WHY (JOB) HOPPING LIKE A KANGAROO CAN BE GOOD FOR YOUR CAREER

Marc Denham • Sep 20, 2021
In the past, a career often meant a job for life. Both employees and employers would expect people to remain with the same company for an extended period of time before moving on, if they jumped ship at all that is.

Today it’s different. New Zealand’s now a nation of job hoppers, and that can be a great thing.

  • New Zealanders change jobs often. The most-common amount of time we spend in our job is one to three month.
And career hopping is something that younger workers seem much more comfortable with.

  • Younger workers and smaller firms have a higher turnover rate.
  • Workers aged 40 years and over have a much lower turnover rate.
Job hopping used to be frowned upon, seen as a sign of low-loyalty, impatience or maybe conflicts at each company you’d worked at. Today, job hopping can actually be a good thing. It’s gaining changing the job market for workers regardless of age.

Here are some of the reasons why changing up your career can actually be of benefit:

Skills Boost

Whether you know it or not, each new job you have will teach you new skills. You could be introduced to new software, processes, machinery, techniques and ideas. And you’ll always be adding new people skills, being thrown in with a fresh mix of new colleagues to learn from and collaborate with. Over the long term, this build up of skills makes a very valuable employee.

Networking

Job hopping does more than add skills to your CV, it adds contacts to your network too. All these new contacts may be able to help you with your next career move, and you may be able to help them. This can be invaluable to a long-term career. You never know where your network may take you.

Getting To Know Yourself

When you’re not sure what you really want to do, job hopping can help you figure it out more quickly. By experimenting with a number of jobs, you’ll get a better sense of what you like, what you don’t like, and get focused on your true career path earlier than you might otherwise.

Career Control

Job hopping can give you more of a sense of control over your salary and your career. Sticking it out with one employer means you may be missing out on better opportunities and better pay elsewhere.

Industry Knowledge

Working at a variety of organisations within the same industry gives you a better perspective of what’s going on in that sector as a whole. Keep an eye out for patterns and common practices, both good and bad, which can help you spot future areas for change or improvement.

So Long, Boredom!

For some, the security and sense of community that comes with staying with the same company for years is just the ticket. For others, staying in the same job long term means motivation can lag, ideas can dull and it becomes easier to disengage. Switching jobs can help keep things fresh, with new ideas, practices, and even a physical change of workplace giving you and your career a new kick start.

You’ll become adaptable to change

Staying with the same company long term can make you resistant to change. Growing comfortable with the same methods, practices and ways of thinking can lead to sluggish performance and poor adaptability. For job hoppers, adapting to change becomes second nature, and this is a real asset for employers, especially start-ups, looking for innovative candidates.

And a change in job doesn’t necessarily require a change in employer!

Marc is a Director of The Talent Hive and leads our IT recruitment practice. Originally from the UK, Marc has been living in Christchurch, New Zealand for ten years and working in the recruitment sector for just as long. Marc has worked as an in-house recruiter and within multinational recruitment consultancies and independent recruitment businesses. He is partial to a medium-rare Roo burger!

At The Talent Hive we specialise in connecting IT & Engineering professionals with the right career opportunities. We encourage collaboration, socialising your success and sharing industry insight and expertise. Start the journey, connect with The Talent Hive today.

Temp & Contract Recent Trends

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The economic conditions are influencing the contract employment landscape in several ways. Here are some of the trends Talent Hive has seen recently.  Demand Shifts NZ firms facing economic headwinds are hesitant to commit to FTE hires but with projects and deadlines still to deliver on, there is likely to be more reliance on temporary and contract solutions to manage workloads in the coming months. Available Talent Although not widespread, layoffs and restructures in the Tech sector could lead to a larger pool of candidates available for temporary and contract work, and Talent Hive has seen an increase in enquiries from people looking to understand how they might set themselves up for contract engagements. This has the potential to increase competition but could also provide businesses with access to qualified talent on a flexible basis. Tech Sector Specifics We are seeing an increase in demand for contract staff recently, particularly Software Developers, Integration and Solution Architects, and Business Analysts. This upswing in demand is reflected in the recent Seek job listings data. There are 207 Contract IT/Tech roles advertised on Seek today and 23% of those contract roles have been listed in the last 7 days. 52 of the 207 contract roles advertised are for Software Eng/Developers with 30 listed ads for Contract BA’s. Wage Control In Stats NZ’s latest update, New Zealand's salary rates actually increased by 4.1 percent in the year to March. That labour cost growth slightly outstripped inflation, which was sitting at 4 percent. Contract hourly rates in the Technology sector have stabilised in recent months as hiring demand has decreased and we may even see hourly rates come back a little, particularly for role types where there is an oversupply of contract talent. Hybrid Work Trend One trend we are certainly seeing in the contract market are fewer remote work opportunities. Increasingly there is a requirement for contractors to have the ability to work some of the week at a designated office and this is restricting the opportunities contractors are able to go for. Full remote work options aren’t completely gone but they are significantly reduced. Contract candidates must be open to in-office work for at least some portion of their engagement. Overall, the current climate creates a complex landscape for both businesses seeking talent and professionals exploring temporary and contract opportunities. Success for Contractors will depend on adaptability, flexibility around rates, and contract length. Talent Hive's Value Talent Hive's understanding of the current market dynamics, along with our strong network of skilled professionals, positions us uniquely to support both clients and candidates Addressing Uncertainty: For businesses navigating hiring uncertainty, Talent Hive offers flexible staffing solutions. We have access to contract talent that are ready to fill immediate skill gaps and help organisations manage fluctuating workloads. Beyond Just Tech Skills: We understand that finding the right technical expertise is only half the battle. Talent Hive's strong connections within the contractor talent pool allow us to identify professionals who are not only technically capable but also a strong cultural and organisational fit for our clients. This approach ensures smoother onboarding and a positive impact for both the contractor and the employer. We would like to share some of the contractors we’re working with at the moment. Click below to view some of the great IT talent we're working with to find roles at the moment.

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