Why looking at a resume may not give you the full picture
In years gone by, the standard practice and intent of someone working for an employer was the employee being a faithful team member until retirement, followed by a luncheon and gold watch presentation.
Those days, of course, are now mere antiquated memories as the employment landscape has changed, with globalization, emergent technology, remote working, and a worldwide pandemic. But even with many people more transient in their jobs than ever before, why are some people labeled as “job hoppers” just because they’ve moved from one company to another?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released findings in 2021 outlining the changes in job migration patterns. The study only records data from people born between 1957 and 1964 – baby boomers, in other words – and covered the employment history of those people between 1978 and 2018. The results were surprising.
The average number of jobs that select group had was 12.4, equating to a job change every 3-4 years, which certainly shakes up the myth that the older generation worked in steady jobs until retirement while the younger generation migrate more often from job to job.
This study certainly should blow a hole in the stigma from some employers about people with many different positions on their resume, your next new employee may just end up being a long.serving one.
