The So-Called Perils of Job-Hopping - Part II

Most of our employers have given us hire letters that state that we have “employment-at-will.” This means our employers can terminate us at any time without stating a reason. They can chuck us out into the streets, without thought of where we’ll go from there, how soon we’ll be able to find another job, how we’ll be able to maintain our home and feed our families, etc. So, let’s take a reality check. Here are a few reasons why many people leave their jobs:

· They found a better job;
· They want better pay or health insurance;
· They are relocating to another city or state;
· They want to change their career path or profession;
· They are returning to school;
· They had a child and have decided to become a stay-at-home mom or to stop working for a couple of years to be home with their child;
· They’re trying to escape a hostile and offensive work environment; or
· Death

Regardless of the reason why a person leaves employment, the result is the same. The company finds a way to get the person’s work done! I know we all like to have moments of self-importance when we convince ourselves (read: fantasize) that we’re invaluable and that no one is capable of filling our shoes at work. That’s a load of crap!

In the grand scheme of things, sorry, but you just aren’t that important!

I don’t care who you are, you can be replaced. Your replacement may not be as skilled as you—at first—but, after performing your duties for a while they may equal or even surpass your job performance. And, if your first replacement isn’t up to snuff, the company will terminate the person, transfer the person or execute some other personnel action. But, in the end, another replacement will move into your job—until someone finally gets it right or comes close enough to getting “your job” right that things can stay afloat and work can move forward.

I don’t care who you are or who you think you are! If you were to be run over by a car tomorrow morning, your coworkers would collect money to send a bouquet of flowers to your mother or to send a funeral arrangement for your casket and then they’ll be off pillaging your office for your note board, stapler, comfy swivel chair, pens and highlighters, bookshelf and other office furniture.

And, by noon, the day after your funeral, someone will officially be promoted to your position, your work will be divided up among your coworkers or a temp will be sitting at your desk performing your work. The temp might be working on a temp-to-perm basis, so they could end up with your job for good. No one will be mentioning your name within days or weeks of your death! Believe that! When’s the last time someone in your office mentioned a dead (or even retired) ex-coworker? That’s the perspective you need to keep.

Look out for your own best interests!

We essentially rent out our lives, 8 hours per day (not counting our commute time), to employers that will always find a way to make due with or without us. Always keep that in mind. You are not indispensable. In fact, if you screw up enough, your employer won’t even wait for your resignation. Your employer will fire you!

-- Employment at-will (fired without stated reason/cause)
-- Termination for cause (fired with reason—true or fabricated, lack of work/lay-offs, reorganization, etc.)
-- Constructive termination (having conditions created to force you to resign your position)

Your employer has many ways to get rid of you and will do so as needed! It’s one thing to be loyal to an employer. However, it’s another thing to be stupid. Do not sell away your precious commodity—your talent—to an undeserving employer, when there are other opportunities that you may find truly fulfilling. So, if you have the chance to move into a better job--whatever that means for you and/or your family (money, a better career path, better benefits, etc.)--get to stepping! Let the so-called job-hopping begin!

THE SO-CALLED PERILS OF JOB HOPPING!

Once you decide it's time to find a new job, you start to think about companies you want to work for (in your field, in a new field/industry, etc.) and you visit numerous companies to discuss potential employment. As you’re getting a feel for the companies (e.g., comparing benefits, etc.), you start to develop a hierarchy of which jobs you’d like to take. However, your main priority is still to find work. There's always a job you really hope you get. And, there's always a job that you're not crazy about, but it's work! Ultimately, a job just has to be a job sometimes--for many of us.

Depending on how quickly you need to find a job, you may accept a job offer from the first company to offer you employment. Let's face it...most people simply don’t have the luxury to wait to hear back from everyone they’ve interviewed with. And, that's how the confusion often gets started.

You accept a job offer from the first company to make an offer, you're working for a few months, and then you hear back from one of the other interviewers. This interviewer is calling from one of the employers that was high up on your list of desired workplaces. And, now you hear that they like you. They really like you! And, they want you. They would love to have you work for the company. On the one hand, you can be loyal to your new employer. On the other hand, you can look out for what’s best for you and your family by taking the other job. So, what do you do?

Do you stay at a job because you don't want to look like a job hopper or do you go for a career?

Do you stay at a job because you don't want to look like a job hopper or do you go for a better salary, benefits, etc.?

Many people simply don't know what to do because they don't want to be labeled as a job hopper. Early in my career, I heard about how bad it was to job hop. I've heard the excuses, like "Oh, it makes it seem like you can't commit and that you don't have loyalty to your employer," blah, blah, blah. But, I'll tell you...job hopping is one of the areas where The Black Factor is often a major player in the game. Because some White people job hop like it's going out of style!! And, I should know!

Let me go back to my experience working in Human Resources. I worked in compensation and benefits. My supervisor and I had to review qualifications and experience. In fact, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to review the qualifications of job applicants. One of my tasks was to add up relevant years of employment to determine if someone was qualified for a position.

Let me tell you, there have been many occasions when I had to skip through 3 to 4 jobs just to get a couple of years of relevant experience on a White prospective employee’s resume. I found that, just like everyone else--and contrary to the perception that Whites often give to minorities--White employees are the granddaddies of job hopping. One year at this company, two years at that company, less than a year at another company. That’s just how it goes. They followed the better opportunities until the got the job they wanted.

