Job Hopper Alternatives, 5 Ways to Build Variety Into Your Career

One of the reasons that many ENFPs and ENTPs become a job hopper is that they love variety and may have a low boredom threshold, so if their current job doesn't offer them some variety or challenge they end up job hopping.

One way to get round this is by building variety and change into your job or even into your entire career path. This can be a really effective way of not only making sure that you are more likely to enjoy the job, but also helping you to stay there longer.

The good news is that there are many ways to do this, and below are some that I've used and have seen work for others.

Areas that are change focused

Industries that are changing quickly, for example high growth areas, those that depend on technology and those that are very competitive, can be of interest to people who are adaptable and like change. In these areas innovation is often seen as a competitive advantage and 'the old, established' way of doing things becomes obsolete very quickly.

Project-based work

Personality Page describes both ENFPs and ENTPs as being project-oriented and there are a lot of project-oriented jobs out there that are worth looking at. Careers that fit this description can be found in many areas, commercial and non-commercial, and include business consulting, architecture, marketing, event planning, wedding planning, coaching and training.

Transfer to a different department

An intercompany transfer will allow you to do the same job in a different part of the organization, a different part of the country, or even a different part of the world. You may also be able to transfer to a different job. A transfer maybe permanent or temporary depending on the policy of the organization in question.

Work for a small company or start-up

I love working for small companies as you often get to 'wear many hats', i.e., do you many different roles so there's a lot of variety to every day. This is particularly the case if the company is growing quickly, in which case there may be the opportunity to craft a new role for yourself.

Recraft your current job

Everyone has parts of their job they enjoy a lot more than others. Why not look into delegating the parts of your role you don't enjoy as much, or arranging an exchange with a team member. If you love the bit of your job that involves getting out and talking to people but don't like doing detailed planning and reports, try teaming up with someone who likes the opposite things to you.

Not only could you both end up enjoying your jobs more and increasing your performance, but who knows what good things could come from the close collaboration.

Choosing one, or a combination of these ideas as you plan your career can be really effective in making sure that you are more likely to enjoy a job. They may also help you to stay there longer, so although you will still change job at some stage, you will probably have enjoyed it a lot more while you were doing it and will have stayed long enough to have got something out of it. And very importantly, when you come to craft your resume or CV, you won't look like a job hopper.