How PMs Can Benefit From Job Hopping
Changing jobs isn't bad. Actually, it will help you stand out
How often should you stay in a job?
My parents told me, “Once you get a job, do your best to keep it.” I never gave much thought to it. I stay in a job as long as I see it as valuable for both the company and myself.
So far, I’ve been part of eleven companies as a full-time employee. I’ve been in different industries, the public sector, startups, and the corporate world. I didn’t switch because I wanted more money but more knowledge. The moment I felt stuck, I moved on.
Let us take this free episode to explore the benefits of job hopping and how that can drive your value in the market. It will take you 4 minutes to read this episode :)
Before exploring the benefits of job hopping, maybe you could help me choose my book cover. I’m working on a few designs and would love to get your feedback.
What Happens When You Stay?
The longer you stay in a company, the more valuable the company you become. Yet, you run the risk of getting outdated.
Let me share what happened when I became a PM in 2012.
First-year was challenging as I had to learn the job and the market
In the second year, I had gradual improvements
In my third year, I thought I was good until I realized how outdated I was
I was an excellent PM for my previous company and a mediocre PM for other companies. Why? I was good at product delivery and clueless about discovery. The market had little interest in my skills, and I saw that as a danger to my future growth.
By staying there, I would continue to grow. Eventually, I’d become the Head of Product who didn’t know leading product practices. So, I decided to move on to broaden my horizons.
What Happens When You Move?
It took six months to get a new job. Most companies rejected me because I had only experience in one place and lacked discovery experience. Although I had learned the theory, I struggled to apply the practice in my scenario in 2015.
Eventually, one startup got interested in hiring me, but I had to trim my salary so they’d see my commitment to learning and growing. That was one of the best choices I made.
I moved to a new business model and stayed there only for eight months, but here’s what happened:
I learned product discovery by doing it
I understood what it means to fail fast
We delivered three new products in 8 months
We grew our business 10x in 8 months
My skills got a new market value
Since that startup experience, I have never applied for any job but got frequent interview requests. Receiving a job offer became easier than ever, and I got excited about broadening my perspectives and growing my skillset.
Mindset
Is comfort or growth your priority?
If you’re eager to grow, staying long in a place will enable you to grow there, but it won’t be the same as forcing you to learn a new market, product, and culture. Yet, if your choice is comfort, job hopping isn’t for you.
What’s right? This question is something you need to answer yourself. There’s no right or wrong. You decide what fits you, but I do want to leave a thought from Garry Tan to you:
Understanding Consequences
Many companies don’t appreciate job hopping. I remember being rejected when recruiters or hiring managers asked me, “How can you guarantee to stay with us longer? You had several experiences of less than two years.” My answer is standard, though not everybody likes it, “As long as I have enough learning opportunities while helping the company grow, I stay. Otherwise, I leave.”
I strive to have an entrepreneurial mindset where the company is my biggest client, but I reject doing something that doesn’t motivate me.
Some companies refuse to talk to me, given the 11 jobs over 16 years. Yet, I don’t care. I did what was right for me. The funny part is that other companies value my broad expertise. They understand how rare it is to find someone who has explored so much, so they are eager to hire me.
The more you expose yourself to different scenarios, the more valuable you become to the market.
Job hopping can be stressful or exciting. It depends on what’s most important to you.
Creating digital products is my passion, so I enjoy doing that and get excited by working for different places. Yet, only you know what’s best for you.
In life, you can always choose to settle or to explore. That’s up to you.
My final recommendation to you. Do what it feels right to you. The rest will follow.
Let’s rock the product world together!
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Have a lovely day,
David