Leaving job with 3 month notice period

WobblyDog

I'm a software developer. Due to changing business requirements, the work I actually do has changed a lot in the last year and become menial, and I want to leave before my hands-on experience record gets out of date. There's no possibility of the situation improving. Unfortunately I have a 3 month notice period.

Can anyone comment on how much of a discouragement this is to a future employer?
Would it be worthwhile discussing with my manager whether I would be held to the 3 month period before I go job-hunting?
One option is to resign before finding a new job, and wait until near the leaving date before starting job-hunting, to avoid having the notice period hanging over me. Is this sort of behaviour likely to scare-off new employers?

DKLS

Depends on the company, Some will be put off by a candidate with a 3 month notice period and others won't, depending on their needs. I have been for roles and last out as I couldn't start the following monday.

Having said that whenever I have had a 3 month notice period, I have never served more than 6 weeks as I have negotiated myself an earlier exit, there is usually no point in keeping someone on for the full 3 months if they have already mentally left.

pjcox2005

In my industry and position, a 3 month notice period was fairly standard so when interviewing people expected that to be the default position.


They obviously asked once offering the job if I could try and negotiate current employers down to a shorter period but they were happy to wait if not.


I think that will be true for most people unless they have an extremely pressing need for someone to start immediately.

asajj

Most employees will be used to it - it is also standard in my industry. It is not desirable but if they really want to recruit you, they wait.

jobbingmusician

As an employer, I would feel that the employee is likely to be a valuable/senior one if he has a 3 month period in his current contract. Having said that, your reason for leaving suggests that the current employer might be amenable to reducing it....

ali-t

If you are job hunting and plan to leave, make sure you keep annual leave so you can use that as part of your 12 week notice period. I have done this in the past and other times have negotiated a shorter exit period.

AndyBSG

I'm also a software developer and a 3 month notice period is pretty much standard.

Also, given the security checks most employers go through nowadays it's also likely that from acceptance of contract to start of employment you'll be looking at almost 3 months for them to carry out all the required checks anyway.

HappyMJ

WobblyDog wrote: »

I'm a software developer. Due to changing business requirements, the work I actually do has changed a lot in the last year and become menial, and I want to leave before my hands-on experience record gets out of date. There's no possibility of the situation improving. Unfortunately I have a 3 month notice period.

Can anyone comment on how much of a discouragement this is to a future employer?
Would it be worthwhile discussing with my manager whether I would be held to the 3 month period before I go job-hunting?
One option is to resign before finding a new job, and wait until near the leaving date before starting job-hunting, to avoid having the notice period hanging over me. Is this sort of behaviour likely to scare-off new employers?

I would resign without the job offer only if I could afford to support myself for at least 6 months. I'd start looking for work immediately though.

It does not scare off future employers (in my experience). Employers (in my case) do prefer employees who are immediately available.

nkomp18

I am also a software developer in the city with a 3 month notice period.

I was told that in almost all cases it can be negotiated down. In fact a colleague told me that "no one had ever had to wait 3 months".

This is however not yet from personal experience as I haven't tried to resign yet.

FireWyrm

I've never seen anyone forced to server their three months either. Usually, it comes down to about 1 month and depending on the type of work and how commercially sensitive, you could find yourself out the door the same afternoon after having been relieved of your equipment and keys. No one wants to keep people around who dont want to be there and have 'left' already regardless of how desperate they are for the capacity.

t0rt0ise

Keeping holiday back for use during notice period doesn't always work as the employer doesn't have to allow this. They may make you work it and pay for the unused leave.