Interviewing for jobs is one of the last ways many people want to spend their time. The stress of explaining why you’re “perfect for this role” over and over again, while trying to squeeze interviews into your already busy schedule can be painful. But most of us bite the bullet every couple of years to move on to bigger and better opportunities (and salaries). 

According to interview expert Anna Papalia, however, frequently jumping to a new job may not actually be wise. Below, you’ll find the controversial video that Anna recently shared discussing the topic of “job hopping,” as well as a conversation with career consultant Adam Bennett of Career Prepare.

Many professionals choose to change careers frequently to seek higher compensation and new opportunities

Image credits: Anna Papalia

But according to Anna Papalia, this can turn your resume into a series of red flags

Image credits: anna..papalia

I don’t care what your excuse is, nobody likes job hoppers. And not a lot of people are going to like what I have to say but it needs to be said. If you only work at jobs and companies for a year, year and a half, maybe two years, and your resume looks like you have hopped from position to position to position, you are severely limiting the opportunities for yourself.

Image credits: anna..papalia

And also, you are barely scratching the surface of learning and figuring out positions if you’re only there for a year. I don’t want to hear it. I know you all are going to jump in the comments and tell me that people don’t give raises and you have to move on to organizations in order to get a raise. Bla bla bla bla bla. Listen, job hoppers are in some deep level of denial.

Image credits: anna..papalia

And I’ve heard it all before. But here’s the thing. If you’re a job hopper, the common denominator is you. You are choosing to move on from organizations. You are the one choosing to leave after one or two years. Put yourself in a hiring manager’s shoes.

Image credits: anna..papalia

Why would they pay to onboard you and train you and invest in you if they know you’re just going to leave in a year or year and a half? Especially if your competition has some longevity on their resume. Think about it.

You can hear Anna explain why she doesn’t like “job hoppers” right here

@anna..papalia I can spot a #jobhopper a mile away, they’re the ones who always have an excuse, reason or story about all the reasons for their job moves. If this is you, if you have all these reasons why you had to leave each job, I guarantee it’s YOU! You are the common denominator and YOU are the one holding yourself back. 🥸 You gotta put down some roots to be taken seriously and get the best opportunities. 🌳 Job hopping only helps you in the short term, if you want long term success you gotta stick around someplace longer than 2 years 📆 #interviewpreparation #getanewjob2023 #unemployed #hrtips #youaretheproblem ♬ original sound – Shift Profile

Image credits: anna..papalia

“Job hopping can be seen as a way to get promoted more quickly and increase earnings”

To gain more insight on the topic of “job hopping,” we reached out to Adam Bennett, Senior Career Consultant at Career Prepare, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. Adam noted that it’s unfair to assume that everyone who has moved roles every 1-2 years is a job hopper. “That is just wrong. It depends on the industry, type of work, location in the world, personal circumstances, economic environment and many other factors,” the expert shared. “In particular, lots of people have had shorter or temporary roles over the last few years during COVID.”

As with anything, there are pros and cons to frequently changing roles. “Job hopping can be seen as a way to get promoted more quickly and increase earnings. This works for some people in some industries but doesn’t work for others – so it is important for candidates to understand their industry and the type of person they are,” the career consultant continued. “However, in my experience, hiring managers for most roles are concerned about loyalty. In particular, in roles where there is an extensive learning curve or expensive training, it can be costly for organizations when employees leave after a short time. It is not a red flag, but it is an area you need to be prepared to address at the interview.”

Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)

“Deciding when to leave should be based on what your current job is like and what other organizations are offering”

Adam also says there is no ideal length of time to stay at a company. “Deciding when to leave should be based on what your current job is like (and in particular the opportunities for progression or development) and what other organizations are offering.” So there’s no need to get too hung up on the timeline.

“Most important is that the candidate understands and can articulate in an interview: why they are leaving their current role, what attracts them to this role and what they bring to the role,” Adam explained. “If a candidate has several roles where they have worked for less than two years, then they should be prepared to talk about this in the interview too. Why is this the role where you will stay longer? Or can you make a big enough impact in two years that it doesn’t matter if you then leave?”

Finally, the career consultant urges viewers “not to worry about such generalized comments in a TikTok video. Everybody’s situation is different. If you are worried, seek personalized advice from a colleague, mentor or an expert career coach.”

A 2022 study from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the average employee will hold a job for about four years before moving on, but every individual is different. While staying at the same company for years proves loyalty and will likely lead to a few raises along the way, starting the process fresh allows workers to receive larger bumps in their salaries, as they have the opportunity to negotiate their wages when taking on a new role. A higher salary will also lead to higher raises and even higher bonuses in the future, when those are based on a percentage of the person’s income.

Image credits:Nicola Barts (not the actual photo)

It’s important to take into consideration that job hunting today is very different than it was decades ago

Don’t let the fear of being labeled a “job hopper” limit you from advancing your career. As many people pointed out in the comments on Anna’s video, times have changed, and we can’t all stay at the same company for 30 years anymore when we know there are better opportunities out there. According to the Bayside Group, 50 years ago, Australians over the age of 45 would stay at the same company for a decade, while today, they stick around for less than 7 years. And one 2022 study from the Pew Research Center found that half of the workers who have recently changed jobs saw their wages increase by about 10%, compared to the average worker staying in their same role who saw a nearly 2% raise to account for inflation. Moving on is not always a mistake, especially when it results in higher wages.

At the end of the day, every worker needs to do what they feel is best for their own wellbeing, career and future. If you’re happy where you’re at, don’t go rushing out the door in hopes of a higher salary. Perhaps you can even negotiate a raise with your boss after you’re proven how valuable you are to the team. And if you hate your job, don’t worry about being a “job hopper,” feel free to move on whenever you see fit. We would love to hear your thoughts on this video in the comments below, pandas. Would you consider yourself a job hopper? Then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing jobs that workers actually don’t hate, look no further than right here!

Image credits: Diva Plavalaguna (not the actual photo)

A handful of viewers resonated with Anna’s message

But many strongly disagreed, detailing why moving on from jobs frequently can be beneficial

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