Does a long notice period harm applying for new jobs

KiNgPiN83

KiNgPiN83

KiNgPiN83

Soldato
Joined
16 Nov 2003
Posts
5,776
Hi all.

A bit of background. I'm 38 and only ever had two jobs so my experience of moving and changing jobs is pretty much zero...

1st job was my part time job as i did my A-Levels which turned into a full time job when i didn't know what to do with my life. This was at Staples and was basically shelf stacking and warehouse work.

My 2nd and current job is IT Infrastructure Engineer. I've been here for 15 years and worked my way up from the helpdesk to where i am now. With this job I've got a 3 month notice period which sounded like a good idea at the time but now I'm looking for a new job, not so much...

For those in the know or have been through a similar situation does/did it cause harm trying to find a new job? Would i be better off handing my notice in now and then applying for lots of jobs over the next few months to get a head start? (This sounds scary from a paying the bills standpoint if it goes wrong.) Thanks in advance. :)
 
Apply for some jobs and be honest with the employers.

Some will be fine, as for a lot of jobs there can be a long notice period (which turns to garden leave) to cover their backs against you going to competition etc.

Don't ever hand in a notice without a confirmation of new start if I were you, but I am more cautious by nature.
 
montymint said:
Apply for some jobs and be honest with the employers.

Some will be fine, as for a lot of jobs there can be a long notice period (which turns to garden leave) to cover their backs against you going to competition etc.

Don't ever hand in a notice without a confirmation of new start if I were you, but I am more cautious by nature.
Click to expand...

I definitely wouldn't try to hide it as its just too long a time period to somehow try and blag. My place have also been pretty strict with recent leavers so its not like I'd just leave after doing 2 months for example because even though I'm not happy here anymore i still wouldn't want to burn that bridge if that makes sense? ]

I was just worried i could miss out on a good job but it is what it is i suppose and down to whether the guys hiring are prepared to wait.
 
KiNgPiN83 said:
I definitely wouldn't try to hide it as its just too long a time period to somehow try and blag. My place have also been pretty strict with recent leavers so its not like I'd just leave after doing 2 months for example because even though I'm not happy here anymore i still wouldn't want to burn that bridge if that makes sense? ]

I was just worried i could miss out on a good job but it is what it is i suppose and down to whether the guys hiring are prepared to wait.
Click to expand...

Honestly I wouldn't worry about it so much. Once you get to a certain level, long notice periods are almost expected. A prospective new employer may have similar times for their staff and will most likely expect it when recruiting for certain roles.
 
As covered by Monty, 3 months is pretty standard for senior roles.

If you're successful in obtaining a new role, you can usually work with your current employer to do something that works for all. In addition to that, if you're the right fit the new role, the new company will usually wait (particularly given the current climate).

PS. Never hand in your notice until you have returned a signed contract to your new employer
 
Shouldn’t matter too much for perm roles, for contracting it’s an issue for some as they often want you to start ASAP. Contractors are often on 6 month contracts and won’t be looking at the 3 month point.

For perm roles don’t need to bring it up until the end anyway, once you’ve got an offer or if they ask beforehand, it’s not really something super unusual.

People with 1 month’s notice might still take longer after receiving an offer if they’re interviewing at multiple companies simultaneously too.

Some people want a break between jobs, might ask for a few weeks beyond finishing their notice and starting the new role. (Technically you don’t *have* to tell them you only have 1 month’s notice if you were in that position instead, they could ask you about start dates and you can keep it vague, express that you want to ensure a good handover at your current employer etc.. and name a date). Whether it’s true or not always give the impression you’re happy with your current role/current employer - it just looks good and puts you in a stronger position as someone who will need to be incentivised to leave rather than someone desperate to escape as things have turned sour.

Moving jobs is not only the ideal time to get a pay rise it’s also the ideal time to have a break, a trip to Australia or get married/have a honeymoon etc. You don’t otherwise get the chance to have a nice block of leave. Paid gardening leave is even better but tends to only be available in certain roles unless you fancy burning bridges so they want you to leave immediately and pay you to stay at home.
 
