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3 Happy Reasons People Quit Their Jobs

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Very few workers stick around until retirement, collect their pension and their gold watch, and ride off into the sunset. This is mostly because there are no pensions, watches now bear Apple logos and will be updated every six months until the earth is swallowed by the sun, and retirement comes whenever you’re past age 60 and get laid off. In fact, the average worker stays at a job only 4.6 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But, that doesn’t mean that every reason to quit is bad news.

jump for joy 

(Photo Credit: Hamad AL-Mohanna/Flickr )

Let’s take a look at some of the less-depressing reasons people leave for better things:

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1. A boss that “gets” you.

Bad bosses are the number one reason people leave their jobs, but your manager doesn’t have to be an ogre to be wrong for you. Sometimes, through no fault of their own, two people just can’t see eye to eye. When they’re married, they get divorced. When they work with each other, somebody leaves. The good news is that quitting a job involves a lot less paperwork and heartache.

2. A job that’s a better fit.

Whether it’s corporate culture, a flexible schedule, or a shorter commute, a new job might just fit better into your life than your present job. Knowing what you need at work is an important first step in finding that office that feels like home.

The main goal here is to be honest. Americans tend to think well of workaholics and respect people who prioritize professional achievement – but it turns out, many of us also like to lie about how much we’re really working, so take that with a grain of salt.

If you don’t want to burn the midnight oil, steer clear of industries and company types that do. (Avoid, for example, finance and startups.) If you like structure, don’t beat yourself up for not being able to “think outside the box.” Remember the irony of such a hackneyed phrase supposedly expressing creativity.

3. More money.

Raises are thin on the ground these days, and with wages increasing by fractions of a percentage point each quarter, sometimes the best way to boost your financial bottom line is by moving to a new company.

Just remember to be professional in your departure, so as not to burn any bridges. The business world is small and changes quickly. The company that you can’t wait to leave today might be totally different next year, when the boss, management policies, and even corporate culture have shifted.

Make sure your personnel file doesn’t contain anything that would keep you from earning a spot at the new and improved version of your old employer.

Tell Us What You Think

Have you ever quit your job? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt
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Brian
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Brian

I left my last W2 job before the next wave of pink slips kept coming and coming . . . Now I am working hard with my best friend (and wife) to work my self out my current W2 day job. We have been building owners equity for a year and half and are beginning to generate free cash flow. We are lucky to like what we do together and have built a nice niche business. We should be good… Read more »

Brian
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Brian

I left my last W2 job before the next wave of pink slips kept coming and coming . . . Now I am working hard with my best friend (and wife) to work my self out my current W2 day job. We have been building owners equity for a year and half and are beginning to generate free cash flow. We are lucky to like what we do together and have built a nice niche business. We should be good… Read more »

MelB
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MelB

I’m considering a career change which would mean going back to school and reducing my hours at my full-time job for a start. Then it would mean resigning once my training had finished and I was qualified. Not looking forward to that. My boss can be less than appreciative and even less interested in his employees lives/dreams, etc. I’m not looking forward to the sighing, and tsking that will come from it. I know it has to happen because I… Read more »

A non him us
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A non him us

I left my job after 5+years to join another Company that needed my expertise in building something that I had a lot of experience in developing and managing. I took this new opportunity for less money and also because I saw the opportunity to make my footprint in the new organization. After 5 years in this new Company and a few promotions for minimal increases, I realize that what the company was really interested in was my knowledge and really… Read more »

Shirley
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Shirley

I have just left a job for a higher paid role. I was really happy in the old job BUT have been struggling to make ends meet to the point that it’s caused me and my family a lot of stress, and there has been no sign of a salary increase since I started there. No matter how happy a job makes you, if it impacts negatively on the rest of your life you have to move on. Oh and… Read more »

The Devil
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The Devil

Reasons for quitting – end of line and they will lay you off soon – best to find another job while you are employed! – corporate political and whisper campaign to sully your good reputation. – sales lying to customer about services sold and ability to deliver on quoted pricing. – 2 shifted work (Canadian and overseas) for onshore/offshore model. – 100% travel and forced relocation every 6 months. – lack of proper benefits and retirement plan – poor HR… Read more »

Guardia
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Guardia

I quit my last job mainly because my boss was a selfish, stingy and full of hatred tyrant. Everyone from different department had difficulties dealing with him. I would come first thing in the morning, say good morning and he would not reply. That type of guy. Not mention that his desk was right behind my desk peaking over my shoulder without any divider or cubicle. It was hell. Every week the workload and responsibilities increased for over two years;… Read more »

mitzellaneous
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mitzellaneous

I am currently searching for jobs myself. I am not quitting… though I am not entirely sure if I am fired. I was given 4 weeks to find another job and now that I found one, my boss is accusing me of quitting without notice and refuses to give me any kind of referral. In terms of this article, my boss is an ogre… he knocked on someone’s window yesterday and that person SCREAMED. He constantly yells at us and… Read more »

Randy
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Randy

Don’t stay in a gig you hate, because of the boss or the commute or the horrible hours and work load. It’s bad for your heath and your spirit. May be best not to rush into change – bosses change, that’s for sure – but do not spend years hating it. My experience has been that the bigger the company, the more work life sucks. Just weigh your options, maybe write out two columns, the good and the bad. But… Read more »

Mike
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Mike

I had a job I liked and excelled at but it required a ton of travel. When we adopted a little boy I couldn’t stand being away for even two nights. I switched jobs to something completely different, and while it is not as exciting as the job I had, I get to be home every night. And there is plenty of excitement there as he is now 10 year old!

MilitaryAF
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MilitaryAF

Always look out for #1. Employers don’t care about you as a person anymore. People are no longer employees that ‘make the company’, they are human resources. Human resources are looked upon as any other expendable commodity that a business needs to make money. You temporarily satisfy a requirement, they burn you out through over-work, bad benefits, little time off, then they wait for you to quit or they let you go. People shouldn’t have ‘loyalty’ to anything but their… Read more »

Rita
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Rita

I mostly have been laid off from previous jobs. One main reason I have quit a few is lack of communication from the boss right from the start. Also I am impatient and want to learn tasks more quickly then they allow you to progress. And finally it is sometimes just plain boredom. I am simply not challenged enough to go on long term.

Joe
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Joe

In my experience, few people will quit a job they love just for more money. In fact, the opposite is true. People will take a lower paying job that offers them more satisfaction or peace of mind.

And of the few people I have seen leave for money, about half of them eventually came back.

Sher
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Sher

I left a job for the commute. Traffic made it three hours Friday night. My regret was I had a great boss, but the commute was too much. I was happy I quit. I left a job for a horrible boss that did things like following me to the coffee pot to make sure I wasn’t stopping to tell somebody something I wasn’t. Not even sure what he thought I would be telling. His boss was bad also and accused… Read more »

Chris
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Chris

I have never quit any of my previous three jobs, but taken leaves of absence to resume school on multiple occasions from each employer. Sometimes my position would be filled and I would have to look else wear, but that always lead to evolving roles/positions in the industry. I look at leaving an employer as taking sabbatical for an undisclosed period of time that may never end. I may never work for them again but the good relationships last forever.… Read more »

Molly
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Molly

I left my job after 29 years for a shorter commute. I no longer have stress and actually happy again

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