Before you can transition from one job to the next, you will need to hand in your notice. This is to confirm to your current employer that you have received another offer or you have  decided to leave the business for reasons of your own. Your notice period will follow. Your notice period will be the remainder of your time spent with your current company until your final day with the business. 

There are different answers to this question, taking into account various factors. Whilst there are different circumstances for leaving a position, as some jobs may require an immediate start, the average notice period is between 1-3 months, but for senior employees, if could be 6 or 12 month. Consider giving two weeks’ notice. This gives time for your employer to get organised to replace your position.

If an employee is not under contract, then a minimum notice period will not apply and they are free to leave there and then. An employee can extend their notice period should they wish to do so; this will be something to discuss with your employer. 

There are, however, some legal ramifications that both employees and employers could face should they fail to comply with existing laws surrounding notice periods.   

To determine the length of your notice period, consider the following: 

1.    Review any contracts you signed at the beginning of your employment
2.    Consider how long you've been working for your employer
3.    Explain to your employer why you're handing in your notice 
4.    Let your employer know about any time off already booked
5.    Offer resources to provide a smoother transition after you leave
6.    Complete any unfinished projects

In a period where there has been an increase in movement between professionals, notice periods have ranged from immediately available to 3 months or more. 

That’s why we recently conducted a poll with the Blu Digital audience to get their view on whether a candidate with a three-month notice period would put them off hiring them. 

Of course, we had a great response from our audience: 1,169 votes over a one week period. 

In a close poll, 54% of our audience voted ‘yes’, whilst 46% voted ‘no’. 

Industry professionals shared their thoughts. with Dan Davies, UX Manager at Space48 said: “It's not ideal but in this market, the right people rarely come about often so if this is the person I wanted, I would wait.” 

If you found this blog helpful, maybe you’ll enjoy: Counter-offers: How to deal with them