Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, 100% free. No hidden paywalls, no premium tiers, no credit card needed. We believe career guidance should be accessible to everyone. The site is independently supported, and we plan to keep all tools free indefinitely. If that changes in the future, we'll be transparent about it.

CareerCompass was built by Alex, a software engineer and career development enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the tech industry. After going through multiple job changes and watching friends struggle with career decisions, Alex created these tools to help others make better-informed choices. Read more on the About page.

No. CareerCompass is an independent website. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way connected to any of the brands, companies, or trademark holders mentioned in our articles or tools. All references to third-party brands are for informational purposes only.

The Job Change Timer uses a weighted scoring model based on six factors: salary raise timing (up to 20 pts), job satisfaction level (up to 25 pts), promotion path (15 pts), recent skill acquisition (10 pts), and company tenure (up to 10 pts). Each factor's weight reflects its importance in career research and employment data. The total score ranges from 0 to 100. After you calculate your score, a full breakdown shows exactly how many points each factor contributed.

No. Our tools provide directional guidance based on common career research, but your situation is unique. Use the scores as a starting point for reflection, not a final verdict. Talk to mentors, peers, and family. Consider your financial situation, industry conditions, and personal goals. We recommend using all three tools together for a more complete picture of your career health.

Our salary ranges are compiled from multiple publicly available sources: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, major salary survey platforms like Levels.fyi and Glassdoor, and aggregated job posting data. Ranges reflect national U.S. averages and are updated quarterly. Actual salaries vary significantly by company size, geographic region, years of experience, and individual negotiation outcomes.

No. This tool is a self-assessment screener based on known risk factors for workplace burnout. It is not a medical or clinical diagnostic instrument. Burnout is a recognized occupational phenomenon (classified in ICD-11) that should be assessed by a qualified healthcare professional. If you're experiencing persistent exhaustion, cynicism, or reduced professional efficacy, please consult a doctor or mental health professional.

Absolutely! We're actively expanding our skill coverage. Email us at uhdnnnk998@163.com with your suggestion. We prioritize additions based on user interest and available data quality.

No. All tool calculations run entirely in your browser (client-side JavaScript). Your salary, satisfaction scores, and other inputs never leave your device. We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-focused analytics tool that collects no personal data no cookies, no tracking across sites. Read our full Privacy Policy for details.

No tracking or advertising cookies are used. Our analytics provider, Plausible Analytics, uses no cookies whatsoever and collects no personal data. The site does not require a cookie consent banner under GDPR because no non-essential cookies are set. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

We use two third-party services: (1) Cloudflare for CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL/TLS; (2) Plausible Analytics for privacy-first website analytics. Neither service collects personal data. Full details are available in our Privacy Policy.

Absolutely. Career coaches, HR professionals, and recruiters are welcome to use CareerCompass tools with clients. There's no licensing or attribution required. We'd love your feedback on how the tools work in practice email us at uhdnnnk998@163.com.

We'd love to hear from you. Email us at uhdnnnk998@163.com with feedback, tool suggestions, partnership ideas, or just to say hello. We typically respond within 24-48 hours.