organizing evidence, and interpreting scientific results.  Forensic science technicians work in a crime laboratory and spend much time at crime scenes collecting evidence for the lab.

Median Salary: $49,750

5. Actuary

Actuarial work is for the math whizzes out there. If you’re into probability tables and statistical data, you’ve met your match. Actuaries work for consulting firms, insurance companies, and pension administrators to calculate numbers for premium payments, liability risk, and cash reserves. The work isn’t glamorous, but it caters to a certain personality and is a good fit for someone who enjoys problem solving and mathematical equations.  The majority of actuaries work for insurance firms, as the business cannot function without them.  However, some are also employed by pension consulting firms and government agencies by helping manage Social Security and Medicare.

Median Salary: $86,975

*Median Salary numbers taken from PayScale.com’s 2008 Salary Survey Report.