Confessions of a Job hopper - Page 3

I think it is almost expected of new nurses to have to hop around a bit in order to find a "home" and "settle down." I hopped after 1.5 years to an ICU, thought it was bliss until the hospital nearly went out of business and so I moved to follow the money. Well that wasn't great but I lasted almost 3 years. Now I'm back down to 1 job instead of 2, and in an ICU that I like, that does seem to be consistently busy in a hospital that is also almost always busy. It ain't all good, but my boss is a decent person and the workload is doable. Considering that I'm in my 40's and staring at the prospect of autoimmune disease, it's a godsend of a job because it's doable even when I'm hurting, and when I'm feeling good there is usually overtime available.

Don't be embarrassed to hop around a little. Find something you can live with and hang onto it, though. Even if it's float pool, if it's a job that suits you, count your blessings.

Jobs held prior to college really don't count for much. You've only held a few nursing related positions and you're 24. Now is the time to get serious about your career choices, but you're certainly not a job hopper. I've been working since I was 15 and I'm 40. I've held many jobs in 25 years, but only a select few show up on my resume, as in the relevant and related jobs, which are few.

I completely agree joanna73...you’re only 24 and you’re still young! Explore! And also be thankful that you have had such job experiences , somehow those jobs lets you realized what career would you really want to pursue as it lead you to the path of nursing! Just be patient because there will a lot of opportunities which will knock on your door...Good luck to you

Don't be so hard on yourself, it sounds like you have been searching for a job that fulfills you, and those take time to find. Plus, you're young. The good news is that you've had a taste of not only what you don't want to do, but what you do want to do. With that in mind, you can start to really focus on what makes you happy and plan out how to get there. Don't lose faith in yourself, and keep plugging along!

I'm a job hopper... but not by choice.

Newspaper delivery
Pumping gas (back in the 'full-serve' days)
Ice delivery to rich guys
Marine avionics technician
Mortuary retrieval technician
Warehouse laborer
Secretary (little did I know how beneficial it would prove to be a skilled typist)
Research engineer
CNC Machinist
Park administrator
Precision machine designer
Technical writer
Math and science tutor
Process engineer
Substitute teacher
Manufacturing engineer
Med-surg nurse (1 yr)
ED nurse (2 yrs)
ED nurse (1 yr)
ED nurse (present job)
Two stints on unemployment twice...

In every case, I've left either due to being laid off, afraid of being laid off, or to step up to a new position with better pay or more responsibility.

My newest job, hopefully, will be the one from which I retire (with an actual defined-benefit pension) in 20 years.

There are some real benefits to having worked in so many roles, at so many places, with so many people:

1) I've become very adept at integrating myself into existing work cultures
2) I rarely come across 'new' personality types, either coworkers or patients
3) I am comfortable working through that initial period of awkwardness when you don't yet know what to do, who people are, and where things are.
4) I can often find points of commonality with my patients
5) I can easily compare good employers with not-so-good ones...

...and I know how good I've presently got it and am grateful for every day that I ~get~ (not have) to go to work.

I too have worked like 15 jobs. No need to stress about it just don't ever include or tell your potential employer allll about it. I think (I speak for myself), I am a serial job hopper because I get seriously bored if I'm not challenged. Maybe that is you too? Try to find a job that will continuously challenge you, keep you on your toes, mentally/physically/spiritually/whateverly. Perhaps furthering your nursing education would help you explore some better areas of work.

Good luck!

I disagree. Three of my jobs have been related to health (one sitter job at a hospital and 2 PCA jobs that I currently work) and these have all been in college. I even think it is important to include Mickey D jobs to show how far the worker has come.

If anything, an employer can look at those jobs and see a consistent work ethic, the ability to keep and maintain a job, to be responsibile as well as upwards mobility in said jobs.

I wouldn't feel so bad, some people like myself stay at a job for 12 years and then get so used to it they can never leave. Keep up the good work and at least at the nursing jobs you stay mostly a year! You will eventually find what you want.

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