5 Questions to Ask Before Changing Your Job in 2025
I’m so excited to share that I had a co-author on this post! And that person is leadership consultant extraordinare, Amber Johnson, PhD.
Jessica has been an integral part of a mission-driven company for three and a half years. A self-driven, high-performing team player with a passion for her work, Jessica is the kind of employee who delivers results and makes her team and company look good. Her expertise and reputation make her a sought-after asset, and she leverages this to secure an internal promotion - complete with a title change, a salary increase, and more decision-making power.
However, after the company announcement, Jessica is left feeling overlooked. Despite the promotion, there’s no clear communication from her manager about what this change really means for her authority and influence within the organization. To Jessica, it feels like the promotion never happened. The lack of recognition and clarity stings, leading her to question whether it’s time to move on from a company she’s dedicated so much to.
Chances are, there are pieces of Jessica’s situation you can relate to - feeling like your efforts go unnoticed or that a big career milestone falls flat.
Maybe these feelings have caused you to ask, should I be looking for a new job? If you’re considering a job change in 2025, we have some questions for you to consider. Specifically:
Why do you want to leave your job?
Have you explored all options to address the issues you’re facing?
How will it make your life better?
Is this the right time for a move?
What’s one small action you can take to move forward?
Question 1: Why do you want to leave your job?
What’s really behind your desire to look for new work? In our experience as leadership coaches, we find several common reasons that prompt people to search for new roles:
Salary concerns
People, manager, or culture issues
Lack of opportunity, status, power, or influence
Logistics such as commute times or work from home policies
Desire for a change—or organizational or industry changes that aren’t ideal
These are good reasons to pause and consider if you’re in the right role for who you are right now. But how to get what you want isn’t always as clear as you think.
For example, job changers often earn more than those who stay in the same role for longer, but a longer tenure in one place often leads to higher performance, especially if you stay on the same team.
Understanding what’s really motivating your desire to change roles can help you figure out—and ask—for what you want. Make a list of your motivations, then ask “Why?” about each one until you feel you’ve reached the real reasons for your interest in other opportunities.
Why do you want to leave your current job? I’m frustrated with leadership.
Why are you frustrated with leadership? They’ve frozen salaries.
Why do I need more salary? Because I’m underpaid for the market and my experience.
Why does this matter? It doesn’t immediately matter for my family’s budget, but it does matter for the sense of respect I receive from my work.
Question 2: Have you explored all options to address the issues you’re facing?
Imagine you own a home that mostly meets your needs. It’s in the right location, and you can afford the mortgage. But it’s got a few strikes against it: peeling paint and a dated kitchen, perhaps.
As a homeowner, you have two choices to meet your needs: find a new place to live, or fix the one you’re in.
Likewise, you can try to fix the job or organization you’re in, or you can “trade up” to a new company.
Before deciding to sell or move on, take a moment to explore the possibilities for improvement where you are. Be proactive in asking for what you need - whether that’s a new manager, a salary increase, more challenging projects, or greater work flexibility.
If you’re thinking of leaving anyway, you have little to lose by advocating for yourself. Be clear and assertive in your request. Bring well-researched recommendations and ask for accommodations. For example, share data that highlights how your role is underpaid compared to the market, or present the cost-effectiveness of retaining a current employee versus the expensive and time-consuming process of recruiting and hiring new talent. This approach not only demonstrates your value but also opens the door for meaningful change.
Question 3: How will it make your life better?
When life is feeling “meh,” it’s tempting to believe a job change will fix everything. After all, you spend a significant portion of your time at work, and in many Western cultures, your job is closely tied to your identity and self-worth. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking a new career will lead to a “new you.”
But here’s the truth: your job is only one part of your life. What about your health, hobbies, personal growth, and relationships? If you were to rate your satisfaction in these areas, what would you discover? An insightful tool to uncover this is the Wheel of Life, an exercise that helps you identify areas where you might want to direct more attention and energy.
So, what can you do to enhance your life outside of work? A helpful perspective is to consider resume goals versus eulogy goals.
