Pushes and Pulls Compass
You only truly change jobs when a set of pushes builds enough energy and pulls point the direction
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 90%
From over a thousand 'why did you really leave' interviews, Moesta found job moves are driven by pushes (forces driving you out — ~13 of them) and pulls (outcomes you're seeking — ~14 of them). No single push moves anyone; it takes a cluster of three or four coming together to generate enough energy to leave. Pushes supply the energy; pulls supply the direction. Understanding both explains why so many people complain endlessly yet never move.
Origin
Bob Moesta's forces-of-progress model from Jobs-to-be-Done, applied to careers with Ethan Bernstein and Michael Horn in 'Job Moves.'
Core principles
- 01It's never one push — it's when a set of pushes come together that you finally leave
- 02Pushes give energy to look; pulls tell you which direction to go
- 03Without pulls you'll just complain and never move, or jump to an identical worse role
- 04Money is a surrogate — decode what more money actually represents (respect, bills, 'I deserve more')
How to run it
- 1
Inventory your pushes
Name the forces driving you out — e.g. boredom, being pushed beyond your ability, being disrespected. Count how many are genuinely active right now.
Pro tip When you can name three or four real pushes, you're likely already looking whether you admit it or not.
Watch out A single push isn't enough to cause a move — don't act on one, and don't expect one to sustain a search.
- 2
Inventory your pulls
Name the outcomes you're seeking — e.g. a team that has your back, doing your best work, freeing up time to carry your weight at home. These give the move direction.
Pro tip Decode any money-related pull: ask why you want more money, since 53% who claimed they got more money didn't actually get it.
Watch out Without pulls, the energy from pushes just becomes complaining or a lateral move to something the same or worse.
- 3
Read the compass
Combine pushes and pulls to orient: they map onto the four quests (control, alignment, get out, next step) and tell you which direction — north, south, east, west — to aim your strengths and energy drivers.
Pro tip Use it as a diagnostic before searching so you aim the whole search correctly.
Watch out Don't leave on pushes alone — confirm you know where you're going first.
In the wild
Moesta asked his daughter how work was and she named four of the pushes. That told him she was already looking for another job, even before she'd said so.
→ Confirmed that a clustering of pushes is a reliable early signal of an imminent move.
Moesta found 53% of people who told their company they were leaving for more money did not actually get more money — they said it because a company can't argue with a competing offer, and in their minds 'if they give me that much, I'll stay.'
→ Demonstrates that money is rarely the real reason; the true pushes and pulls sit underneath it.
Common mistakes
Acting on a single push
One irritation isn't enough energy to move well; people who leave on one push often land somewhere the same or worse.
Taking money at face value
Money is a surrogate for respect, security, or recognition — chasing the number without decoding it leads to the wrong move.
Is it for you?
Best for
Someone deciding whether it's actually time to leave and unsure why they feel restless
Not ideal for
Someone already clear on both why they're leaving and exactly where they're going
From the transcript
“we end up getting what we call pushes and pulls”
“it's not any one push but it's when the set of pushes come together and really kind of give you enough energy to go”
“the push actually gives you the energy to look but you have to have the pulls on the other side to know which direction to…”
“53% of the people who basically said they got more money did not get more money told the company they had more money”
From the episode
How to find work you love
Bob Moesta (Jobs-to-be-Done co-creator, author of "Job Moves