Are quitters winners on the job scene?

Constant job shifts have drawbacks too
In my 25 years of service, I have changed my jobs only thrice. That’s because the companies I worked with not only gave me an option of gaining experience but also had good working environment. Today’s generation does tend to shift jobs more often and the main reason behind it is money. After all, we all work for money. But one must also keep other aspects in mind while joining a particular job - Will I enjoy it?; Will I learn and grow in the industry?; and Will it help me in moving up a well-defined career path? If all these criteria are met, only then one must opt for that shift. One must not forget that shifting a job doesn’t always mean improvement. For instance, if a person with 10 years of experience has worked with seven to eight companies then while recruiting him, the new company might be apprehensive. The two reasons behind one shifting jobs too often might be seen as that either the person has too many expectations or he couldn’t not deliver. A shift from a small company to a bigger one is okay but shifts between two fairly equal companies might be seen negatively. Therefore, all aspects should be evaluated.                                              
—Bikramjit Maitra, independent HR consultant

Today’s youth is risk-taking
From my experience especially in the IT sector, people are always looking for better exposure. Also, after a couple of years, there is bound to be some monotony in a particular job so it’s natural for people to switch over. With the plethora of career options available today, there could be a change of interest. So again one might want to change the job profile as a different company might offer a variety of options. If one sticks to the same company for long, there may not be many growth opportunities. A new job might offer a diversification and a better pay to boot. I think more than the pay package, job satisfaction is of primary importance. Today, there are enough choices so why should anyone be stuck to one organisation or job profile?Earlier, people would prefer sticking to a government job and eventually retire, but now the youth is ready to take more risks.    
—Aneesha Pillai, member of placement committee, JBIMS

Frequent shifts are for money
I don’t feel that shifting jobs is a must for career boost. Compared to other countries, Indians nowadays might be willing to change jobs often but I think this is applicable to youth mainly. I don’t think frequent changing of jobs helps in career growth, because it is nothing more then changing for some extra money. I think one should rather stick to one job for a long time then there are more chances of a better promotion, and also one would understand and be able to do one’s job better. This will be helpful to both the employee and company, and it would reflect well on the resume.
—Paras Sejpal, sr commodity trader

It’s not good in the long run 
While job shifting definitely helps one get out of one’s comfort zone, it does not necessarily guarantee that one would grow faster. Advancing in a particular job is a factor of one’s skills, knowledge and how soon one can assume the role higher. And this means giving more than what would be expected out of one. Job shifting may be a short term solution but in the long run it does not necessarily work. This is my personal take, however the survey might hold true for other people. But i do believe that money is the main factor that makes people shift their jobs too often often compared to the earlier times.
—Sunayan Shahani, consultant PR

Changing jobs revives chances
Today career advancement mainly implies monetary gains. Shifting jobs surely revives career prospects as growing within an organisation has become difficult because of the cut-throat competition. But at the same time shifting companies has also become easier as compared to what it was around 10 years back. Many even use an offer letter from other company as a weapon to get a pay hike or a promotion in the current organisation. If the growth ladder is difficult to climb in a company I would surely go for a switch as it may not only benefit me monetarily but also give me a more challenging profile to work on. —Neil Mehta, management student

It makes sense to keep shifting
The more the number of jumps one makes, the more one ends up taking home. For a 21-year-old graduate the starting pay package is Rs2.5 lakh per annum. After traineeship and subsequent confirmation, the youngster will make anything between Rs3 to Rs3.5 lakh. After two years of experience, one can claim anywhere between a 40% to 60% hike. And if he does manage to get that desired hike, he will take home Rs5.6 lakh per annum. Let’s presume he’s makes just two more jumps in the next seven years. So, the kid who was making Rs5.6 lakh per annum will end up getting a whopping Rs15 lakh by the time he’s 30. So, I don’t think shifting jobs too often is a bad idea.
 —Rohan Rao, management student

Learning is more crucial 
There is a clear difference between what a job means and what a career is, and therein lies the answer. If a job allows a career as in a job that can keep one engaged lifelong then that is what my aim would be. Unfortunately, most jobs or companies in India don’t really allow for that because of various factors like a bureaucratic mindset, autocratic bosses, uninspiring work etc. If a job allows for continuous learning then I’d stick with it; if I feel that a job has no more potential and is a dead end in terms of what it offers then maybe not. For many, money is the main reason behind shifting jobs which I think is wrong.
—Niharika Hanglem, manager

I’m not keen on making jumps
Frequent shifting jobs would indicate that one is not stable or is not serious about one’s career. It will reflect bad on one’s resume. I don’t think that changing jobs is a very good sign. I would prefer staying in the same organisation and in being loyal to it. Also, one should know exactly how a new job would help enhance the career prospects rather than just changing jobs for some impractical reasons. One should know what’s right and what he is looking for when applying for a new job. I believe that it’s better to set a goal and work accordingly rather than just randomly change jobs. 
—Meghna Manikoth, student