Resume goals refer to the achievements and experiences that are typically valued in a professional context. These goals focus on what you accomplish in your career, such as promotions, skills developed, awards received, and milestones met. Resume goals are often about outward recognition and measurable successes that help build your professional identity and make you competitive in the job market.
Eulogy goals, on the other hand, are about the legacy you want to leave behind in terms of how you’ve impacted others and the values you've lived by. These goals focus on the kind of person you are beyond your job title—how you’ve shown up in relationships, the positive influence you've had on others, and the way you’ve made a meaningful difference in the world. Eulogy goals consider things like kindness, integrity, personal growth, and the depth of your connections with family, friends, and colleagues.
In essence, resume goals are the markers of success in your professional life, while eulogy goals represent the personal qualities and values that define your true impact on the world. Both are important, but they reflect different dimensions of a well-rounded life.
When reflecting on your life someday, what will truly matter to you? And how can you start making space for those meaningful pursuits today?
Question 4: Is this the right time for a move?
Changing jobs is a major, often stressful life event. Your routines are thrown off, uncertainty creeps in, and the pressure to prove yourself intensifies - all this, even after you’ve successfully landed the new job!
The job search itself is like taking on another full-time job. You’ll need to conduct research, update your resume and LinkedIn profile, reconnect with professional contacts, submit applications, and prepare for multiple rounds of interviews - all while balancing your current responsibilities.
It’s crucial to be realistic about the time, energy, and financial trade-offs that come with a job change. To make room for this process, something else will need to be pushed aside. Are you in a place where you can afford that? Are you willing and able to take on the risks that come with a fresh start? You’ll also need to assess whether you can manage a potential gap in income if the transition doesn’t go smoothly.
Take the time to research current job market conditions and the economic climate. What trends are emerging in your industry, and how might that impact your job search? If you need to pivot, how will this affect your strategy and timing?
And perhaps most importantly, consider your mental health. If your current job is your primary source of stress, it’s understandable why you’re considering a move right now - even if it’s just a “bridge” job to escape a toxic situation. However, make sure you’re not just running from stress, but moving toward something that will truly improve your well-being in the long run.
Question 5: What’s one small action you can take to move forward?
Once you’ve asked and answered these questions, it’s time to take action. That doesn’t mean you need to resign tomorrow, but it may involve taking a small step forward. Small actions create momentum and allow you to continue evaluating your situation with clarity.
If you’ve decided to leave, small actions might include:
Scheduling informational interviews with professionals outside your organization,
Identifying companies on your dream list, and networking for connections.
If you’ve decided to stay, small actions might look like:
Scheduling a meeting with your boss to ask for what you want,
Setting a learning or professional goal that you can achieve in your current role,
Finding a career coach to help you prepare for when it is the right time to move.
How to know if it’s the right time to change jobs
We’ve all wished for a magic crystal ball to answer the question, “Should I stay or should I go?” Unfortunately, no such ball exists - mainly because there’s rarely a single right answer to questions like this.
What you can do, however, is make an informed choice by understanding what you really want, what’s important in your life right now, and what steps you can take to meet your priorities—whether that means finding a new job or making the most of the one you already have.
Be cautious of falling into the trap of thinking “the grass is always greener” on the other side. Every job has its challenges and it’s easy to romanticize the unknown. Make sure the decision you’re considering is grounded in actuality - not the illusion of a perfect situation elsewhere.
One final tip: don’t forget to ask for help along the way. Seeking advice and support can give you perspective and help you make the best decision for your career and life.
About the Authors:
This post was co-authored by Lindsey Lathrop and Amber Johnson, PhD.
Lindsey Lathrop is an ICF-Certified Coach, resume and LinkedIn writer, Speaker, and Top 100 Global #IamRemarkable Facilitator. As a coach, she helps people build a new relationship to work and their self-worth. You’re on her website right now!
Amber Johnson, PhD, is a leadership consultant and coach who helps people transform their conversations to be better leaders, partners, and parents. Connect at amberajohnson.com or subscribe to her free newsletter.
