Latest / Job Hopping with Fexingo: Tenure, Loyalty, and the Modern Career Resume / Why Job Hoppers Build Better Peer Networks
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this assumption I keep hearing — that job hoppers have shallow networks, that if you leave every couple of years, you never build the kind of deep relationships that matter for your career. Luna: Right, the 'no roots' critique. I've definitely heard that from hiring managers who prefer candidates with long tenure. Lucas: Exactly. But a 2025 LinkedIn study actually flips that narrative. They looked at users who had three or more roles in seven years versus those who stayed at one company the entire time. The job hoppers had networks averaging 680 connections — versus 420 for the long-tenure group. And more importantly, those networks spanned 2.3 more industries on average. Luna: 2.3 industries — that's significant. So it's not just more people, it's more diverse people. Lucas: That's the key insight. When you stay at one company, most of your network is within that company, maybe that industry. You go to the same conferences, meet the same vendors. A job hopper, on the other hand, every new role forces you to rebuild from scratch. You learn how to initiate conversations, find common ground, stay in touch after you leave. Luna: It's like a muscle — you exercise it more often, so it gets stronger. But I want to push back on the quantity part. Are those 680 connections actually meaningful, or is it just a big pile of weak ties? Lucas: That's a fair question. The study also looked at engagement — how often people interacted with those connections. Job hoppers had slightly lower interaction frequency per connection, but higher total interactions. And when they did reach out for something — a referral, an introduction — the response rate was actually higher, about 35 percent versus 28 percent for the long-tenure group. Luna: Interesting. So maybe the diversity of the network compensates for the shallowness of individual ties? Because you have more people from different contexts who can help in different ways. Lucas: Exactly. And there's a concept I've started calling the 'network refresh effect.' Every time you join a new company, you're forced to build relationships with a new set of colleagues, clients, maybe even a new industry. That process itself makes you a better networker. You get faster at identifying who matters, you get better at follow-up, you learn to maintain ties from your past because you know you'll need them later. Luna: Let me bring in a real example. I spoke with a product manager at a fintech startup — she's moved jobs every 18 months for the past six years. She told me that when she started her last job search, she reached out to former colleagues and managers from all four of her previous roles. She got warm introductions at twelve different companies, and three of those turned into final-round interviews. Lucas: Twelve companies from four past roles — that's a three-to-one ratio of companies to past jobs. That only works if you've maintained those relationships. Did she have a system? Luna: She did. She uses a simple CRM spreadsheet — not even fancy software. Every month she picks five former colleagues she hasn't talked to in a while and sends a quick message. Could be sharing an article, asking about a project, just a 'how are you.' No ask, just staying on the radar. Lucas: That's exactly the kind of intentionality that separates a useful network from a contact list. And it's easier to do when you've had multiple jobs, because you have more cohorts to choose from. Someone who's been at one company for ten years? Their network is mostly current coworkers — and once you leave that company, those ties often fade fast. Luna: There's a downside though. If you move too fast, you never get to the point where you have deep, trust-based relationships — the kind where someone will go out on a limb for you. I've talked to job hoppers who say they have lots of acquaintances but few mentors. Lucas: That's a real trade-off. You can't have the depth of a ten-year relationship if you leave every 18 months. But you can compensate by being more strategic about a few key relationships. The PM I mentioned earlier — she told me she makes a point of staying in touch with one or two people from each role, usually her manager or a senior peer, on a more personal level. Quarterly coffee chats, that sort of thing. Luna: So it's not about having 700 shallow connections. It's about having 700 connections where maybe 30 of them are deep — and those 30 come from different companies and industries. Lucas: That's the sweet spot. And honestly, this is something our listeners have shared with us over the years — their own experiences with networking as job hoppers. It's part of why we keep coming back to this topic. If you've found value in those conversations, or if the show has helped you think through a career move, we'd love to hear from you. And if you feel like supporting the show so we can keep it ad-free and focused on topics like this, you can buy us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, listener perspectives really do shape the episodes. We've had so many people write in with their own strategies — like the CRM spreadsheet I mentioned earlier — and that becomes a springboard for a deeper dive. Lucas: Exactly. So back to the network refresh effect — one other thing the LinkedIn study found was that job hoppers are more likely to receive unsolicited job opportunities. About 40 percent more, in fact. Because their names pop up in more contexts, more people think of them when a role opens up. Luna: That's the pure serendipity argument. You're just more visible across the market. But I wonder — is there a point where too many moves starts to hurt your network rather than help it? Lucas: There is. The study also looked at people who had more than six jobs in seven years — so average tenure under 14 months. Their networks actually shrank. Because they didn't stay long enough to form even weak ties. They were in and out before anyone really remembered them. Luna: So there's a Goldilocks zone. Enough moves to build breadth, but not so many that you never establish any foothold. Lucas: Exactly. And that zone seems to be around three to four jobs in seven years — so average tenure of about 18 to 24 months per role. That gives you enough time to build relationships, contribute meaningfully, and leave a positive impression, while still getting the diversity benefit. Luna: Let's talk about practical steps. For someone who's currently job hopping or considering it, how do they build a network that's both broad and deep? Lucas: I'd say three things. First, when you start a new role, immediately identify the five to ten people you want to stay connected with after you leave. It could be your manager, a mentor, a peer you click with. Second, set a recurring reminder to reach out to them — every two months, every quarter. It doesn't have to be a big thing. A quick LinkedIn message saying 'I saw your company launched X, congrats' is enough. Luna: And the third? Lucas: Third, when you do leave a job, don't just disappear. Write a personal note to your key contacts saying thank you and that you'd love to stay in touch. Include your personal email or phone number so you're not dependent on a company LinkedIn account. That simple act doubles the likelihood you'll actually maintain the relationship. Luna: I love that. It's so easy to just silently exit. And then six months later you realize you've lost touch with everyone. Lucas: Right. And the beauty of a diverse network is that it compounds over time. Every new job adds a fresh cohort. After five or six roles, you have relationships across multiple industries, functions, and geographies. That's an asset that only grows. Luna: It's almost like a diversified investment portfolio. Each relationship is a different asset class. Some pay off immediately, some take years. Lucas: That's a great analogy. And like any portfolio, you need to rebalance occasionally. Prune the ties that have faded, invest more in the ones that are yielding returns. The job hopper who does that intentionally ends up with a network that's not just wide, but resilient. Luna: Resilient — that's the word. In a downturn, when layoffs hit, it's the people with diverse networks who find new roles fastest. They have more doors to knock on. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the ultimate argument for job hopping as a networking strategy. It's not about the number on your LinkedIn profile. It's about having a web of relationships that spans the market, so you're never starting from zero. Luna: Alright, I think we've given our listeners a lot to think about. Next episode, we'll talk about something a lot of job hoppers struggle with: how to explain short stints in an interview without sounding like a flight risk. Lucas: That's a great one. See you then.