Recently, I came across some Linkedin discussion on Job Hopping for better pay. I would to share my views. Job hopping—frequently changing jobs, typically every one to two years has become more common in recent years in Malaysia, especially among younger professionals (Gen Z and Millennials). There are both advantages and disadvantages. It is important to look at how experience, pay, and long-term career development all fit together.
Job Hopping Trend in Malaysia
1. High Job Mobility Intentions
A significant 61% of Malaysian employees indicated plans to seek new employment within the next year, surpassing countries like Australia (48%), New Zealand (50%), and the UK (55%) in a study by Kisi. (Source: upscale.my)
2. Generational Differences in Job Switching
Among younger employees, 81% of Gen Z (aged 18–24) and 68% of Millennials (aged 25–34) plan to change jobs within the year, often due to factors like poor company culture, lack of recognition, and limited career development opportunities. (Source: dailyexpress.com.my)
These statistics highlight a dynamic job market in Malaysia, where salary remains a dominant factor in job transitions, but other elements like career development and work-life balance are increasingly influencing employees’ decisions.
Advantages of Job Hopping:
1. Rapid Salary Growth
Some believe that by switch jobs he/she could get a significant pay raise. It’s true, as internal raises are normally smaller compared to internal offer.
2. Self-Improvement
Some hopping for new exposure. There some who get bored doing the same of routine activities. They are always seeking new challenges, and the only choice is to seek new challenges elsewhere.
3. Career Growth
Especially the young one, they are still exploring their career. By trying out different role and environment, they are able to understand better their likes and dislikes related to their career – who they want to be.
4. Exposure
They believe that it provides them exposure to understand different work values, organization culture, projects, etc. Exposure is a very powerful tool for learning and growth which ultimately influences one’s experience, belief, emotion, perception, etc.
Disadvantages of job hopping:
1. Red Flag on Loyalty and Adaptability
Hiring managers may be concerned by a resume with multiple one-year or two years hopping, as it can raise questions about a candidate’s commitment to the organization or maybe the ability to adapt with the workplace. For instance, if a candidate has held four different roles in four years across various companies, an employer might wonder whether they left each job due to challenges with team dynamics, culture fit, or staying engaged over time.
2. Lack of Deep Expertise
Some employers worry that job hoppers don’t stay long enough to develop deep expertise or witness the long-term impact of their contributions. For example, if someone leaves a product development role after just eight months, they may miss the product launch and the chance to learn from customer feedback, improvements to be made, etc. —key experiences that build real insight.
3. The Value of Long-Term Commitment Lost
Some of the most meaningful professional growth comes from staying in a role long enough to take on long-term challenges—like mentoring team members, scaling systems sustainably, or driving organizational change. These opportunities often unfold over time, and frequent job changes can limit exposure to them. For example, leading a company-wide digital transformation typically takes several years; someone who leaves after a year may only contribute to the planning phase and miss the critical execution and learning that follow.
What About Experience?
Real Experience Isn’t Just Time on a Job — It’s About:
1. What You Built?
Experience is defined by the tangible results you produce, not just how long you’ve been somewhere. Building something — whether it’s a new process, a product feature, a department, or a customer relationship — shows initiative, creativity, and the ability to deliver real value.
Instead of just saying, “Worked in marketing for two years,” a stronger story is:
“Led the creation of a new social media campaign that grew engagement by 60% and brought in 15,000 new followers in six months.”
2. As a Problem Solver
Employers value your ability to think critically and solve real issues. Solving problems shows that you’re proactive, resourceful, and capable of making a measurable impact on business challenges.
Rather than listing a job title, explain: “Identified bottlenecks in our customer support workflow and implemented an automated ticketing system, reducing response time by 40% and improving customer satisfaction scores.”
3. Collaboration and Teamwork
Your ability to collaborate, communicate, and navigate team dynamics is just as important as your technical skills. Real experience includes how well you function in a team, lead initiatives, and build relationships across departments.
Instead of simply stating, “Participated in cross-functional meetings,” you could say:
“Collaborated with engineering and product teams to align timelines and features, which helped launch a new app feature three weeks ahead of schedule.”
4. Being Responsible
Taking ownership, being responsible and accountable — whether of a task, a project, or a team — is a strong indicator of your leadership potential and growth. Employers notice when someone steps up, goes beyond their job description, and drives outcomes.
A more impactful version of “Assisted with project management” might be: “Took over as interim project lead when my manager was out, coordinating a team of six to deliver the project on time and under budget.”
Humble Advice
My humble advice would be:
1. Look Beyond the Paychecque
Don’t make decisions based solely on salary. Ask yourself, “What skills will I gain, and how will this role help me grow?”
2. Track Your Impact
Keep a running record of your accomplishments, challenges you’ve overcome, and new skills learned in each role. This makes it easier to showcase your value later.
3. Balance Loyalty and Growth
Staying in a toxic or stagnant role just to appear loyal can stall your career. At the same time, don’t jump ship at the first sign of difficulty—some challenges are worth working through.
4. Be Intentional About Your Career Moves
Have a clear sense of why you’re considering a change and how it fits into your long-term goals. Don’t move just to move—move with purpose. Key asking why you are doing so.
Smart Moves vs. Risky Hops
Changing jobs can absolutely boost your career—if each move brings real growth, deeper skills, or broader experience. Employers respect candidates who can show a clear pattern of learning, impact, and upward momentum.
But if you’re switching roles primarily for a salary bump, without building meaningful expertise or leaving a lasting impact, it can hurt your long-term prospects. Too many shallow stints may raise concerns about your commitment, adaptability, or depth of experience.
