No notice, two-week notice or longer notice?

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I currently work as a sales representative for a small pharmaceutical company. I desperately want to leave and get out of the pharmaceutical industry altogether and am in the process of interviewing with other companies.

I’ve had a couple of offers, which just weren’t a good fit and one where the salary was a lot less than my current salary. However, I had a second interview with an organization yesterday and have a first interview with another company in a couple of weeks. I feel pretty confident that I will get an offer from one or both of these companies.

It could be another two to four weeks though before I know for sure—mainly because the first interview I have with one company isn’t until the end of the month. I don’t believe they will be conducting second interviews.

I know that I want to leave my current job and I plan to do so very soon. My hope is that by the middle of next month, or so, I will be gone. My dilemma—because of the nature of my current job, I’d like to tell them that I’m looking. One of the reasons is because it would take some of the pressure off of me and as a result, I believe I’ll be more productive.

Also, sometimes there are certain projects that I know they would not (and I would not) want to start, knowing that there is a good chance that I won’t be able to complete them. Am I foolish to tell them? I don’t know if they’d appreciate it and let me stay until I get another offer or appreciate it but fire me! Should I give them a date—say, a month or so out? I know most reps who have left have given very little notice-most not even two weeks—and I think this industry is used to that. Do you have any advice?

Answer:

Think of it like this: if your spouse told you he was leaving in two weeks because he had met two people he wanted to date and perhaps marry, do you think you would want him living in your house like there was nothing wrong? He might feel less pressure, once the truth is known, but it would result in a domino affect that would forever alter the situation. Once you tell your employer you are leaving, you will not be able to stay in your job as long as you like and have less pressure. The last domino may topple and what if there is no job at the end of the line?

Now that you have made your decision to leave, I can understand why you would like to fess up and tell your employer. However, I think it would be a mistake. While it may seem disingenuous to keep this information from your employer, it is wiser to say nothing until you have a firm offer in your hands. If either offer evaporates, you could be unemployed.

Usually, two weeks notice is expected. The purpose is to give the employer a head start in the hiring and training process. However, in some cases when someone announces that they are leaving, the employer asks the person to leave immediately.

If they don’t need the person to train their replacement, organizations don’t want to keep someone on the payroll, who can’t start any new projects and who isn’t committed to the organization. In addition, it can be very bad for morale to have someone in the office, who has announced he or she is leaving. Inevitably, people find out and want to talk to the person about why they aren’t happy there.

As with the people who have left before you, the organization will find someone to pick up your projects after you leave, so telling them now will not make that much difference.

Although you say that you are desperate to leave, don’t commit an act of desperation. It could make a bad situation much worse.

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