Job-Hunter-Linkedin-Skill-Hermes-OpenClaw-ClaudeCode-Comet/skills/job-switch-advisor.md

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