Last edited:
Very relevant thread for me.

I've been at my job for 13 years, and without sounding cocky, I'm literally the only person who can do the job. I've felt it's been time for a change, but I know the company would really be in a difficult position (in the area I work) without me. I really need to check my contract as I can't remember if there's a longer notice period for people who have worked there for that long.
 
dowie said:
Shouldn’t matter too much for perm roles, for contracting it’s an issue for some as they often want you to start ASAP. Contractors are often on 6 month contracts and won’t be looking at the 3 month point.

For perm roles don’t need to bring it up until the end anyway, once you’ve got an offer
Click to expand...
Agreed it only really matters for contract roles. People expect high calibre candidates to be on a long notice period. When I was hiring people I had a couple hires with long notice periods and just accepted that we had to wait, even for non-management roles. With perm roles it is sometimes asked on application forms though, so is known from before they have even spoken with you.

Double-check if your notice period is actually 3 months or 12 weeks (there's about 1 week difference). Then even if the current employer isn't amenable to a shortened notice period, with holidays you can effectively shorten a notice period if you have sufficient balance and felt it necessary to get the job (bear in mind that assuming you get a pay rise from the new job there are financial benefits from starting earlier, so its often worth using holiday to bring forward the start date). The last job I left had a 12 week notice period but I actually left after 9 weeks due to use of annual leave and a couple bank holidays.
 
I wouldn't worry about notice periods. They are negotiable and if an employer really wants you they will wait. 2-3 months is becoming the standard now anyway.
 
Shadowness said:
Very relevant thread for me.

I've been at my job for 13 years, and without sounding cocky, I'm literally the only person who can do the job. I've felt it's been time for a change, but I know the company would really be in a difficult position (in the area I work) without me. I really need to check my contract as I can't remember if there's a longer notice period for people who have worked there for that long.
Click to expand...

I signed my contract increasing mine from 1 to 3 months when the company were scared of losing me due to other people leaving at the time. Not sure if yours being extended would still be binding if you haven't signed it but don't trust/believe me as I'm not an expert.. It could well be in whatever contract you have that after x it changes to y.

In your position maybe its worth taking your concerns to them as they can't do anything to change it unless they know you aren't happy? (I know how tough that can be though as I'm a don't rock the boat, don't like changes kind of guy myself.)
 
Well I'm very tempted to go to them and say I know how much they'd struggle without me so make it worth my while to stay!

Especially as what I posted on the relationship/hugs thread about how much my life has changed.
 
KiNgPiN83 said:
Hi all.

A bit of background. I'm 38 and only ever had two jobs so my experience of moving and changing jobs is pretty much zero...

1st job was my part time job as i did my A-Levels which turned into a full time job when i didn't know what to do with my life. This was at Staples and was basically shelf stacking and warehouse work.

My 2nd and current job is IT Infrastructure Engineer. I've been here for 15 years and worked my way up from the helpdesk to where i am now. With this job I've got a 3 month notice period which sounded like a good idea at the time but now I'm looking for a new job, not so much...

For those in the know or have been through a similar situation does/did it cause harm trying to find a new job? Would i be better off handing my notice in now and then applying for lots of jobs over the next few months to get a head start? (This sounds scary from a paying the bills standpoint if it goes wrong.) Thanks in advance. :)
Click to expand...

The notice period won't be a problem, there's a desperate skills shortage in tech in the UK.

I had a 3 month notice period, and quit recently, without another job sorted out. After letting people know, I had an offer before the end of the day.

Make the most of it! Happy days to be a tech employee.
 
Yeah pretty much anything with vaguely manager in the title or higher has been 3 months where I've worked for the last 20 odd years. Often it doesn't get entirely played out though as generally the company just wants to get someone new up to speed in the role then be able to get on with cutting the old person loose if that is what they want to make things easier i.e. you don't have someone hanging around with enhanced security privileges, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom