CareerJournal.com has to be one of the best sources for hiring information on the web. Today is no exception as they release this article – Job-Hop to the Top Of the Corporate Ladder.
To cut to the quick of the article:
If you want to make it to the top of the corporate ladder, job-hopping may actually be the only way to get there…
Yup, this is a common strategy amongst the younger generation. We wrote about it in this article from earlier this year. Our perspective focused on the manager’s viewpoint while the CareerJournal article focuses on the employee’s viewpoint.
First, from the CareerJournal article:
Identify what you want to do. Develop a comprehensive personal career plan and review it with your supervisor. Articulate what you want to accomplish and where you want to be.
And from our article:
Gen X and Y candidates are looking for a skills path. They desire to understand what skills are needed to be successful in the position today. The long-term incentive is to understand what skills they will personally develop or acquire within the company. They prefer a horizontal management structure and respond to personal skill development. Titles are out. Responsibilities are in. It is imperative to share with the candidates the responsibilities they will inherit as their skills become more advanced over their tenure with the company.
CareerJournal:
Develop a relationship with your supervisor and his or her boss. “You’re living in the dark if you believe you can advance without your boss,” says Crawford. “People who have high aspirations should not be ashamed to let it be known. Talk to your boss about taking on broader responsibilities, ask how she got where she is and discuss how you can earn the right to move ahead.”
Our article:
Gen X and Y highly value the manager-employee relationship. They view their manager as a guide an experienced Sherpa to make sure they are on the right path.
A job-hopping career path is certainly here to stay and I’m not against it. We screen sales candidates constantly for their short-termed tenures. Sales typically requires a longer commitment since building a territory or customer base takes time. Salespeople who jump every 1 to 2 years with no appreciable path are high risk. The red flag here is that it usually takes 1 to 2 years to get a complete read on a salesperson’s abilities. Salespeople who consistently jump at the 2 year mark may be capable of delivering a strong sales interview but not revenue results.