'Quicksilver' careers gain momentum

There can be little doubt Generation Y is remolding workplace environments, but one change that's coming the world's way in 2012 is particularly radical, according to this Fast Company feature.

The article claims the new 'quicksilver' world of work is increasingly seeing younger professionals chop and change careers every four years.

In a trend that's likely to be reflected locally, statistics reveal the median number of years a US worker has been in his or her current job is just 4.4 years.

Researchers claim the move towards shorter careers reflects the insecurity, risk and volatility of current economic conditions as well as the shift towards more contract and freelance work.

But one complication of the trend is the difficultly experienced by hiring managers who must differentiate between the aimless or difficult to work and genuinely talented job hoppers.

The answer, according to a HR person from YouTube, is to ask the right questions in order to identify candidates who have changed careers to grow as a professional and expand their scope.

What do you think – do highly mobile job candidates usually have the right stuff?