Job Hopping Wasn’t a Hobby, I needed to Survive

This article tells Femi’s* story, moving from job to job within two years. Heads up: he isn’t a tech-bro or working within the startup system, so it’s not a case of many companies jostling for talents out there with their competitive benefits. In fact, in a world where startups are the in-thing, he says, it’s not safe to just up and leave jobs if you’re not within that system. 

(Switching Careers isn’t the same as switching jobs: Find out here)

Job hoppers are one of an employer’s greatest nemesis. And from the employee’s point of view, switching jobs within short intervals isn’t fun too. Not only is it stressful, but could also be detrimental to a person’s career history.  

But do people just up and leave their new jobs, cheating on employers and looking for new opportunities every single day? 

“No, that’s not it”, Femi says, “It’s really nothing else but toxicity in my case”

Femi is a Civil Engineer who currently works in Lagos but has had to move to the south once to take up a job. One he didn’t spend more than two weeks at.

“I had my youth service in Benin where I worked with this Senior Engineer who I build a good relationship with. I moved to Lagos afterward where I got my first job. I was there for two months; the distance from the office to where I was staying was far, the pay was below 100k, I had to buy food every day because I was squatting with someone who doesn’t cook, and it all really wasn’t making sense. My former boss called me one day to tell me about a job in Benin and I didn’t think twice before moving. Benin wasn’t as expensive as Lagos and it was a better opportunity. I resumed the new place, hoping to gather some months’ salary before renting an apartment and setting up my house. We were on site one day when he got angry over an issue and started insulting me. It felt like a joke at first, but he was cursing and before I knew it, he told me to get away from his site and never return”

Recounting his story, Femi states that in spite of the sudden event, that was just the beginning of the numerous cases of verbal abuse he would experience in his career. And this isn’t just peculiar to him. It would seem that verbal abuse is common within the engineering circle, especially in Lagos. 

“And that was the beginning of my job hopping. The toxicity within this space went to Harvard, and I’m talking about verbal, mental, and physical abuse. I thought it would only happen with my Chinese bosses, but it was worse with Nigerian employers”

After Benin, it took a heavy toll on him, moving back to Lagos and starting afresh. And within the following year, Femi would have to switch between jobs, finding the most manageable work conditions, better pay, and trying to set up his own company. 

“When I returned to Lagos, my first job was with this construction company under a Chinese boss. It was horrible. You could be called anytime to come to work, and when something flops, get set to be insulted and called names. And the pay isn’t even great. I stayed there for two months before I got another job and moved. Here, the salary was nothing to write home about, but at least, I won’t have to feel terrible every single day. However, as time went on, I learned that when the boss is nice from the start, don’t be carried away. I was there for about 5 months while actively searching for a better opportunity. During that period, I wrote exams and started my own brand. Eventually, I got a much better offer; it was a referral, and the pay was great. Plus, the interview really went well and it signaled to me that the company was going to be a healthy place to work at. Omo, it was the absolute worst!”

Asides from toxicity, seeking job satisfaction, discovering the right career path, and aiming for better pay are factors that influence job hopping, especially among career starters. 

Higher Pay, Job Satisfaction, and Career Discovery

After Janet completed Law School in 2018, she took her first job for the experience and affiliation with a top firm. Eleven months after, she moved out of Lagos to take another job as a legal advisor in an agency. Her reasons; better pay in a low-income state. Four months after, she quit and moved back to Lagos. Now, she’s back at a law firm with higher pay, while running a side business. 

For Dele, a content writer and digital marketer, it’s a thin line between finding a job with good pay and job satisfaction. “Between 2021 and 2022, I worked at three places, two of which are startups. I left the first after three months because it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I got jobless for months afterward, but I don’t regret leaving there. In late 2021, I got a job at a startup and continued with side gigs until I realized I was terribly underpaid and the company couldn’t afford a raise, so I started looking out. I left in June 2022 for another startup where I’m currently at. And now, I’m getting dissatisfied. In fact, I’m considering switching careers. I’ve been doing content writing for the digital space since youth service days, and I’m tired” 

In this article, Jobberman’s Head of Recruitment says: “It’s absolutely normal for candidates with 0-4 years of experience (entry-level) to move around. This is because they are in the self-discovery stage, trying to find their career path”

However, there are downsides for both parties; the employer and the employee. But until it becomes a red flag for a recruiter and a bane on a candidate’s career journey, it’s a tool for survival and navigating the phase of discovering the perfect career path. 

“Months into the new job”, Femi says, “The boss began to get toxic, and I mean physically abusive. He once threatened to have an engineer shot and compensate the family afterward. I decided to resign after he hit one of us, leading to an injury. Thankfully, I didn’t stay idle for long. I got another one with lower pay. Is it still toxic? Yes. But not as bad as the previous one. I have accepted that there will never be a perfect job, but I will survive as much as I can. Saving and building connections for my own brand are now my escape routes for the future”

“In summary, I have learnt that a career is a journey. No one can know the exact route one will take in the future. But we can be sure that it doesn’t have to be a straight line. Don’t look at job hopping as a failure. It is simply another experience to add to your arsenal of life experiences. Keep your options open, and learn to enjoy the ride” 

What do you think about job hopping, especially considering the “valid” reasons why employees switch jobs.