Is there a minimum time we should stay in a new job?

One of the unspoken rules of getting into a new job is to stay there for at least a year — even if you hate it.

Even in a difficult environment, you need to demonstrate stability and professional commitment before changing jobs. But, with the huge changes that are taking place in the job market amid the pandemic, is this rule still valid?

Maybe so, according to experts. The factors that define the one-year rule are timeless: For the employer, an employee who stays with the company for at least a year is a better investment than one who leaves earlier — and their loyalty is also considered positive.

And as far as the employee is concerned, staying for 12 months means time to gain knowledge and skills that you can’t learn in just one quarter, for example.

But changes in the way we build our careers, coupled with the unprecedented impact of the pandemic, have brought greater flexibility.

While employers may still prefer more traditional resumes, experts indicate that one or more brief stints at previous jobs shouldn’t necessarily be a deterrent, as long as you’re able to provide a good explanation for the changes.

check stability

The one-year rule is based on practical concepts: getting a job is an important fact, and it takes time to fully get used to it.

“After a year, employees typically feel they have progressed and understand who’s who on their team and in their department,” says Alison Sullivan, senior manager of corporate communications at employment website Glassdoor.

“A year gives people enough time to make an impact on the company, gain new knowledge and demonstrate their growth. When looking for your next role, what you did in the first year can help make the case for why you are the right person for a job and provide you with real-world examples,” she says.

Demonstrating growth is a much more difficult task if you’ve only been in the job for a few months — and a brief stint with a company can also raise uncomfortable questions about your professionalism.

“People who change jobs quickly have been associated in the past with a lack of commitment or resilience, an inability to grow and progress in the face of adversity, or even a predisposition to leave their teams,” says Michael Smets, professor of management at the University of Oxford. , in the United Kingdom.

Sullivan believes that while it is possible to explain one or two brief periods of employment on the resume, employers “may interpret a series of short passages as being from a candidate who can avoid challenges or is unreliable.”

Companies also don’t want to invest time and money recruiting and hiring employees only to see them leave a short time later — which means they will favor candidates who have had a solid stint with previous companies on their resume.

“If you feel insecure about your job, try to stay in it for at least a year. Any period shorter than a year could be a red light for a human resources manager,” advises Sullivan.

New reality?

But there are some signs that the one-year rule is no longer considered as inflexible as it was in the past.

In fact, requirements appeared to be relaxing even before the pandemic, as employment trends among workers changed.

“Os baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and older generations typically spent much of their careers in a single company,” explains Jamie Ladge, professor of Management and Organizational Development at Northeastern University, USA. .”

There is no clear data to support the idea that younger professionals jump from job to job more often than previous generations, but most currently expect to change jobs several times over the course of their careers as a way of progressing, acquiring new knowledge or securing better wages and benefits.

Changing jobs is also more common in some industries, such as technology. “Changing jobs has become a choice that often says more about the employer than the employee,” says Smets.

Professionals are increasingly looking for workplaces that prioritize employee well-being and dedication, without being locked into a “bad” employer.

This shift has been accelerated by the pandemic, due to increased concern about burnout and unhealthy work practices.

And in this context, a record number of American workers have left their jobs during the pandemic, leaving some employers struggling to fill vacancies.

At the moment, “changing jobs frequently or having shorter stints with companies is being less stigmatized than in previous years,” says Sullivan.

“The pandemic is a major factor, which has caused many people to leave their jobs, be laid off, or resign for a variety of reasons, from caring for family members to health and safety. In today’s limited job market, human resource managers are much more understanding about gaps in the curriculum or rapid changes in general.”

Smets believes that while some of the stigma of leaving a job in less than a year still exists, traditional ideas about the ideal length of time in a job are being challenged, amid a “remarkable shift in power between employers and employees”.

But he notes that a new employer will want an explanation for a short stay on his resume. “A key part of the narrative is being convincing in explaining why the new job is a chosen destination rather than an escape route,” says Smets.

the best way to explain

All this means that the early departure of a company should not eliminate your candidacy for other positions, but explaining your movement well is essential to convince human resources managers who still favor candidates who demonstrate stability.

“Human resource managers want to know why you want to join the company, just to have some confidence that you will stay,” explains Smets.

They may also want to know how you left your old job.

“Explain how you decided to leave your previous company, but organize a solid transition and accept a departure date that doesn’t let your team down—even if the notice was just one month. If you can do that, you’ll be able to to demonstrate reliability and commitment, even when changing jobs quickly”, suggests Smets.

If your previous job was very different from the advertised position, it’s okay to explain that, according to Jamie Ladge.

“Many times, companies and human resources managers don’t have time to offer a realistic presentation of the position or they don’t do their homework to get to know the role well and convey it to the employee”, she says.

“With that, the employee enters the company thinking that work is one thing, and ends up being something completely different.”

Sullivan also believes that, in general, when explaining a quick exit from a job, the “important thing is to anticipate and be able to provide context”. But she suggests focusing on the positive topics related to the new role — rather than delving into what went wrong in the previous job.

“If a potential employer asks about past experiences that you know weren’t ideal, it’s best to keep the discussion diplomatic and focus on why you’re excited. [com] this possibility of employment or company”, says Sullivan.

“What you offer for the position and why it excites you now matters and means more to a human resources manager than what you left behind.”

Convincing a potential employer that you’re the ideal candidate, despite the churn on your resume, can ultimately come down to making them believe that the skills you’ll bring outweigh the risks of how long you’ll stay.

“Employers want someone they can invest in who, in turn, will stay and grow with the company and the role,” says Sullivan.