The Builder Generation never changed jobs. Baby Boomers only changed jobs when they had to. Then along came Generation X, affectionately referred to by human resources professionals as the "Job Hopping Generation", and everything has changed.

Today, job hopping does not have the stigma it once had -- in fact it is expected!

According to the 2009 Executive Mobility Survey from Blue Steps, 82 percent of international executives now believe it is acceptable to have as many as three jobs in a 10 year period. In fact, it has a great credibility. Be cautious because anymore than three jobs will erode your credibility. This is a significant increase over the same study done two years prior were only 68 percent held that belief.

The history of job hopping

Members of the Builder Generation, those born prior to 1944, and their parents landed a job straight from college, high school, or the military. They had every expectation they would remain with the same employer until the day they retired or died. Few in the generation were every involved in a downsizing or permanent layoff.

Baby Boomers, born between 1943 and 1964, started their careers with the same expectations of life-long employment. However that began to change in the late 1980s and early 1990s when downsizing became popular. Baby Boomers saw retirement plans and pensions disappear overnight when workforces were cut and their services no longer needed.

Generation X witnessed their parent's stress and discomfort and became determined not to fall prey to the same situation. They began to build a strong resume based on a career in a particular industry. This meant changing employers to get as diversified a work history as possible.

Generation Y has already taken it one step further. Witnesses to the dying furniture and textile business of the Carolinas and demise of Detroit's auto industry, this generation, born after 1977, decided to take manners in their own hands. Instead they were determined to build a career on skills not tied to a single business sector. They tend to build two careers at the same time.

They devote themselves to their day job, which is typically some sort of traditional employment. After leaving the office they go to their second endeavor -- some sort of entrepreneurial venture. For example, they may have a traditional job as a logistics clerk and at the same time work on building an internet business or pursuing a financial planning license.

Full circle

This generational evolution has now filtered upstream, hence the feelings of international executives toward the comparison of job changes and credibility.

Author Rick Weaver is founder of [http://www.mbcglobal.org]MBC Global, a global commerce and education organization. For information about more than 2 dozen categories of cultures, visit MBC's toll-free [http://www.mbcglobal.org/CulturalBridges.html]Cultural Bridges.

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