Postmistress celebrates 60 years in job
Esther Brauer, a 78-year-old woman from Kylesku, Sutherland in the uK is far from sitting in her couch and enjoying her retirement. In fact, she's celebrating 60 years as a postmistress and doesn't even think about quitting her job. If it wasn't for her, the small community wouldn't have a post office and locals would have to ride at least 10 miles for the nearest one arround.
This story of this energetic lady made quite an impression on me. As a student who has yet to arrive on the labour market I couldn't imagine working for the same company for 60 years. I would get bored of doing the same job everyday over and over again. I would like some more variety and experience in several jobs.
Esther Brauer is most definitely an extreme opposite example of a tendency nowadays: Job hopping
Rather than sticking to one job, employees today change jobs more frequently. The days that working over 20 years for one company was seen as an honor badge and jop hoppers were considered unreliable belong to the past. People change jobs more often and employers are getting more used to this. Statistics also confirm this: we just don't work as long for the same company than our parents or grandparents would.
There are several reasons for this trend.
Job hopping has its roots in the downsizing wave of the late 1980's and early 1990's. People believe they are responsible for their own carreer, they realise that companies can fire them at any moment so they don't feel any guilt when they change to another job with a better pay or more growth opportunities. Employers are also more confident: they believe that they can easily find another job which is also made possible thanks to the internet. Employees with a lot of experience in several jobs consider themselves as well as more diversified, wise and flexible.
Job hopping has its roots in the downsizing wave of the late 1980's and early 1990's. People believe they are responsible for their own carreer, they realise that companies can fire them at any moment so they don't feel any guilt when they change to another job with a better pay or more growth opportunities. Employers are also more confident: they believe that they can easily find another job which is also made possible thanks to the internet. Employees with a lot of experience in several jobs consider themselves as well as more diversified, wise and flexible.
For employers job hopping is a real curse. It costs a lot when an employee runs of after 1 year. They then have to recruit and train someone else. The best way to avoid this is to check out whether their salaries are competitve and to create an atmosphere where employees are challenged and feel appreciated.
Personal tip: Keep up with the times, an employee who sticks at the same company for 60 years nowadays is a real miracle!
How about you? Do you see yourself working for the same company for 10-30 years or more? Let us know!
Jolien Van Poecke
When I'm graduated, I would like to work in the same company for at least 5 years, so I have some experience. And if you stay in the same company, you can grow. But I don't see myself working in the same company for more than 20 years. You learn a lot in a company, but at a given time, it is time to change and use that experience somewhere else.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI agree, I would like some variety later in life. I would like work for the same company for about 5 years and then change if I get the opportunity. Because it's not so simple to change jobs whenever you want. And maybe I really like the company I work for and then I could just change positions and get higher on in the same company. But, you never know what the future will bring, so we'll see!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenDaya De Ruyte
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