While previous generations of workers could spend their entire working life in the same company, or even in the same position, today the trend is towards mobility. This raises the question of the duration to be respected, especially for your first job. Between credibility and the multiplication of experiences, the balance is sometimes subtle…
Having a certain stability in your first job: one among many for your CV
A recruitment process involves an investment of time and money on which any company expects a return; return in terms of productivity, but also of minimum stability of the employees recruited. The proliferation of premature terminations of fixed-term contracts, or rapid exits from permanent contracts, may therefore risk worrying recruiters. By only staying a few weeks or a few months, especially on a first job, you risk showing a lack of interest, investment, and credibility.
Demonstrating stability on your CV is therefore an undeniable and appreciable asset for employers, especially when it comes to your first job. It is also often a condition to allow you to integrate well into a team, prove yourself and gain skills before you start looking for a new job.
But if the previous generations projected themselves in the (very) long term in the same position, the new generations are more mobile and the recruiters adapt to them gradually.
Today’s young workers get an idea of their job more quickly : 46% stay there for less than 12 months. For 63% of them, their departure is voluntary because of too great a gap between their expectations and the reality of the job they hold (salary, uninteresting work, etc.).
Professional mobility has therefore now become essential for a majority of French workers: 64% of them believe that they will experience at least three job changes in their career. Aware of this change, recruiters are less intransigent about the length of your professional experience when you justify the time you stayed for each one and, above all, the soft skills and know-how you have acquired.
It is therefore no longer only the duration of your first job that weighs, but also the experience acquired and the skills developed , which you will have to know how to present to recruiters. And if you feel good in this first position, nothing prevents you from staying longer, or even your entire career!
Being mobile: a strategy to consider too
A duration of employment that must be chosen and assumed
Your first job allows you to become aware of the reality of the working world. And if everything looks good on paper, you may end up being dissatisfied with your first position for several reasons: lack of development prospects, insufficient salary, lack of responsibilities, etc.
If the experience is disappointing, even unpleasant, daring to leave is important even if you have only been in this first position for a few months. Shortening your first experience is also proof of courage and maturity, qualities appreciated by recruiters.
The important thing is to be able to justify your choices . Assume the short duration of your first job by preparing your pitch and exposing it to recruiters without even waiting for their questions about it. Emphasize what you have learned in terms of skills and work environment: 18 months in a stimulating job is sometimes better than 4 years without real challenges. Detail what was positive and, on the contrary, what you now want to avoid.
Do not focus only on the duration of your first job to know if it is time or not to change it. Instead, take stock of your feelings : feeling of having done the job, of not being rewarded, of being bored, having relationship problems, etc.
63% of young people leave their first job within 12 months of taking up their position: 19% because it does not correspond to the idea they had of it, 27% to find a more interesting job.
Also read : Can I ask my company to telework?
What solutions for the “hyper-mobile” of work?
For some, stability is not easy to manage. Without being uncomfortable or dissatisfied with their position, they constantly need change, challenge, change of environment…
Unless they chain classic short-term fixed-term contracts (which presents the risk of frequent periods of unemployment between two contracts), they may have every interest in opting for temporary work .
It is indeed an interesting solution to gain experience through mobility. The succession of several temporary assignments is more easily justified than a succession of short-term fixed-term contracts or broken open-ended contracts, while bringing you many benefits : same social benefits as employees, the discovery of different companies or even different trades , professional network development, etc.
Interim assignments are all enriching experiences that help you refine your professional project , especially at the start of your career. Far from the routine, you learn the flexibility and adaptability prized by recruiters.
Especially since with the temporary CDI , it is now possible to combine a variety of jobs and financial stability! You can indeed be hired on a permanent contract by your employment agency, carry out your missions within multiple companies, and benefit from a minimum remuneration between two missions. Talk to your adviser!
Also read : What to do when you want to change jobs?