Young workers trade the ladder for the lily pad
Job hopping has been rebranded as a strategy to rapidly acquire new skills in a tough market.
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In today’s uncertain hiring environment, younger workers see value in “lily pad” hopping, shifting laterally through shorter-term roles in different organisations and sectors.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Alice Kantor
Simone Stolzoff has held a lot of jobs in the past 13 years. Before his current role, he was a marketer for an ad tech company, director of communications at a food start-up, design lead at a studio, a magazine staff writer and freelance reporter. Each move, he says, has brought new experiences even if he has not always advanced in seniority.
“Instead of a series of rungs on a ladder, (my career moves) look more like a series of lily pads, with each hop a new opportunity for growth,” he says. “Some moves came with salary bumps, and others came with salary cuts. I’ve been willing to accept less money to find more meaningful work.”