On the flip side, let's look at Black workers. After only working with a company for a short time, many African Americans won’t take a better job because they don’t want the appearance of job hopping on their resume. They’ve heard the line, used by some Whites, that quickly moving from one job to another demonstrates a “lack of employment stability.” That excuse can become the sole reason for denying an African American a job. So, if we’ve been in a job for 1-2 years, many of us are afraid to move on because of how this can impact our career over the long haul. The double standards of American society have inadvertently set up a situation where African Americans often won’t take a better job offer because we’re worried about what White folks will think about us and if they will use so-called job hopping against us.

I’ve had to work hard to convince Black workers to leave an employer for a better job. I’m talking about lengthy discussions on no-brainer decisions. I’ve even spoken to friends of friends, who I didn’t even know, in order to give them a pep talk on taking a better job. It’s ridiculous to think we’d let appearances paralyze our opportunities, but Black workers do this all the time. Unfortunately, it’s a double-standard that we feed into in many ways. For instance, we hold ourselves to a high standard of loyalty that is clearly not reciprocated by our employers. We choose to show love to those that don’t show love to us.

But, you can never be given back your time!

Let’s repeat that…you can never be given back your time! If you put that into perspective, all of the years you pour into a dead-end and demoralizing job, will never be given back to you. You have allowed someone to use you up without getting any real reward or the reward you received (a good salary, title, etc.), ultimately wasn’t worth the personal and/or professional sacrifices you’ve had to make along the way.

This post will be concluded tomorrow...

Are You Afraid To Leave Your Job?

If you’re afraid to look for another job, you should reflect on what the real issues are that are preventing you from moving on. Once you know what the problems are, you can deal with them.

--Do you want/need to go back to school? Look for employers who offer tuition reimbursement and flexible hours. If you feel your education is insufficient and might hamper your efforts to get another job, you should enroll in classes or (at the very least) you should mention on your job interviews that you are actively seeking to improve your education. This is really important if you’re pursuing a degree that relates to the field in which you are seeking a job.

--Do you think you’d be a weak interviewee or that you won’t come across as worth hiring? Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Talk to those with intimate knowledge of your work ethic and performance and find out how you can improve. You might be surprised to learn that you have a better reputation than you imagine. Sometimes we take on people’s criticisms about ourselves and are overly critical of our actual job performance. I once worked with someone who confided in me that she couldn’t get another job because she was “stupid,” which was how she was treated, spoken to, and referred to by her coworkers and superiors. Ask around! You might be more skilled than you realize and you may learn that the only stupid people are the ones who treated you so disrespectfully. You may also learn that you ARE ready for that new job and you already have great references lined up!

--Not motivated to search for a job? Think about your work-related goals and come up with a one-year plan to fulfilling those goals. Can you accomplish these things at your current job or will you just be going through the motions? A new job can help you challenge yourself to be the best you can be at the best workplace for you. Focus on how your life can improve with new employment.

--Are you afraid you won’t fit in at a new company? What personality traits make you question your ability to get along with coworkers and supervisors? Take a look at how you can improve the way you communicate, verbally and in writing. Many problems at work are personality-related and not work-related. But, you can only be responsible for yourself. Work on being a person that treats others with respect, focus on and meet deadlines, ask questions when you’re unsure about instructions, try to get things right the first time you do them, and be proactive. You’ll be surprised how well you’ll get along with reasonable and sane coworkers. I can’t vouch for the others.

--Think you’re too old? Yes, some companies may look for employees who are fresh out of college. They want staff they can work to death and who will be worked to death on the cheap. They want people they can underpay, who won’t complain about a low salary. When you’re looking for a job, you should focus on selling your expertise and your extensive knowledge of systems and processes that relate to your job. Don’t forget, you’ve made many contacts over the years. That gives you an advantage over the kids because of your experience AND your ability to network and bring work (read: money) into the company. If you’re not in a so-called “highly skilled position,” a position that doesn’t require a degree or special training and doesn’t allow you client contact or the ability to generate new business, sell the fact that you know how to get things done.

One of the most recent issues in the current workplace is that many people have very poor writing skills and many people don’t know how to type, especially with speed and accuracy. Yes, this includes the newly graduating set of job competitors. If you can type for speed and accuracy and have good or excellent writing skills, make mention of that fact when seeking other employment. Have writing samples available.

Legal Aid Society - Sample Employment Letters

The Legal Aid Society (of California) web site has a host of employment letters that can be adapted for a variety of workplace situations. Please note that because of the jurisdiction these sample letters reference labor codes in California. However, with a little Internet searching, you can modify those codes to reflect the proper regulations for the state you reside in. There are sample letters for employment references, inspection of personnel files, leave requests, final payment of wages, etc. that contain language that you may want to tweak or steal. The link to the sample employment letters is: http://www.las-elc.org/selfhelp.html

Here are some links to state labor laws:

State Labor and Employment Laws (Fifty States) http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/Table_Labor.htm

State Law Statutes by Topic (Fifty States)
http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/state_statutes.html