Occupational FOMO: More harm than good

They are constantly looking for new opportunities, but lack commitment and long-term direction. As a result, many people fall into a spiral of instability, their careers "stagnant" even though they are always in a state of motion.

Many young workers feel they are lagging behind due to career FOMO. *Photo: NT*

When " job-hopping " fomo becomes a trend among young people

Every day, there are news sites with articles and posts congratulating other people's successes on social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook or Threads... Many young workers feel like they are... lagging behind. Not necessarily because their current job is bad, but because they feel like if they don't change, they will "fall behind".

With just a few clicks on the internet, you can easily see acquaintances posting about getting a new job at a large corporation, old classmates are now managers, and someone their age is starting a business and successfully raising capital. From the fear of being left behind, many young workers fall into a spiral of changing jobs rapidly. They continuously apply for jobs, try their hand at many different companies, sometimes deciding to leave after only a few months.

Many workers admit that it is not because their current job is bad, but because they feel that if they do not change, they will be “inferior” to their peers. “Job-hopping” becomes the fastest way to reassure themselves that they are also progressing. They are very happy and excited to “job-hopping”, otherwise they will feel like they are missing out on something important.

Therefore, they always have the mindset of having to change jobs, having to apply for jobs in many places where someone is successful on social networks.

Le Dieu Vy (24 years old, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam ward) shared that her current job is very stable, with an income of about 15 million VND/month, but every time she sees her friends changing jobs, Vy feels inferior and needs to be like or better than that person. And Vy has fallen into a "job-hopping spiral" for 2 consecutive years.

Vi Nguyet Cam (23 years old, Cau Giay ward) also shared that she believed that constantly "job-hopping" would help her advance faster. Within just one year, Cam changed 3 companies with the expectation of a higher salary and position. However, after each change, Cam realized that she had to start over from the beginning, from getting familiar with the process to building relationships with colleagues.

“I thought changing jobs would be a big leap, but it turned out to be like going back to the starting line. In the end, the time to learn and prove myself was shortened,” Cam said.

Nguyet Cam also mentioned her close friend Dang Ngan Ha (23 years old, Nghia Do ward). Ha quit her job at an NGO after only half a year because she thought it would be easier to find a better job. However, after quitting her job, Ha was unemployed for 3 months, sending out many applications but receiving few responses. “Ha said that at that time she believed that quitting would immediately give her a new opportunity, but now she is both worried because she has no income and regrets her hasty decision,” Nguyet Cam added.

Fomo "job-hopping", the pros and cons are too obvious

Many young workers fall into a state of constantly searching for new opportunities, "job hopping" after only a few months, then continue to apply to other companies. On the surface, it looks like "rapid career development". But inside, it is confusion, lack of direction, and sometimes exhaustion. The pros and cons of the "job hopping" FOMO trend can be clearly seen.

Sharing his journey of becoming a victim of career FOMO, Chu Nhat Anh (26 years old, Hong Ha ward) said that he had worked at 3 companies in 2 years and always felt like he was looking for a new job even before the probationary period ended.

“My friends kept showing off their great jobs and high salaries, so I thought I had to change to avoid being left behind. But the more I changed, the more I felt unattached and unable to accumulate anything deep,” Nhat Anh said. The rush to assert oneself unintentionally causes many people to fall into the state of “standing on this mountain and looking at that mountain”, not having time to build a solid foundation.

Nguyen Van Anh (28 years old, Tay Ho ward) also had a bitter taste because of constantly changing jobs. Initially, Van Anh hoped to change companies to increase her salary, but the more she changed, the lower her income went. After 4 job changes, her salary dropped from 18 million VND to only 12 million VND/month.

Van Anh shared: “New companies often don’t trust me so they only pay me a basic salary, but bonuses and benefits require long-term commitment. The faster I change jobs, the more benefits I lose.”

Many young people have “tasted bitter fruit” because of constantly changing jobs. *Photo: MT*

Discussing this issue, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Employment Service Center Vu Quang Thanh said that during the job fairs held at the center, many people came to apply for new jobs even though they had previously been accepted. Recently, this trend has become quite common as young people have a great need to "jump jobs".

Mr. Thanh believes that changing to a new job with a higher income and more development opportunities is very good for workers. However, when changing jobs due to trends or FOMO psychology, it has the opposite effect. Each worker needs to focus on developing skills and be patient with their work. When the opportunity is ripe, changing jobs is the most sustainable measure for their career.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/hoi-chung-fomo-nghe-nghiep-loi-bat-cap-hai-717747.html