# Job Switch Advisor
**Decide whether to stay, switch, or pivot — with data, not emotions.**
Feeling stuck doesn't mean you should leave. Feeling comfortable doesn't mean you should stay. This skill helps you decide with clarity.

## Philosophy
Job switching is one of the highest-leverage decisions in your career. Done right, it accelerates growth by 2-3x. Done wrong, it resets momentum and costs you 12-18 months.

The decision framework:
1. **Diagnosis** — Is the problem the job, the company, or you?
2. **Market Check** — Is greener grass actually greener out there?
3. **Stay Potential** — Can you fix the current situation?
4. **Switch Cost** — What do you lose by leaving?
5. **Decision** — Clear yes/no with timeline

## Input Required
- Current role, title, compensation
- Time in current role
- What's frustrating you (be specific)
- What you like about current role
- Career goals (from career-gps if available)

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Stay/Switch Diagnostic
```
Answer honestly. Rate 1-10:

Growth & Learning:
  - I'm learning new skills regularly:          [1-10]
  - I have a clear growth path:                 [1-10]
  - My work is challenging (not overwhelming):  [1-10]
  - I have access to mentorship:                [1-10]

Impact & Recognition:
  - My work matters to the business:            [1-10]
  - I'm recognized for my contributions:        [1-10]
  - My opinions influence decisions:             [1-10]
  - I'm fairly compensated:                     [1-10]

Culture & Environment:
  - I trust my manager:                         [1-10]
  - I enjoy my teammates:                       [1-10]
  - Work-life balance is sustainable:            [1-10]
  - Company values align with mine:             [1-10]

Future Potential:
  - Company is growing or stable:               [1-10]
  - My role will exist in 2 years:              [1-10]
  - I could get promoted in the next year:      [1-10]
  - I'm building valuable skills here:          [1-10]

Scoring:
  65-80: You're in a good spot. Optimize, don't leave.
  50-64: Yellow zone. Fix what you can before jumping.
  30-49: Red zone. Start planning your exit.
  Below 30: Leave. This is harming your career.
```

### Phase 2: Problem Diagnosis
```
What's actually wrong? (Pick all that apply)

□ Boredom — not challenged
□ Bad manager — trust or competence issues
□ Toxic culture — politics, blame, burnout
□ Low compensation — below market
□ No growth path — dead end role
□ Company instability — layoffs, funding issues
□ Wrong domain — not interested in the work
□ Overworked — unsustainable pace
□ Underworked — not enough responsibility
□ Remote/hybrid conflict — wrong work model
□ Commute/location — geographical issue
□ Team dynamics — interpersonal conflicts

For each checked item, diagnose:
"Can this be fixed without changing companies?"

  Boredom:
  → Can you volunteer for new projects? Ask for scope expansion?
  → Can you rotate to a different team?
  → Can you start an initiative?

  Bad manager:
  → Can you transfer teams?
  → Can you manage up more effectively?
  → Is the manager temporary (new manager coming)?

  Low comp:
  → Can you present market data and get adjusted?
  → Is a promotion/raise cycle coming up?
  → Would equity refresh bridge the gap?

If 3+ problems are unfixable → start the switch process.
```

### Phase 3: Market Reality Check
```
Before jumping, verify the grass is actually greener:

Research questions:
- What's the hiring market like for your role right now?
  (Check: LinkedIn job postings count, layoff tracker, HN Who's Hiring thread size)
- What's the typical interview process?
  (How many rounds? How long? What's the pass rate?)
- Are companies hiring for your level and skill set?
  (Search target titles on LinkedIn, see how many are hiring)
- What's the market compensation?
  (Run salary-negotiator research phase)
- What are people in your network experiencing?
  (Ask 3-5 peers about their job search experience)

Reality check:
"If I quit tomorrow with no backup, how long would it take
to find an equivalent or better role?"

  < 1 month: Market is hot. Switch freely.
  1-3 months: Normal market. Search while employed.
  3-6 months: Cool market. Be strategic, don't rush.
  6+ months: Tough market. Fix what you can where you are.
```

