Despite a recession, 75 per cent of currently employed executives say they would consider a new job if the opportunity arose, finds a study by the New York-based Association of Executive Search Consultants.
In fact, most of the 1,518 executives from around the world surveyed said they believe changing jobs is essential to career growth, with 82 per cent saying they expect to work for three different organizations over the next decade, and 57 per cent saying they expect to work for at least four and as many as seven organizations by the end of their career.
Poor company values were the most likely catalyst, cited by 74 per cent. Lack of career development was close behind, for 63 per cent.
Still, a track record of stable employment is considered important, with 48 per cent saying they consider an executive job with a tenure of less than two years likely to raise questions with potential employers.
The survey also found that 56 per cent of respondents feel they are facing a significant increase in competition for executive level roles from five years ago.
About half of respondents were from the United States and about 5 per cent from Canada, with the rest in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
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