Thinking about quitting?
Most people don't quit on a Monday morning. They quit slowly, over months of Sunday nights that feel a bit heavy. By the time they hand in their notice, they've often skipped the most useful question: what exactly is wrong?
I hire people for a living, and I've changed jobs myself. Nearly everyone who leaves does so for one of four reasons. Work out which one is yours, and the decision gets a lot clearer.
The 4 reasons people leave
Growth: am I still learning, or have I done this year five times now?
Pay: am I paid fairly for what I actually do?
People: does my manager back me? Do I like the people I work with?
Future: can I see a next step here that I'd actually want?
Score each one out of 10
Be honest and go with your gut. Then look at your lowest score, not your average.
Everything 7 or more? Stay. Have a conversation about your next step and keep building.
One score under 7? Fix that one thing first. Ask for the pay review, the new project or the change of team.
Two or more under 7? Start planning your move. Calmly, with a CV that's ready and a plan for the next three months.
An example
Sam is a marketing coordinator. Growth 7, pay 7, future 7, people 3. Sam's manager takes credit for the work and never gives feedback. On a bad week Sam wants to quit the whole company.
But one low score isn't a reason to leave a job that's working in three other ways. Sam's next step is a straight conversation with the manager, or a move to another team. If that doesn't work in three months, Sam leaves with a clear reason and a better story for the next interview.
Why this matters in an interview
"Why are you leaving?" comes up in almost every interview I run. People who've done this thinking give a short, clear answer: "I've grown as far as I can in this role and I'm looking for X." People who haven't tend to talk about their manager. Guess which one gets the second interview.
“He encouraged me not just to make any change, but to pursue the right one.”
— Ruth W, Google review
Get a proper answer in 3 minutes
I built a free online check that does this for you. Answer 12 quick statements and it scores growth, pay, people and future, then tells you whether to stay, fix one thing or go. Your answers stay private.
Go to careermate.io/career-tools and tap Decide whether to stay.
Want to talk it through? Book a free 20-minute chat with me, online or on the North Shore: careermate.io/freeintroduction. No pitch. You leave with one clear next step.
About me
I'm Chris Casey, a career and small business coach on Auckland's North Shore. I've hired, been hired, changed careers and started a business. I'm still working full time, leading marketing and technology teams across New Zealand and Australia.