I just finished reading Mark Suster’s Never Hire Job Hoppers. Never. They Make Terrible Employees. Though written in April 2010, I only recently happened upon it. My post today is not to debate the points he makes, but rather to point out how his statements actually show the type of job environment we live in, and why a job-hopping culture could potentially become a benefit to military spouses.
I have to admit, upon first reading Mr. Suster’s thoughts, I was concerned about how widespread his sentiments are among CEOs and hiring bodies. If everyone felt as Mr. Suster did, what hope is there for military spouses who may have to leave a job every 3-5 years when they PCS? Well…..give a resilient military spouse some time and we can overcome anything, right? The very need for an article such as Never Hire a Job Hopper is a sign of the times–times which can actually be a benefit to professionally-minded military spouses.
As generations have changed, so have job seekers. Even in the difficult economy we now face, statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that “younger” workers (those 18-34) are less likely to stay in a job for very long when compared to their older counterparts. Many believe that the changes in employee tenure are a result of a new generation of workers known as the Millennials. Whatever the reason, military spouses need to be aware of these trends, which impact how they market themselves in a job competition.
After taking a look at the 2010 Employee Tenure Summary, it’s easy to see that younger employees bring down the average tenure statistic. In fact, workers between the ages of 18 and 34 actually average under 2 years of tenure at their current position (when the survey was completed).
So why does this matter?
Well, military spouses, we can use this statistic to prove why we are actually good (dare I say sometimes better?) candidates for jobs. At a time when the average job tenure of today’s workforce is between 2-5 years, military spouses are actually no more likely to leave a job than anyone else! This information is often contrary to the perception that many employers have regarding military spouses, making it crucial for any milspouse job seeker to know.
In recent days, I have been reminded that sometimes people are simply unaware of what military spouse life is like, and it is up to us to politely inform them. Often, people don’t take a risk on a military spouse because they simply don’t know any better. We must be advocates for ourselves, and this is just one more way to do so!
