How many jobs will today's college graduate have over their lifetime? →

. RSS

The average person changes jobs 12 times in their lifetime, according to the latest available public survey data (2019).

• The average employee stays with their employer for 4.1 years as of January 2020.

• However, this number varies slightly between women (3.9 years) and men (4.3 years).

• Men hold 12.5 jobs in their lifetime, while women have 12.1 jobs.

If a person is going to change jobs 12 times over a lifetime, it would be helpful to find a way not to start from scratch in the searching process each time. This means that the work you do in your job search should not end when you find a job. One important example of where the work needs to continue is networking.

For a network of contacts to be compelling needs to be active. Prioritizing those in the network, identifying who has the best connections and industry focus, and then making sure you stay connected and try to keep in contact and add value to the relationship over the years is essential.

Staying in contact with your network allows you to be updated on their interests and needs so you can bring value to them. Attending networking events will make you a more valuable and informed employee when you are working and make those events far more helpful for you when you are looking for another job again. Certifications and staying current with your professional focus is often a catch-up game when your unemployed so staying active in trade shows and being a student of your industry while employed is very important.

LinkedIn is an important asset when you’re looking for a job. It helps you find jobs that match your skills and likewise helps those employers find you. Your LinkedIn profile confirms your professional credentials, and they should stay current and relevant while you are employed and when you’re looking for a job.

Don’t end up starting your job search 12 times from scratch over your career.