In the electrical industry, moving form job to job and project to project is a fairly recognizable way to work. While some electricians and electrical engineers will start their own firms and stay occupied with employment in the same realm for much of their careers, many electricians today are taking a less traditional approach to career building. Hard work and focus are almost always the best ways to advance, however in a bad economy and tough job market other tactics may be necessary to find success in the electrical field. Leaping from opportunity to opportunity and project to project is a new stratage for climbing the job ladder.

This ‘job leaping’ or ‘job hopping’ has both its benefits and its pitfalls. Especially for independent contractors, electrical work comes and goes, and one must jump on the opportunities that arise in the hope of staying employed and maying a living. Depending on the situation you are in, moving on in the hope of a better or more long-lasting opening may be a smart move. Because of the shifting international economic temperature, young jobs are less sure than they were in the past. Because of this, employment can dissolve at any moment, regardless of the care and time it took to build it. Electrical staffing companies are a huge boon to young electrical professionals, and keeping up a resume and good relationship with an electrical staffing agent can lessen the blow of a sudden lay-off. Unfortunately this unsure footing of the job market has caused workers to treat the job market with the same level of transience: why become committed to this one job when it could evaporate without warning?

The real cost-benefit analysis of leaping into a new electrical job comes between the measure of good available jobs out there, and the length of time you work between leaps. If your electrical staffing company helps you land an electrical job, even one you are overqualified for or that does not meet your pay expectations, working that job with full focus and commitment for a reasonable amount of time will make it easier for you to land the next, better gig. It is more manageable for an electrical staffing company to market your resume to a better electrical or construction company of they can prove you are a good and committed worker where you are. It is only common sense that while it looks nice at a glance to have variety on a resume, it will become quickly apparent that you are a floater and questions will arise about why you can’t seem to stay in one place. With all that in mind, many electrical employers respect a worker who knows their own worth and is willing to reach for new opportunities when the time is right. As far as building a career goes, consistency is still the best path, and while an electrical staffing company can help in the unforeseen event of lay-offs and job shortages, a steady build to success is considered the most effective way to break out of a starter job and move into a growing career.