Survey responses: When asked if they felt they would rather leave a job that was not fulfilling than to stay for future opportunities, 60% answered yes with another 15% saying their answer would depend on the situation.
Sample survey comments:
“I tend to change jobs about every two years. That said, I have been fortunate to work in companies that can offer growth and development opportunities, and to work for managers who recognize and appreciate that I need to be challenged with new and stimulating work.”
“I have quit jobs because they are intrinsically not satisfying and in some cases have become too boring, or they are asking me to use skills that I do not like using and I don’t seem to have a strong aptitude for. I have never ‘served time.’”
“Absolutely. I am a firm believer that you do not check a box. It is about growing your expertise and experiences. If I find I am no longer learning, then I seek to move to something that will grow my skills for my ultimate goal.”
As mentioned, job hopping was normal. If the company is large, they moved around in the company. If not, they moved from job to job. The average length of time in one particular job is about 4 years plus or minus two. However, they usually made this choice because they wanted to LEAVE something behind instead of CHOOSING jobs based on a plan. This shifted slightly with age and family responsibilities.
Sample interview responses:
(AW) “I struggle with people who want to put me in a pocket, make me the stripe person… I prefer they give me the chance to give them a result. But I can honestly say I haven’t really had very many of those because I would leave when it gets to that point. You know, this isn’t fun anymore.”
(AS) “I think companies are having a really tough time because they’re losing their workforce…My generation, we know we don’t have to wait around (for new jobs and promotions). So there’s no loyalty. I’m not loyal to an organization. I’m loyal to a cause and I’m loyal to certain people that I work with on a team, but I wouldn’t stay with one person in a company if there was something better for me somewhere else.”
