job hopping

Job hopping is switching jobs often, staying at each one for a year or two before moving on, usually for a raise, a better title or a better fit. Someone who does it is a job hopper.

What job hopping means

Merriam-Webster defines job-hopping simply as the practice of moving from job to job. The usual motive is money and growth: a new employer often pays more than a raise at your current one. A Fortune line quoted by Merriam-Webster says that for decades, job-hopping was one of the surest ways to climb the career ladder and boost earnings.

Some hiring managers still ask about short stints, so job hoppers learn to explain each move.

Examples

• “She’s had four jobs in six years and doubled her salary. Strategic job hopping.”
• “Will job hopping hurt my résumé?”
• “He’s a job hopper, but every move was a step up.”

Where it came from

It’s older than it sounds. Merriam-Webster’s earliest record of job-hopping is from 1945. The phrase pairs job with hop, the same image as bar-hopping: moving quickly from one place to the next.

Related terms

• Career cushioning: lining up your next job.
• Great Resignation: the pandemic-era wave of quitting.
• Rage applying: mass-applying out of frustration.
• Polywork: several jobs at once.

See more terms like this in our work and money slang guide.