18 Redenen om een baan op te zeggen waarvan je houdt (2023)

It’s common to hear people hate their job and want to quit. It’s hard to leave a job you love but there are many perfectly valid reasons for doing so. From dealing with a manager who makes you feel incompetent to creating your own company, here are 18 answers to the question, “What are some strong reasons to leave a job you love?”

• Horrible Managers 
• Another Rewarding Opportunity
• Lack of Career Development
• A Higher-Level Job
• Lifestyle Conflicts
• Money 
• Feeling Stuck
• Pursuing Your Dream
• A Toxic Culture
• The Company Is Not Doing Well
• Your Boundaries Are Being Violated
• Lack of Upward Mobility
• A Better Place to Live
• Downsizing or Layoffs
• Interference With Other Things You Love
• Family Comes First
• Mismatched Culture, Values, or Mission
• Founding Your Own Company

It’s not always a negative thing to leave a job you love. In my case, I left a rewarding engineering career to embark on becoming a medical doctor. Sometimes, the reason people leave great jobs is so that they can transition into another rewarding opportunity. 

While some people dedicate their entire careers to one job or industry, others feel inclined to explore their potential in other areas. We only get one shot at life, so it’s my opinion that we should base these decisions on the potential for long-term fulfillment.

Jae Pak, MD, Jae Pak MD Medical

A lack of career progression can prevent an otherwise fulfilling job from becoming stagnant and uninspiring. Employees must evaluate their current situation and determine if the growth potential exists within their role. If there is little sign that advancement is possible, it may be worth considering other positions where such possibilities exist. Doing so will help ensure your career won’t remain in limbo, allowing you to continue thriving in a more challenging role.

Michael Sena, Founder and CEO, SENACEA

Even if you love your job, you may choose to leave if you have a horrible manager. Your manager is the lens through which you have to look when thinking about your company and job. If they are a micromanager, a poor communicator, rude, or impatient, they can completely ruin an otherwise amazing role.

Logan Mallory, Vice President of Marketing, Motivosity

There can be many reasons to leave a job that you love, but one reason is to pursue better opportunities for growth and development. While you may enjoy your current job, there may come a point where you feel you have hit a ceiling in terms of career advancement or growth opportunities. 

In such a case, leaving your current job, even if you love it, may be necessary in order to further your career and reach your long-term goals. Leaving a job that you love can be a hard decision, but if you have determined that the move will help you achieve your professional and personal goals, it can be the right choice for you. It’s important to weigh your options carefully, consider the potential impact on your career, and be open to new opportunities that may align with your long-term aspirations.

Trey Ferro, CEO, Spot Pet Insurance

Even if you love your job, you may enter a phase of your life where you need more free time. For example, if you feel you need to focus more on family, you may not be willing to give as many hours to your job as you used to. If lifestyle matters to you, a great job with full-time hours may no longer be the best fit.

Drew Sherman, Director of Marketing and Communications, RPM

Feeling stuck in the position and therefore observing no prospects for career growth and advancement opportunities is a common reason individuals leave jobs they love. If any person feels that they have reached their maximum potential in their current role or company, they might decide to leave in search of new challenges and career advancement. 

This is because employees want to feel that they thrive in their roles, learn new things, and increase their earning potential. They look for promotions, new projects, and the chance to work with more experienced mentors. If a current employer cannot provide that, the employee’s feeling of being stuck grows, holding them back from achieving job satisfaction. And even if a person loves the job, feeling it’s time to move on to a new challenge that allows them to grow professionally is stronger. Such emotions result in resignation.

Nina Paczka, Community Manager, Resume Now

There is a famous quote by one of the most-famous network television executives in history, Don Ohlmeyer. He often said, “The answer to all of your questions is money.” Ohlmeyer was probably applying that quote to the intersection of television rights and live sports, but it’s definitely something that’s true just about everywhere. 

Sometimes, the money offer is so good you can’t turn it down. If you leave a situation, that’s perfect for you, or a job you love, it’s usually because some sort of outside force is pulling you away. 

Money has been that force for many people. Katie Couric was ideal for morning news, but she bolted for an evening news slot because it offered her a boatload of money to do so. She didn’t perform badly, but it wasn’t a perfect fit. She was perfect in her previous role. Money caused that change. Sometimes in life, you simply get an offer you can’t refuse. So when someone asks, “Why did you leave that job?” Just refer to Ohlmeyer’s famous quote.

Sean Doherty, GM, Box Genie

There are a lot of reasons to leave a job you love, but one of the most important reasons is to pursue your dream. If you are unhappy with your current role or feel that you are not growing as an employee, then it may be time to move on. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to quit your job immediately. Instead, take some time to think about what you want out of your career, and then search for jobs that align with your goals. Once you find a position that seems like a good fit, go ahead and apply. If you are lucky, you may end up loving your new job even more than your old one!

Luciano Colos, Founder and CEO, PitchGrade

You may love your job and be passionate about your responsibilities and goals, but you feel devastated by everyday work. It happens if your workplace has a toxic culture. A toxic workplace culture is a company environment plagued by negative behaviors, such as bullying, manipulation, sabotage, and drama. 

