Deciding to leave a job is a big decision. We spend a large portion of our lives working, so leaving a job you’ve held for a while can be difficult. However, there are many valid reasons for quitting a job. Here are some of the most common good reasons for leaving a job:
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Career Growth and Development
One of the top reasons people leave a job is to advance their career. This can mean switching industries, job functions, or seeking a more senior-level role. Some examples include:
- Taking a job that allows you to gain new skills and experiences
- Moving to a position that offers more responsibility and management duties
- Switching careers to follow your passions and interests
- Leaving a stagnant job where there is no room for advancement
Pursuing career growth opportunities allows you to continue building your skills, experience, and network. This can lead to higher pay, more fulfilling work, and new challenges to keep you engaged.
Poor Company Culture or Values Misalignment
Company culture has a huge impact on employee satisfaction and retention. If the work environment becomes toxic or you no longer share the organization’s values, it may be time to leave. Some warning signs include:
- Leadership makes unethical or questionable decisions
- Lack of diversity and inclusion practices
- Gossip, politics, and lack of collaboration on teams
- Little work-life balance or flexibility
- Feeling disrespected by colleagues or managers
When your personal values differ too much from the company’s values, it can lead to low morale, stress, and burnout. Seeking an employer with a culture better aligned to your needs can greatly improve your job satisfaction.
Lack of Advancement Opportunities
Employees who feel stuck in their career with no room for growth are more likely to quit. Common signs that advancement is unlikely include:
- Your manager ignores requests for promotion
- No clear path or requirements to get promoted
- Company keeps hiring externally instead of promoting from within
- All senior leadership roles are filled with no retirements on the horizon
If you want more responsibilities and challenges, switching companies may be the only way to find a job that offers better opportunities to be promoted.
Poor Management
Managers have an enormous ability to impact employee morale, performance, and desire to stay at a company. Some examples of poor management that can spur resignations include:
- Overly critical, micromanaging, or distrustful of employees
- Playing favorites and not treating employees equally
- Provides little feedback or ignores employee concerns
- Communicates poorly or provides unclear direction
Having an incompetent or toxic boss can make work stressful and unenjoyable. Employees often quit managers, not companies. Finding a new job with better leadership can vastly improve your work experience.
Better Compensation and Benefits
One of the most straightforward reasons people leave a job is for higher pay and improved benefits. Some common scenarios include:
- You are significantly underpaid compared to industry averages
- The company has not given raises or cost-of-living adjustments
- A job offer comes with better health insurance, retirement match, or PTO
- You want more flexibility to work remotely
Leaving for higher compensation and better benefits is a simple decision for most. It allows you to earn what you deserve and support your lifestyle. Just be sure the other job factors are also a good fit beyond pay.
Relocation
Relocating is one of the most understandable reasons for quitting a job. Common situations where relocation leads to resignation include:
- Moving for your spouse’s job
- Returning home to care for an aging parent
- Wanting to move to a new city or state you’ve always dreamed about
- Company requires you to relocate and you’re unable to
Providing you give sufficient notice, most employers will understand needing to resign due to relocation. Some may even let you work remotely if that’s a possibility.
Health, Family, or Personal Reasons
Major life events outside of work can force you to quit a job. Some examples include:
- Needing to care for children or family members full-time
- Medical issues or disabilities affecting your ability to work
- Mental health reasons like severe stress or burnout
- Going back to school full-time for a degree
- Saving money to travel or pursue other goals
Letting your employer know you need to resign due to personal or family reasons can be difficult. But being honest about what’s going on can help maintain a positive relationship after you leave.
Layoffs or Company Closures
Sometimes quitting is not your choice but the result of layoffs or a company going under. This can offer the opportunity to:
- Pursue your dream career
- Go back to school full-time
- Take a career break to reset after burnout
- Consult or freelance to enjoy more flexibility
- Look for a more stable company to work for
Getting laid off or a company closing down forces change upon you. But you can make the most of it by finding a new job aligned with your passions or values.
Retirement
Many employees end up working at the same company for decades right up until retirement. Planning a retirement date and giving sufficient notice allows you to:
- Transition knowledge before you leave
- Tie up any loose ends on projects
- Train a replacement to take over your responsibilities
- Adjust to not working anymore
- Pursue hobbies and bucket list activities
Retiring is a major life change. Having a plan for staying active and engaged after leaving the workforce can help the adjustment.
Toxic or Hostile Work Environment
If the work environment becomes abusive, discriminatory, or emotionally damaging, leaving is the healthiest choice. Some examples of toxicity include:
- Bullying, threats, intimidation, or belittlement
- Discrimination based on protected characteristics like race, gender, or sexual orientation
- Sexual harassment including inappropriate comments, jokes, or touching
- Micromanaging and complete lack of trust or autonomy
- Yelling, verbal abuse, and public humiliation
No job is worth sacrificing your mental or physical health. If attempts to improve the situation fail, quitting may be your only recourse. Just be cautious about how you resign to avoid retaliation.
Boredom and Lack of Engagement
Feeling bored, unchallenged, or disengaged at work can drain your motivation. Symptoms include:
- Just going through the motions and lack of purpose
- Using little creativity or critical thinking skills
- Doing the bare minimum to get by
- Dreading going to work and counting down until the end of the day
Switching to a more challenging job that aligns with your passions can reignite your engagement. Or if you want to stay at your current company, consider:
- Asking for more responsibilities or different projects
- Joining a cross-functional team to learn new skills
- Taking on a mentorship role to guide newer employees
- Volunteering for a special assignment like leading a task force
Sometimes small changes in your daily work can boost motivation and prevent boredom from setting in.
Lack of Work-Life Balance
Achieving greater work-life balance is a common reason people leave a job. Signs your work-life balance is off include:
- Working excessive hours, including nights and weekends
- Feeling pressure to be “always on” and constantly connected
- Difficulty taking vacation time without being contacted
- Missing important events and milestones with family and friends
- Neglecting your health and well-being due to work demands
Seeking a company with better work-life balance practices can reduce stress. Some examples include:
- Flexible schedules or remote work options
- Generous vacation time and sick leave
- Discouraging after-hours communication
- On-site childcare or wellness programs
- Sabbaticals or career break programs
Improving your work-life balance enhances your overall happiness and ability to thrive in all areas of life.
Looking for a New Challenge
Some people get an itch for a new challenge after being in the same role for several years. Reasons you may want a new challenge include:
- Mastering your current job and being ready for something harder
- Feeling you’ve hit a career plateau with no room to grow
- Wanting to expand your skills and experience
- Seeking different day-to-day responsibilities
- Working in a new industry excites you more
Pursuing a more challenging opportunity can reinvigorate your passion for your work. And it helps build resilience by pushing you outside your comfort zone.Just be sure you still align with the new job and company’s vision and values. Don’t chase new challenges just for the thrill of constant change.
Didn’t Receive a Promised Promotion
Being passed over for a promotion you were promised can understandably spur you to quit. This scenario often happens when:
- Your manager informally promised you a promotion that upper management then rejected
- The company placed a hiring freeze and promotions were put on hold
- Budget cuts forced your promotion to be canceled
- The open role got pulled for reprioritization of goals
If a promotion falls through after you were already expecting it, don’t be afraid to politely discuss the situation with your manager. Explain why the promotion was important for your career growth and ask what steps you can take to still be considered down the road.If they are unable to provide an acceptable path forward, don’t feel obligated to stay. Seek an employer who will value you and invest in your advancement.