### Phase 4: Switch Cost Analysis
```
What do you lose by leaving?

Quantifiable costs:
□ Unvested equity (calculate exact $ value)
□ Bonus proration (how much bonus do you leave on table?)
□ Benefits reset (401k match vesting, PTO accrual)
□ Sign-on bonus clawback (if applicable)
□ Relocation costs (if applicable)

Non-quantifiable costs:
□ Reputation capital at current company
□ Relationships with specific colleagues
□ Domain knowledge accumulated
□ Political capital and influence
□ Project continuity (will you abandon work mid-flight?)
□ Manager/mentor relationship
□ Comfort and familiarity

Total switch cost: $[quantifiable] + [non-quantifiable list]

Is the target opportunity worth this cost?
If not clearly yes → negotiate improvements at current company first.
```

### Phase 5: Decision Matrix
```
                         STAY     SWITCH
Salary in 2 years        $___     $___
Title in 2 years         ___      ___
Skill growth (1-10)      ___      ___
Happiness (1-10)         ___      ___
Career velocity          ___      ___
Risk level               Low      Medium/High

Decision:
- If STAY wins or ties → stay and optimize (use the "Stay Strategy")
- If SWITCH wins by clear margin → start the search process
- If uncertain → set a 90-day deadline to decide

Never quit without a signed offer letter.
Never accept a counteroffer (80% of people who do leave within 12 months anyway).
```

## Stay Strategy (If You Decide to Stay)
```
If staying, make it count:

90-day improvement plan:
Week 1-2: Have a direct conversation with your manager
  "I want to grow in [specific area]. What opportunities
   exist for me to [specific ask]?"

Week 3-4: Start building what's missing
  - Volunteer for the project that scares you
  - Ask to lead something
  - Find a mentor inside or outside the company

Week 5-8: Expand your scope
  - Take on cross-team work
  - Present at a team/org meeting
  - Build relationships with skip-level leaders

Week 9-12: Evaluate
  - Has anything changed?
  - Do you feel more engaged?
  - If not → trigger the switch process
```

## Switch Strategy (If You Decide to Switch)
```
Timeline (while still employed):

Week 1-2: Preparation
  - Update resume (resume-architect)
  - Optimize LinkedIn (linkedin-optimizer)
  - Define target companies and roles
  - Build target list of 20-30 companies

Week 3-6: Active Search
  - Apply to 3-5 roles per week
  - Network into 2-3 companies per week
  - Attend relevant meetups/events
  - Start content creation for visibility

Week 5-10: Interviewing
  - Prep for each interview (interview-commander)
  - Practice mock interviews
  - Collect offers

Week 8-12: Negotiation & Close
  - Negotiate best offer (salary-negotiator)
  - Get everything in writing
  - Set start date
  - Resign gracefully (2 weeks notice)

Rules:
- Never let your current employer know until you have a signed offer
- Keep performing at your current job (no quiet quitting)
- Don't accept the first offer unless it's dream-job level
- Always negotiate — even a "great" offer has room
```

## Resignation Template
```
Resignation Email (keep it short, positive, professional):

Subject: Resignation — [Your Name]

Hi [Manager Name],

I'm writing to let you know that I've accepted an offer elsewhere
and will be resigning from my position as [Title], effective
[Date — typically 2 weeks from now].

I'm grateful for the time I've spent at [Company]. I've learned
a tremendous amount and value the relationships I've built here,
especially [specific positive].

I'm committed to a smooth transition. Over the next two weeks,
I'll:
- Document my current projects and their status
- Transfer knowledge to [colleague] or my replacement
- Complete any critical items in progress

Thank you for the opportunity and support. I hope we can stay
in touch.

Best,
[Name]
```

## Integration with Other Skills
- **career-gps**: Provides long-term trajectory context
- **salary-negotiator**: Market data for compensation comparison
- **jobhunter-master**: Executes the search when switching
- **resume-architect**: Prepares materials for the switch
- **linkedin-optimizer**: Activates network for opportunities

## Files
- `memory/stay-switch-analysis-[date].md` — Decision analysis
- `memory/switch-plan.md` — Active search timeline and targets
- `memory/switch-costs.md` — Financial and non-financial cost tracking