A toxic workplace culture is a reasonable cause to leave a job you love because, in the long term, it may negatively affect your mental health, making you constantly exhausted and overwhelmed.

Karolina Turowska, SEO Outreach Specialist, US Visa Photo

You love your job, but if you see there is no future because your company is not doing well, in this situation you have to leave the job. It is because after some time the company can shut down and you can be in trouble. 

Find another company that offers the same work because you love what you do, not a company. You can make sure whether your company is performing well by knowing about its balance sheet, cash reserves, and strategy to deal with the market downturn. 

Well, most employees don’t pay attention to what the company is doing. That is why they often have to leave a job suddenly because of a problem. But you should pay close attention to how the company operates so that you will have a valid reason to leave the company even if you love the job. It happens sometimes with employees who don’t want to switch companies because they love their jobs.

Yogesh Kumar, Digital Marketing Manager, Technource

Leaving a job that you love can often be one of the hardest decisions someone can make, especially if it is their dream job. 

Sometimes, though, lack of upward mobility within an organization or lack of support to move higher within an industry may become apparent, leading to the necessity of changing the order to advance one’s career. When this happens, leaving an amazing career opportunity can be easier when you have the bigger picture in mind and are considering where you want to end up down the road.

Ludovic Chung-Sao, Lead Engineer and Founder, Zen Soundproof

It’s difficult to leave a job you love, yet you have to put yourself first. One telltale sign it’s time to look for your next opportunity is that your boundaries are not being respected in the workplace. While it’s your responsibility to communicate your boundaries, your managers and colleagues must respect them. If your boundaries are repeatedly crossed, it may be time to search for your next role and find a company that respects you.

Dr. Kyle Elliott, Founder and Career Coach, CaffeinatedKyle.com

The limited amenities of a small city may offset a great job. Moving to a larger city can bring greater career, education, cultural, and family opportunities, making it a hard decision to leave a job you love. But if the trade-off means a better overall quality of life, it may be worth the sacrifice.

Burak Özdemir, Founder, Online Alarm Kur

If the company faces financial difficulties or downsizing and your job is at risk, taking an opportunity at another company may be in your best interest. Leaving can position you to be more selective in your job search rather than having to secure a new role out of necessity and desperation. This kind of situation might not be typical but can still require a tough decision on whether to stay and hope for the best or leave while the chance exists.

Grace He, People and Culture Director, teambuilding.com

Leaving a job you love is tough. The dream is to land a role in a solid company that makes you feel fulfilled. So why would anyone give that up? Sometimes other loves gain priority on the list, making it difficult to manage all “loves” effectively. 

An example of this is parents who spends a lot of time traveling for work. They love their position, but also have children and want to be home at night to put them to bed. Their current role may not align with her latest love, which means leaving it may be their best option.

Kelli Anderson, Career Coach, Resume Seed

You’ve got to prioritize family needs over your job, as family is a key component of a person’s personal life and well-being. If you face a situation where you need to assist your family, it may be necessary to leave a job you love in order to provide the support and care for your loved one’s needs. 

It’s essential to consider your own personal circumstances and make a decision that aligns with your values and priorities. Sometimes, it may be possible to find a solution that allows you to support your family while still maintaining your jobs, such as flexible work arrangements or a reduction in hours. Ultimately, it’s important to prioritize your well-being and that of your family and make a decision that is in the best interests of all parties involved.

Donna Werner, Chief Administrative Officer and Co-Founder, GhostBed

When someone has a revolutionary business idea, I believe it compels them to pursue it. Imagine if all the great inventors and entrepreneurs had refused their true callings, remaining in their current jobs. 

Although this can be difficult, especially when you love your job, the regret will follow you around indefinitely, causing you to question yourself constantly. Leaving a job that you love should never be done lightly. One should carefully and meticulously plan for every eventuality, creating a solid business plan that sets you up for success. You should also seek co-founders who have complementary skills, abilities, and experience, further maximizing the probability of success. 

However, if your idea is truly revolutionary, then let no obstacle stop you from chasing your goal, even if it means leaving a job that you love.

Oliver Savill, CEO and Founder, AssessmentDay

A mentor once told me we should love our work, but we don’t always have to like our job. I hope everyone finds a career they find fulfilling. And I advise job seekers to evaluate potential careers through four lenses: mission, function, culture, and compensation. 

You should look through these lenses in your current job, too, checking to see if it really still fits. So maybe you’re in a functional role that you just love. That’s great! But if the culture around you shifts, or the mission and values of the organization change in ways that are no longer congruent with yours, then it might be time to look elsewhere. 

That can be tough. We all know that life is rarely black and white. It’s frustrating when you have both positive and negative signals in your work life. But remember—if you love your work, you don’t always have to like your job. You can find that functional role elsewhere, in greener pastures (just do your research to ensure that the grass is truly greener).

Pat Fligge, Director of Temple Professional Network, Temple University

It’s common to hear people hate their job and want to quit. However quitting a job you love can be an equally difficult decision.

Decided you do want to leave the job you love? Once you’ve made the decision to leave, learn how to tell your boss you’re quitting and make sure you include these six things in your resignation letter for personal reasons.