How to know when to quit your job and move on

You have been staring at the same email for twenty minutes, but the words aren’t sinking in. There is a heavy knot in your stomach that appears every Sunday night – a physical reminder that your current role is draining the life out of you. You have been told to ‘stick it out’ or that ‘winners never quit’, but deep down, you know that staying might be the bravest thing you do, or the most damaging.

The struggle of staying for the wrong reasons

We are raised in a culture that fetishises grit. From a young age, we are taught that walking away is a sign of weakness or a lack of character. This narrative keeps thousands of talented professionals trapped in roles that don't align with who they actually are. You might feel like you are failing if you throw in the towel, but sometimes quitting is actually a strategic pivot toward a life that makes sense for your brain.

At Compono, we have spent over a decade researching the science of work, and we know that the ‘sunk cost fallacy’ is a powerful trap. You think about the years you have invested, the relationships you have built, and the safety of a known salary. But staying in a toxic or stagnant environment has a cost that doesn’t show up on a bank statement – it costs you your mental health, your confidence, and your future potential.

Hey Compono was built to help you stop guessing and start understanding why certain environments feel like a cage. Before you hand in your notice, you need to separate the temporary ‘bad week’ from the permanent ‘bad fit’. It starts with recognising the signs that your time in this particular chapter has come to an end.

Recognising the physical and emotional red flags

Your body often knows you need to quit before your mind is willing to admit it. Chronic fatigue that isn't cured by a weekend of sleep, constant irritability, or a sense of apathy toward your results are all signals. If you are normally a high-energy person but find yourself acting like a ghost of your former self, something is wrong with the alignment between your role and your personality.

Consider how different types react to misalignment. The Pioneer might feel stifled by rigid processes, leading to a sense of resentment. Meanwhile, The Helper might find themselves emotionally exhausted if the workplace culture is aggressive or lacks empathy.

When your natural strengths are consistently ignored or suppressed, burnout isn't just a possibility – it is an inevitability. If you find yourself constantly venting to friends about the same three problems every single night, you aren't just ‘blowing off steam’. You are documenting a pattern of dysfunction.

When the work no longer challenges you, or the challenges are purely bureaucratic rather than growth-oriented, the ‘stretch’ has become a ‘strain’. This is the first major sign that you need to know when to quit.

The misalignment of values and work personality

One of the most common reasons people feel the urge to quit is a fundamental clash between their personal values and the company’s behaviour. You might be a The Auditor who values precision and integrity, working for a firm that cuts corners to hit quarterly targets. That friction will eventually wear you down to nothing.

Understanding your work personality is the key to identifying these friction points. If you are naturally The Campaigner, you need variety and the ability to influence others. If your job has turned into a repetitive cycle of data entry with zero human interaction, no amount of ‘grit’ will make you happy there. You aren't broken; you are just in the wrong room.

Hey Compono uses a personality-adaptive approach to help you see these gaps clearly. By identifying your dominant traits, you can look at your current role objectively. Is the problem the workload, or is it that the work itself asks you to be someone you aren't? If the gap between who you are and who you have to be at work is widening every day, it is time to look for the exit.

When the growth ceiling is made of concrete

Sometimes you love your team and you believe in the mission, but there is simply nowhere left for you to go. A concrete growth ceiling is a valid reason to move on. If you have asked for more responsibility, sought out mentorship, or proposed new projects and been met with a ‘not right now’ for two years straight, the message is clear. Staying in a role where you have stopped learning is a form of career stagnation.

In today’s workplace, your skills are your currency. If you aren't gaining new ones, you are effectively falling behind. For The Evaluator, who thrives on solving complex problems and driving results, a stagnant role can feel particularly soul-crushing.

Don't wait for a redundancy or a total burnout to make a move. Knowing when to quit means recognising when a role has given you everything it can. It is okay to outgrow a company. In fact, it is a sign of a healthy career. When you find yourself ‘quiet quitting’ because you are bored out of your mind, you owe it to yourself to find a new challenge that actually excites your brain.

How to quit without the guilt

Once you have decided that it is time to go, the guilt often sets in. You worry about leaving your colleagues understaffed or what your boss will think. Here is the hard truth – the company will replace you, and the world will keep spinning. Your primary responsibility is to your own life and career.

To quit with grace, focus on a smooth transition. For The Coordinator, this means documented processes and a clear hand-over file. For The Advisor, it means having honest, empathetic conversations with your teammates. By leaving well, you protect your reputation and your relationships, which are far more valuable than any single job title. Before you jump into the next thing, take a breath.

Use the insights from Hey Compono to ensure your next move isn't just a jump from one frying pan into another. Seek out roles that crave your specific personality type – whether that is the action-oriented nature of The Doer or the visionary spark of a Pioneer. You deserve a role where you don't have to apologise for how your brain works.

Key takeaways for your next move

• Listen to your body – chronic stress and apathy are physical signals that your environment is toxic for you.
• Identify the ‘why’ – use your work personality profile to see if the issue is the tasks, the culture, or the lack of growth.
• Stop the ‘grit’ trap – quitting isn't failing; it is an active choice to stop wasting your potential in the wrong place.
• Plan your exit – leave with a clear hand-over to maintain your professional integrity and network.
• Look for alignment – your next role should feel like a ‘fit’, not a ‘fix’.

Ready to understand yourself better?

• Get started: Start with 10 minutes free – no credit card required

• See how it works: Learn about personality-adaptive coaching

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if I’m just having a bad week or if I should quit?

Look for patterns. A bad week usually has a specific cause – a deadline or a conflict. If you feel dread every Sunday for months, regardless of what is on your calendar, it is likely a sign of a deeper misalignment with your work personality.

Is quitting without another job lined up a bad idea?

It depends on your financial safety net, but your mental health is a priority. If staying is causing genuine physical or psychological harm, leaving is a survival strategy. However, usually, it is better to start your search while still employed to maintain leverage.

How do I explain quitting to a future employer?

Focus on growth and alignment. Instead of bad-mouthing your old boss, say: “I realised that my strengths as a Pioneer weren't being utilised in such a rigid structure, and I’m looking for a role where I can drive innovation.”

What if I feel guilty about leaving my team?

Guilt is a sign you care, but you cannot set yourself on fire to keep others warm. A team that relies on one person staying in a miserable situation is a poorly designed team. Your departure might actually be the catalyst for the company to fix its systemic issues.

Can Hey Compono help me find a better job?

While we don't act as a recruitment agency, the Hey Compono app helps you understand your natural work preferences so you can interview more effectively and choose roles where you are statistically more likely to thrive and be happy.