When I graduated college, it was largely believed if you didn’t stay at a job for at least 5 years you were a “job hopper”. Further, in my parents’ generation, it wasn’t uncommon for people to stay at a company for the duration of their career. In those days people looked to move up, not out.

The perspective of companies hasn’t changed. Candidates who have moved around every 1-2 years aren’t viewed as a viable long-term investment. At the same time, most companies have no issue in letting people go if that’s going to improve their bottom line.

In a recent article by Inc.com, a study of 900 people who had been laid off after working for a company five years or more, showed 76% of them felt their job was safe at the time and 66% were completely blindsided. This shows the companies didn’t subscribe to the last-in-first-out methodology.

Through my 25 years of placing professionals in new roles, it wasn’t uncommon for candidates to reject offers from smaller companies and seek the “safety and security” of the bigger companies with brand recognition. These days, those bigger companies are laying off in the thousands.

My advice is the same I gave my youth basketball team. Keep your head on a swivel. No one will be looking to advance your career more than you will. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a team player or give your employer your all; but if opportunity comes knocking, I would at least answer the door to hear what they have to say.

Career Advice