Should You Constantly Be on The Lookout for A New Job?

In January 2020 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer was 4.3 years for men and 3.9 years for women. Many people stay at their job for many years hoping that it will lead to a promotion. If they leave it may be because of frustration that the promotion never comes, their salary isn’t fulfilling financial obligations, and/or there’s conflict with a colleague or supervisor on the job.

However, all that has changed in 2022. With an abundance of jobs opening up, there are many professionals who are on the lookout for the next opportunity to advance their careers. For them, longevity at one job, for one company, no longer holds the promise it once did. Therefore, they are constantly on the lookout for the next job.

There was a point in time, prior to the pandemic, when changing jobs often was something an HR manager or recruiter might frown upon. To them, it most likely indicated instability and therefore, you were overlooked as a potential candidate.

Such is not the case in today’s job market.

Mark Bolino, director of management and international business at the University of Oklahoma, put it this way, “Usually, seeing someone’s resume with many jobs over a short period of time prompts you to ask why,” he said. “But the pandemic and the whole Great Resignation period offers an explanation to prospective managers. Previously, it didn’t matter if you had the desire to change jobs if a better alternative didn’t exist. But now, you have the ability to act on it.”

So . . . is constantly being on the hunt for a new job a good thing?

In our blog titled, Map Out Your Career Path with These Five Steps, one of the steps we mentioned was outlining the progression of your career.When you have a clear view of your target, it gives you a better understanding of how often you may need, or want, to change jobs (either internally or externally) to reach your final destination.

For instance, if your goal is to obtain a position as the Director of Human Resources for a hotel chain, it may mean you start out working at the front desk. It will be a first step. Then you may continue with professional development or training to gain new skills needed to further your career along.

As you’re pursuing those skills, even when you’re employed, you may be carefully keeping your eyes on the job market to see what opportunities may exist around the corner.  You may discover one that provides you with the opportunity to implement what you’ve learned and take the next step up the career ladder.

Continually searching for opportunities (or “passive job hunting” as Forbes refers to it) puts you in the driver’s seat of your career. It helps you navigate change, take on new challenges, expand your network, and of course, may result in a better salary.

You may have heard others say, “It’s easier to find a job when you have a job.” Constantly being on the lookout for a new job, when you have a job, gives you leverage. It gives you more control (and possibly, more confidence) to negotiate a better position and a higher salary.

Keep in mind that just because you’re looking, doesn’t always mean you have to make a move. There’s a difference between keeping your eyes open for something better versus always changing jobs. And, searching for something better doesn’t mean you have to do all the heavy legwork. You could develop a relationship with a recruiter in the hospitality industry so that they can keep their eyes open for you. While you’re busy working at your current position, they can keep you apprised if something exciting opens up that meets your career goal(s).

Should you constantly be on the lookout for a new job? As stated earlier in this piece, a resume that shows you’ve changed jobs often doesn’t hold the negative connotations it once did. Therefore, when you’re looking for new opportunities that can advance your career, your answer to the question may be a resounding ‘yes.’