If you’ve worked at a few jobs, you understand that considerable differences in company culture can occur, even if you’re working in the same industry. You also know that with only a few minor changes, a manager can completely change the attitude and tenor of a department, just as an owner or CEO can change the culture of an entire company.

Culture plays a big role in recruiting and attracting new hires, but you can only really understand the culture of an organization after you have been there for a while. It is then that you realize how culture is formed and how it is also a direct reflection on the values of those in charge.

When you and your company’s values are not aligned, it’s time to leave. No matter how nice the paycheck or the quality of your work, if you are fundamentally not on the same page as the company when it comes to core values, you’re acting — you’re not being who you’re supposed to be. Instead, choose to work where you can be yourself because that’s more important than any job.

When you see yourself in the mirror, do you see who you really are or see someone who isn’t there? A study from 2009 proved that most people see a version of themselves as either better and more righteous than they are or a version of themselves as a failure who rarely measures up. Most people don’t see there is good and bad in everyone.

To understand your real values, you need to be honest with yourself. I’m guessing 90% of us think they were environmentalists, or at least as people who care about the health of the planet. If you see yourself this way, aside from a little weekly recycling, are you doing that much? Is it possible to be an environmentalist, but still work for the fossil fuel industry? Can you be somebody who values public health but work for the tobacco industry? Are you somebody who hopes people see you as a kind, giving person but know that you’re a “what’s in it for me?” type of person?

I’m not here to judge you, your choices, or your values; however, I think it’s vital that they align. Unfortunately, most people don’t always see when these things are out of sync. You’ve got to figure out what’s important to you, what matters in this world and what organization you can work for with those same values.

If you’re a young, single man who is all about the nightlife, and wining and dining clients, or is a corporate climber in the advertising field, choose your occupation accordingly. Joining a small PR firm with four middle-aged mothers who close up shop at 5 p.m. to be with their family is probably not a good fit for you. Neither you nor the mothers are wrong in your beliefs and values — it’s just that you don't share the same one, so you will likely not thrive in this environment.

As we conclude this series, it’s essential to ask yourself the main question presented in each of the four blogs: Do you know when it’s time to leave?

I hope you feel completely fulfilled, but if you don't, why? What is it that’s forcing you to collect a paycheck while you professionally wither away?

Why stay at an organization where you can't continually challenge yourself and grow as a professional, or where you can't reflect on the company culture and values if you don’t agree with them? When a company's culture and values don’t align with yours, you don’t have a good career. You have a job you’re paid to do, and that’s about it.