How to turn job hopping into an advantage
Worried that your work history might be working against you? If you’ve switched roles several times in recent years, you might be concerned about how potential employers will view your resumé. The good news: times have changed, and there are ways to frame your past experiences as strengths that benefit employers.
What is job hopping?
Job hopping is when someone changes their role frequently, such as every one to two years. Fifty years ago, it was normal to stay with one company for most of your career. But these days, switching roles after a few years is far more common – and even seen as favourable in some industries, like in tech, says Leah Lambart, career coach at Relaunch Me.
Generally, how long you spend in a role isn’t too important unless you have a pattern of leaving jobs less than 12 months in without a clear reason, says Tracey Montgomery, general manager at Pure Source Recruitment. “This can raise questions. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you want to be prepared to justify these reasons.”
Many job seekers worry that having short work stints will hurt their chances in the job search. In fact, SEEK data shows that 69% of candidates believe it’s important to stay in a role for at least 12 months to make their resumé look stronger. However, 59% of hirers take either a positive or neutral view on job hopping, suggesting they may not be as much of a disadvantage as candidates think.
There are many reasons why someone might change roles often. It can help people maximise their earning potential, progress their career at a faster rate, or leave toxic work situations, says Lambart. “Unfortunately, some employees can be unlucky and face challenging environments/situations role after role, which can lead to a series of short-term roles on their resume,” she says.
Why do employers see job hopping as a bad thing?
Employers might be unsure about hiring someone who has changed roles a lot in a short period of time as they might question that person’s loyalty. Aside from any personal values around how long someone should stay in a role, this is mostly frowned upon because hiring is time consuming and expensive.
“It takes an enormous amount of time, resources and money to recruit, induct, train and develop people,” says Montgomery. “At the core of it, employers are simply apprehensive about hiring people, investing all of this into their employment. High employee turnover impacts a business’s bottom line, productivity, and team culture.”
Employers are understandably worried about the risk of hiring someone, having them leave soon after, and needing to go through the whole process again. When hiring, they simply want reassurance that you plan on staying with them for a while.
Four ways to frame frequent job changes as a positive
If you’re worried about your work history when applying for a new position, there are certain ways you can put prospective employers at ease by framing your job changes as a positive.
Here’s what the experts advise:
1. Don’t lie or change dates.
Avoid adjusting dates on your resumé or any job profiles to try and cover up short stints. “This happens more often than it should, and it instantly creates mistrust,” says Montgomery. Be open and upfront about when you worked there as it can do more harm if a potential employer finds out.
2. Be honest about why.
Instead, be truthful about any reasons for moving jobs frequently, while keeping your answers professional. People understand that sometimes a job just doesn’t work out or you get unlucky with a bad situation. If you moved roles for personal reasons, such as family or illness, don’t feel that you have to share all the details, but just acknowledge that you spent a short time in the role.
3. Focus on what you gained.
Switching roles has many benefits and exposes you to more technologies and ways of working that can be helpful for your new job. Share the details of what you learned in each of these and how you developed your skills in a range of situations. This could be taking on extra responsibility, more client contact, exposure to modern systems or working for a higher profile organisation. Avoid dwelling too much on the negatives in the job you left behind.
4. Share what you bring to the table.
Link what you learned to the new role by outlining these positives and the practical applications they have for the new role. “These could be your ability to adapt quickly to new systems, processes and environments, or how you were able to get up to speed in a short amount of time,” says Lambart.
These days, changing jobs frequently doesn't have to hurt your career. In fact, accruing lots of experience in different roles is something you can use to your advantage. Be honest about why you moved and highlight what you learned in each role. The right employer will value the range of skills and experience you’ve picked up along the way.
Source: Independent research conducted by Nature of behalf of SEEK, interviewing 12,000 Australians annually. Published September 2025.
