How to Change Jobs: Clarifying Your Reasons for Leaving, Job Hunting While Employed, Evaluating Offers, and Leaving on Good Terms—International Students Should Confirm Their Visa Status First

After a year or two of working, many people start considering a job change: slow salary growth, lack of new learning opportunities, or a desire to switch directions. Changing jobs is normal, but how well you do it makes a big difference: some move to better platforms, while others quit hastily only to find the new job worse than the old one; for those on work visas overseas, a job change can even affect their immigration status. This article explains what to consider before changing jobs, how to search, how to evaluate, how to resign gracefully, and the visa issues international students need to pay special attention to.

1. Think Clearly: Why Do You Want to Change Jobs?

Before changing jobs, honestly answer a few questions (the following is a self-check guide):

• Am I dissatisfied with this company, this role, or this industry?
• Can these issues be resolved by communicating with my manager, switching teams, or taking on new projects?
• What do I want to be better in my next job: salary, growth, direction, work style, or location?
• Are my current experience and skills sufficient to support the direction I want to go?

If the problem lies with specific people or tasks, you might not need to leave; but if the direction is wrong, changing jobs is the real solution. Figuring out "what you want" is more important than "what you don't want." For how to explore career directions, see our guide on How to do career planning.

2. Search While Employed, Don't Quit Without a Backup

Generally, searching while employed is safer: your income remains uninterrupted, and you have more leverage in negotiations. This is even more critical for international students on work visas, as many work permits have strict limits on unemployment time (see Section 6 below).

Keep the following in mind when job hunting:

• Use your personal email and personal time; do not use your current employer's resources;
• Schedule interviews so they minimally impact your current work;
• Keep your current company's confidential information strictly confidential.

3. Update Your Job Application Materials

• Resume: Add the achievements from your current job, clearly stating what you did and the results. The habit of recording your achievements regularly will come in handy now; see How to write an English resume;
• Interview: Be prepared to answer "why you want to leave." Stay positive, focusing on the development you seek rather than complaining about your current company. The UK National Careers Service advises answering "why you left your last job" by expressing it positively based on the actual situation. For interview preparation, see How to prepare for a job interview.

4. Evaluate New Opportunities

After receiving an offer, don't just look at the salary. You can compare the following items (examples below):

For how to check market salary rates and negotiate, see How to negotiate your salary.

5. What If You Want to Change Careers?

Changing industries is harder than changing companies, but not impossible:

• Identify transferable skills: Soft skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving are valuable across different roles;
• Use tools to find transitional directions: The Canadian government's Job Bank has a "Career Transition Tool" to help you find careers similar to your current education and skills that only require some supplementary training to transition into;
• Upskill before transitioning: Accumulate experience in the new direction through courses, projects, and volunteer work; see How to learn and grow in the workplace;
• Talk to people in your target industry: Understand the actual day-to-day work and entry paths.

6. International Students: Confirm Your Status Transition First

If you are on a work visa or work permit, you must first clearly understand how changing employers will affect your status before changing jobs:

US OPT / STEM OPT

• During OPT, changes in employer and other information must be reported within 10 days;
• Cumulative unemployment during post-completion OPT cannot exceed 90 days, and combined with STEM OPT, it cannot exceed 150 days in total; gaps between jobs count towards unemployment days;
• The new employer for STEM OPT must be enrolled in E-Verify;
• If there are substantive changes to the STEM OPT training plan, the modified version must be signed by you and your employer and submitted to your school's DSO as soon as possible. Before changing employers, check with your DSO to confirm what procedures are required.

For details, see How to apply for US OPT.

Other Countries

Different work permits have different rules regarding changing employers: some are open work permits, allowing you to work for different employers (for example, the Canadian Post-Graduation Work Permit is an open work permit); others are tied to a specific employer, requiring a new application if you change employers. Before changing jobs, refer to the official regulations for your specific visa, and consult a professional if necessary.

7. Resign Gracefully

Get a Written Offer Before Resigning

The UK National Careers Service advises asking the employer for written confirmation when accepting an offer, and confirming the start date. Do not rush to resign before the new offer is confirmed in writing and all conditions are met.

Give Notice According to Regulations

Taking the UK as an example, the GOV.UK regulations are:

• If you have been in your current job for more than a month, you must give at least one week's notice; if the contract specifies a longer notice period, follow the contract;
• The contract will state whether written notice is required; otherwise, verbal notice is acceptable; if you might need proof later, written notice is recommended;
• The notice period generally starts the day after you submit your notice;
• Failing to give notice according to regulations may constitute a breach of contract.

Regulations differ in other countries and regions; follow local laws and your contract.

Ensure a Smooth Handover and a Good Farewell

• Tell your direct manager in person first, then submit according to company procedures;
• Ensure a smooth handover: Organize your current work, documents, and contacts, and write a handover document;
• Work diligently until your last day during the notice period;
• Thank your manager and colleagues, and stay in touch: Industry circles are often small, and you may collaborate again in the future; you might also need them for reference letters.

8. After Joining the New Company

A new company is a fresh start: onboarding, probation period, and building new working relationships. See our guides on Pre-onboarding preparation and How new employees can get through their probation period.

Final Thoughts

A good job change means thinking clearly about your direction, preparing while employed, evaluating carefully, and leaving gracefully. For international students, there is one more rule: confirm your status can transition smoothly before making a decision. Don't leave hastily due to temporary dissatisfaction, and don't miss better opportunities out of fear of change.

If you are considering changing jobs or careers and are unsure how to choose, you can talk to our career counseling advisors. This article does not constitute legal or immigration advice; for specific issues, please refer to official regulations.

Verification Note: This article was verified in September 2026. The regulations on resignation notice periods are from the GOV.UK "Handing in your notice" page and apply only to the UK; advice on written confirmation of offer acceptance and answering "why you left" comes from the UK National Careers Service; the career transition tool is from the Canadian Job Bank; the reporting deadlines and unemployment days for US OPT have been verified in article 73 on this site, and the requirements for STEM OPT employers to join E-Verify and modify training plans come from the US Department of Homeland Security "Study in the States" STEM OPT FAQ; the Canadian Post-Graduation Work Permit is an open work permit, based on the "Open work permit holder fees" description on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada PGWP application page. The self-check before changing jobs, job hunting while employed, evaluation table, and handover advice are our empirical recommendations.

References:

• GOV.UK: Handing in your notice – Giving notice
• National Careers Service: How to answer common interview questions
• National Careers Service: Interview tips
• Job Bank: Career planning
• Study in the States: STEM OPT Frequently Asked Questions
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: PGWP – How to apply