I find it interesting that millennials are happy to job hop. At the age of five, after my first day at school, I went home and announced that I was going to save up all my silver pennies so that I could become a teacher one day.
Apart from various holiday jobs while a schoolgirl, I have never worked at or been interested in doing anything else. I loved teaching.
Does this fact make me unadventurous, unenterprising or boring? I do not believe so. I do believe, however, that job hopping provides crucial work for recruitment agencies which would not flourish if my frame of mind were the norm…
There are, of course, great advantages to job-hopping for those who are unsure which career to pursue.
A former pupil of mine was desperate to be a hairdresser when she left school so I sent her to a salon for her two weeks’ work experience. She hated it! She ended up working in an office and loved it. Just a taste of what she thought she would like was enough to change her mind.
A happy medium has to be struck otherwise potential employers might think that an applicant has no staying power or loyalty.
Written by Anita Mcghee (retired English teacher)