Got a new job - should I sign contract before resigning current job?

Soldato
Joined
12 Dec 2006
Posts
3,421
Location
Worthing, West Sussex
Well as per title - I got a new job at an awesome company! I will have to get used to using Macs there, though.

On Tuesday I'm going to have to tell my boss that I'm leaving and agree an official end date. But I've not signed any contract yet with this new company.

Should I / is it normal to ask to sign a contract for the new job before I even give in my notice, or would you say the email + phone message from them is enough to secure my new job?

It's the first time I've made an important job move and I don't want anything going SNAFU, such as the new company backing out after I've handed in my resignation.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Nov 2002
Posts
3,495
Get it signed first with a proviso that you might have to negotiate your end date/start date.

Do NOT resign before the contract has been signed.
 
Associate
Joined
11 Jan 2008
Posts
468
Location
Liberty City
Two weeks before Christmas 2004 I was offered a new contract job starting 4th Jan. Handed in my notice in my current contract, only to be told a few days later that the new contract may "be delayed". Spent a rather anxious xmas and new year having heard nothing more, and then was told the contract was no longer going ahead.

I learnt 2 things from this:-

1) Don't trust recruitment agencies
2) Don't resign until have a signed contract for a new job.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Jul 2003
Posts
14,476
Agreed. Also once you've got used to using the Apple computers you'll turn into an Apple owner yourself and that's a slippery slope. Go see the Apple forums where people buy one then another, then another...

Lies, I repaired Macs for 10 years and only ever owned 1 of them :p Frankly I couldn't stand to look at them once I got home :D

@OP - any company that expects you to resign before signing a contact isn't worth working for, if they're not prepared to wait then tell them to stick their job where the sun doesn't shine (and I don't mean Scotland.) :)
 
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