How would remaining more than two years hurt my future applications (for a junior dev)?

Question

Recently I’ve been interviewing with this one company (for the sake of this question, let’s call it company A) to whom I applied last December. I was feeling unvalued at work, so in an act of pure frustration, I started to send some applications.

Early January, company A invited for two interviews, which went well. I was told by the recruiter that I would be getting feedback next week (to wether If they would make an offer or not)

I’m a Junior dev that’s been on company B for almost two years. This means that I have to give a one month notice period to company B, in case of leaving. After two years, I’m required to give a two month notice.

Now, I’m not exactly looking to switch jobs just yet, however I fear that If I go over two years, recruiters won’t be see me as a good candidate, since I have to give a two month notice period. I’m not asking if is good to switch jobs or not, I’m more interested on the recruiters side.

So recruiters or hiring managers, how would you feel about getting an application from a junior dev that has to give a two month notice period and if remaining more than two years would that hurt my future applications?

More context: I’m a 18-25 year old, and company B is my second job. I remained close to one year and half on my first one, also doing Front-end.

Answer 1

Remaining longer than X at a company typically does not hurt your future chances at other jobs. It's job hoppers (staying regularly for short stints only, less than say 2 or even 1 year) that can get problems from their job history. That's not a total given either, in some specific roles/CVs that's also generally okay (e.g., very project driven roles).

If you stay all your life with the same company in the same role that might be a hindrance when finally trying to get another job. However this is also depending on what kind of job it is - it might also be a benefit if the other job is close to what that person did before and he's considered a domain/region expert.

And just to be explicit about the notice period: A notice period of 2 months is nothing. Even if it were not the normal notice period in your region, most companies need to plan ahead a lot longer. And if it is the normal period, then you have no mentionable drawback over other candidates. Could there be exceptions where a company takes someone readily available? Sure, but they will be rare, typically it is much more important that the candidate is a good fit and waiting a few months more or less doesn't make much of a difference long-term. This might be a bit more of an issue in short project work, but if you work in that field then you're not under long-term contracts anyway.

Answer 2

TL;DR Don't worry about it.

I started interviewing new employers after 1.5 years on my first job. My notice period was one month, increasing to three months on the second year. During the course of interviewing my current employer, I crossed that threshold, and so I told the new employer my notice period is now three months.

I was just as worried as you are, but this presented no problems whatsoever.

I'm employed full-time, not a contractor, so my extended notice period did not impact on their plans. Finding new employees takes a lot of time. Companies understand this, and they're willing to wait for you if they like you.

Answer 3

This means that I have to give a one month notice period to company B, in case of leaving. After a two years, I’m required to give a two month notice.

I fear that If I go over two years, recruiters won’t be see me as a good candidate, since I have to give a two month notice period.

Some companies may hesitate at offering the job to someone who they'd need to wait for.

However, most companies are flexible and wouldn't have any issue waiting a little longer to have their preferred candidate start the job. Additionally, the fact you worked in your current/last position for more than two years can be an advantage over someone who's worked less than two years in a single job during the pre-interview screening.

Some of the following is dependent on local laws and policies, but some things to consider are:

Long notice periods can seem a drag. My first job was longer than five years and I had a three month notice period because of that. But, the notice period also protects you. The company should be giving you two months notice/pay if you're let go.

It is also sometimes negotiable - obviously if you resign and ask for a shorter notice period your employer can say no, but you haven't really lost anything. (I once let someone who should have given a month's notice simply finish the week - which was enough time for handover, and she started her new job the next Monday). If they do agree to a shorter notice period, you will only get paid for the time you finish. If you complete the full two months you may still accrue annual leave which should be paid out at the end of the two months. You might even be able to use unused leave to effectively cut short the notice period.

Finally, when applying for the job, don't mention the notice period. Wait until they ask for your availability to start (this should hopefully be about the time you are offered the job).

And remember, a company prepared to wait for you to start is a company that should appreciate you more than one expecting immediate availability.