Photo: BearFotos/Shutterstock & LinkedIn
People who live in glass houses should never throw stones.
By NyRee Ausler — Written on Mar 25, 2023
When it comes to how we should manage our careers, there are many schools of thoughts out there. One ‘judgmental’ recruiter learned the hard way that people who live in glass houses should never throw stones.
It all started when a Redditor shared an interaction between a recruiter and an admitted job hopper to the subreddit, r/recruitinghell. What started as the headhunter chastising an unidentified person about their tendency to leave jobs early, quickly turned into a lesson in irony.
The recruiter criticized the modern trend of 'job hopping.'
A fellow LinkedIn user created a post about changing jobs frequently when a recruiter made a comment that said, “That can be a double-edged sword. No one wants to hire a job hopper”.
That could have been some very helpful advice had it come from someone who actually practiced what they preached, but the recruiter clearly did not have ‘clean hands’ before offering their two cents. But sticking your nose in places it does not belong can lead to dire consequences.
The author of the post was quick to point out that despite that recruiter’s opposition to job hopping, they, too, had moved from one employer to the next with little time between each engagement.
Photo: Reddit
The poster told them that if candidates were being excluded because they only worked at a job for 2-3 years, they would also be among the population of people overlooked for their short tenure in past roles.
To drive home the point, the author began detailing all of the jobs the recruiter had worked since getting into the field in 2016. She pointed out that they have held no position longer than 1 year and 10 months, with one lasting just under a year. There was also a gap in employment lasting nine months and a non-descript ‘freelancing’ stint of about three months.
The proud job hopper went on to remind the recruiter that she should treat candidates the same way they would want to be treated if they were the person looking for a job. Though no additional commentary on the post was shared, it was apparent that people agreed as several reacted favorably.
It’s completely natural to want to share your thoughts, but LinkedIn is a professional network with employers and potential clients watching, so you have to be careful about what you say.
There is an ‘art’ to commenting and it so important that you are know how you want to brand yourself and not come off as a hypocrite. Just because you see something doesn’t mean you always have to say something. If you’re not adding anything to the conversation or are simply there to cause a dispute, keep scrolling.
In this case, it’s probably a good guess that the recruiter never planned on her own work history being shared and scrutinized so thoroughly. Instead of adding her unsolicited thoughts on job hopping, it might have been more beneficial to admit they had done the same and share reasons it has not worked for her. Context would have added more substance to the comment and lessened the chances of such a big public own.
There are many ways to ruin your career, your reputation, and even your life on LinkedIn. The key is to weigh out the impact of what you have to say and decide whether or not the response is worth getting it off your chest.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.