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I've found many questions on this site that relate to my question, and the overwhelming consensus is say nothing until handing in a notice - I would like to check if the circumstances behind why I'm asking this question change this.

I have a job at a very large company (>75,000 employees worldwide). I work as a Technical Project Manager and have done for four-five years quite happily. My job is very secure - I'm not at risk of being made redundant and I certainly wouldn't be fired if I said I was looking elsewhere. My partner lives in another country (which is a couple of hours drive for me) and after much discussion with her, I've decided to move down and join her.

I've been job hunting for a while and am in advanced interview stages with another company (having passed two interview stages already). It goes without saying there is no job offer yet - the final interview may fall through, in which case it could be another few months until I get a similar opportunity lined up.

In the last few weeks, a huge project has been lined up at a senior level in the company. At short notice, I've been put on an agile training course (which I've now completed - I was the only person asked to do this), and I've been told to move all my focus to this new project from Monday. To promote team spirit, all the relevant resources are being flown in from across the world for the next month, just to spend time with me, bond with each other and have me coach them in agile principles and start driving the work. The target is for me to lead this team and spread the teaching across the area.

My final interview with the other company is next week. Given the amount of money that is being spent on getting the resources in place for me to meet/greet and work with the new team, I'm feeling very uncomfortable. I could be handing in my notice next week. Alternatively I could be turned down in which case I'd stay in my role until I found another job.

My thoughts so far are:

  • Don't tell employer
    • Large company, their problem, they need to handle resourcing.
    • Even if I hand in notice, I'm still there until the end of August, when I can give a proper handover.
    • There's always another project around the corner, so this scenario could happen again and again.
  • Tell employer
    • Lots of money being spent to train me and get teams integrated with me.
    • Don't want to leave bad taste with anyone, given I could one day return to this company as they're a big player in my sector.
    • Good relationship with my boss.
    • Saying I'm looking doesn't really damage me. I will still keep my job. I may not get this "big" project, but the rest of my work is pretty senior as well.

Does anyone have any advice to make me feel a little less uncomfortable!?

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    Didn't even read the post. No. The answer is NO. Never tell them you MAY be leaving, you only tell them when you have signed your offer letter and have your start date at the new company.
    – dfundako
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 14:05
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    Your circumstances do not change the consensus of all the other answers surrounding similar questions on this site.
    – Seth R
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 14:16
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    What I'm not really getting is why this is considered such a bad idea? A lot of answers seem to focus on the whole "you may be fired" or "you may not get future opportunities" problems. But I won't be fired in my role and I'm not that concerned about future opportunities, as one way or another I'll be gone in the next few months (given the job market I'm applying for is full of available jobs and I'm well qualified in the area).
    – Andrew
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 14:24
  • @Andrew Until you tell them about your plans, they fire you on the spot, and for some reason you become person non grata to other companies in your area. It's a small world and a few bad perceptions from people in your industry in your area can torpedo chances of getting hired. You have nothing of any real value to gain by letting them know your plans.
    – dfundako
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 14:48
  • @Andrew, until you have that job offer and accept it, anything can happen. You don't actually have that job until you have that job. Meanwhile, if you tell your current employer you are no longer investing your career in them, they are going to stop investing in you. You may not be fired (right away), but you won't be considered for any important projects, training, raises, or promotions either. There is no upside for you.
    – Seth R
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 15:21

2 Answers 2

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No, don't tell them.

You're not going to leave a bad taste in their mouth, this is what generally happens when people leave. Companies are generally used to people handing their notices in without being informed upfront.

If you tell them that you're thinking of leaving, then you'll definitely be passed over for any training and you'll be sidelined around anything else.

And if you don't leave, you'll have this "I'm only here for now" cloud above you.

From your comment below, there seems to be no reason at all for you not to hand your notice in and let the company deal with any consequences of you leaving. No one is indispensable, after all...

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  • Being passed over for training doesn't really bother me. I don't think I can be sidelined given my seniority and the projects I have - but even if I am... so what? I'm still looking to get out the door asap and given the job market I'm applying for is full of available jobs and I'm well qualified in the area this will almost certainly not be an issue. Even if I was sidelined, I don't see how that affects me much.
    – Andrew
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 14:25
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    @Andrew - If you are leaving your seniority won't hold much weight. If they know you want to leave, your seniority, won't hold much weight. You can't tell us without a shadow of a doubt, if you told your employer you were leaving, they wouldn't just walk you out the door. If you could then you wouldn't be asking the question you have, you have some doubt in what to do, where that doubt comes from only you can determine.
    – Donald
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 14:38
  • The doubt seems to be coming from other answers on this site, as the question stated.
    – Bwmat
    Commented Jul 21, 2018 at 23:44
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No, it's not your problem.

Unless of course you would still be interested in working remotely for the company, if that would even be a viable option for what you do, then perhaps mention how far away your partner is and that you would some day perhaps like to move to her country or have her move to yours (even though this is not the case, just to keep your manager at ease) and whether or not there is opportunities to work remotely. If it's a flat out no, proceed as current and hand in your notice when you sign a contract. If there's a chance and you are genuinely interested in doing it, start having serious discussions.

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