I saw an interesting Infographic today that I felt should be shared with our followers.  Also it gives me a chance to weigh in with my quick opinion on it.  In summary, the graphic demonstrates that there are many contributing factors that may cause someone to have a hard time finding their next job.

Factors such as:
-Long stretches of unemployment
-Gaps in their previous employment history
-Age
-Job Hopping

Of those, people who “Job Hopped” can be harder to place then someone who has been unemployed for 6+ months or someone in their 60’s, as indicated in the Infographic.  The exception to this is working as a contractor.  Contracting experience is expected to be comprised of several shorter stints (3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc).  The danger comes from being a Full Time Employee and leaving your employer every year or so.  This raises major red flags for future employers that can bring your loyalty into question as they weigh their desire to invest in you.  Get some stability under your belt at your current employer before moving on, because in the long run, this keeps your skills sharp and helps you avoid long unemployed gaps on your resume in the future.

The flip side is, there’s a fine line between staying in your job long term vs staying too long and stagnating your skill set.  Its always wise to entertain other employment opportunities, just make sure you have a good explanation about why you are looking to leave your current employer and how that will translate as a benefit to your next employer.

~Richard