When is the right time to give my notice to leave my current company?

Question

Finally we are called upon by the most awaited company, where I got placed a year ago. In the mean while, I started working with a local company.

Now, I am going to join the company after two months. Also at the same time, my contract in the current company is going to change and we would be offered double the salary that we were previously getting.

More precisely, I would tell that, the six-month training period had ended and we are almost hired for sure, we are done with all the formalities (work history checks, task completions, evaluation checks), and we are waiting for final signature of the documents.

Now, I would like to ask if it is the good time to break my job suspense to my team leader that i would be working for no more than three months in this company or should I wait for my revised contract and get a salary hike.

Note that I am asking this because our team leader is really a role model for me, he is really an appreciator for what we do. he motivates us to look for better growth opportunities and I don't want to disappoint him at the last moment.

I would be resigning for sure from the same company, no matter if I got more salary as compared to the new company, but I would like to know if it is good to get one or two large salaries, so as i could show in the next company what I was getting from my last company.

Answer 1

I am not a lawyer but local laws may impact the time you have to give your notice. For the sake of argument, I will assume below that you can give your notice at any time like it is the usage in the USA.

I would not disclose to anybody that you are leaving until the time when you have firm start date in hand. You are naturally enthusiastic about this new company but you may still encounter some obstacles in the possibly bureaucratic hiring process.

As much as you appreciate your team leader, this is your career and your livelihood. Being open in this sensitive period may compromise this livelihood temporarily.

Finally, you must not burn bridges when you leave your company. Waiting to get a pay raise before you give your notice to leave may be considered a faux pas. Again, this depends on the local culture and the industry. You never know who will be your boss or subordinate in the future and preserving a good and professional relationship with your ex-colleagues is essential.

I think you can safely state to the new company the salary you would have had at the previous company if you had stayed. This could indeed help you in the salary negotiations.

Answer 2

we are almost hired for sure,

That is not good enough. Do not give notice until you have somewhere else to go. Not when you think you are going to have somewhere else to go. What would the the consequence be to you if the company decided to terminate you immediately when you gave notice? Or if something happens and that position falls through at the last minute. Can you afford to be out of work for 3 months or more waiting for the new position to start? Can your family afford that?

As far as waiting for the salary bump there is no reason to wait for that if you have a firm offer in hand. Waiting until after has the potential to leave some bad feelings behind as your mentor will have just helped you get a raise only to have you turn around and leave right away. Better to leave before the raise to avoid that risk but only if you have a firm offer in hand.

When you leave provide the minimum notice. That means waiting until the time between when the current job will end and and the new job starts is right at that notice window. Do not talk about the new position with anyone in or around your current employer until you have given notice. And in your notice be short and professional.

Something along these lines:

I thank you for the opportunities you have given me to work in the field of advanced hydro-spanner grommets, widgets, and cogs. I have accepted a position at another company and will be terminating my employment on XX/XX/20XX. I have enjoyed my time here and will always speak well of my experience with the company.

Any future correspondences after XX/XX/20XX can be sent to the following address:

You should of course customize it to fit your circumstances. It is important to convey that you are happy with the time spent with the company and are not leaving mad. Hopefully this will mitigate any hurt feelings by managers that feel they have time invested in you and help secure a good reference in the future.

Answer 3

I agree with the others on waiting until you have a firm start date. With that said, you should also not be discussing this with anyone else where you are currently. I made the mistake myself of not informing my boss before informing some of my coworkers. He found out from one of them before I had a chance to talk with him. Thankfully my boss was completely understanding and it helped that he knew I was looking.

Also, because I had a really good work relationship with my boss he was aware of my desire to find a better position. So if your relationship with your team leader is a really good one then you should tell him as soon as you have that definite start date, even if the start date is 2 months away. Otherwise wait until whatever the laws in India require. You never know if you may want to return to this company in the future.