M&F Talent Cannabis Career Tip of the Month: Job Durations

As an industry leading recruiting company, Mac & Fulton Talent Partners have an expert understanding of hiring trends in the cannabis space. Over the course of every work week, we consistently engage with both applicants and hiring companies in the cannabis industry. With this kind of experience, we see patterns unfold that stifle the hiring process for companies; in turn, some of these patterns keep qualified candidates from acquiring meaningful employment.

A major hindrance faced by employers in the cannabis space has to do with job durations in an applicant’s work history. To illustrate, when a hiring company is viewing your resume, they are looking for things that matter to their business. For most companies, a stable employee who is willing to “stick it out in the long run” is a huge asset. It’s hard to find loyalty. As such, if your resume shows consistent job durations of 6-12 months, many employers will assume you are merely “job hopping” and always looking for the next best thing. Similarly, having worked 4-5 jobs over the past 5 years also makes your intentions with a new company suspect, or that you can’t hold down a job.

But the cannabis industry presents an extremely unique work environment and unique industry. This is primarily because the vast majority of the industry is comprised of startup businesses. By their very nature, startups are less stable than more “established” businesses. As such, the cannabis job market presents challenges to employers and employees that would not be seen in “more traditional” forms of business.

The cannabis industry is haunted by short work durations – it is extremely rare that people stay at a job for more than a year. The volatile, startup nature of the cannabis industry puts pressures on both employers and employees that often causes them to part ways. Many employers don’t have compensation packages commensurate to an employee’s ability, which will generally cause employees to leave. Similarly, cannabis businesses are sometimes unstructured and disorganized to the point of dysfunction. All of these factors contribute to the systemic “job hopping” seen in the cannabis industry today, where long work durations are the exception, and not the norm.

There are several factors at play that influence the short work durations seen across the cannabis industry today. Unfortunately for people working in the cannabis industry, many of these influences are completely out of their control, and can affect their applications to companies outside of the industry. However, there are a few steps that can be taken to ensure more stability in your work history and career:

1. If you are looking to work in the cannabis space, or switch career paths within the industry, be sure that you thoroughly vet your employer. Be aware of whether or not they are a startup and if their business plan is sound.
2. Be sure that you are taking a job is something that you will enjoy in the long run. Don’t buy into the hype, ask other people who have done a similar job.
3. See how well your personality meshes with your potential boss’s. If you feel there is a communication gap, a long-term job might be out of reach.

While it is not always “the employee’s fault” that a job doesn’t work out, real career progression depends on a work history that is attractive across the industry.

Hopefully, taking the preventative measures we listed above will ensure that you have job you can be proud of and can also advance your career.

Resources:

1. Want to learn more about subjects similar to those touched upon in this article? Check out our articles on subjects such as:
   1. Minimizing Data Security Risks in the Cannabis Industry
   2. Cannabis Prohibition in the USA: A Conspiracy or Something Else?
   3. Protect Your Online Presence!
   4. Exploring the Effects of Light Radiation on Human Health
   5. How to get a Job in the Cannabis Industry
2. Want to get in touch with Mac and Fulton Talent Partners? They can be reached via the following methods:
   1. Website: https://mandfconsultants.com/
   2. Email: info@mandfconsultants.com
   3. Phone: (630) 733-9362