Advice regarding time frame - job hunting

[MeganS10f10]

Hello. Asking for a friend.
Are most companies in computer science looking to hire candidates short notice or would they be willing to wait three months? My friend already received an open work permit approval and his current company in Germany requires a three month notice of termination. He wants to find a job before ending his current one. We are wondering if it is more beneficial or more risky to end his job without one lined up in Canada, considering a hiring him would require a minimum three month notice.
A bit more info, he’s German, a software developer, graduated with a masters from one of the best schools Germany, and speaks great but not perfect English.

 

[scylla]

Hello. Asking for a friend.
Are most companies in computer science looking to hire candidates short notice or would they be willing to wait three months? My friend already received an open work permit approval and his current company in Germany requires a three month notice of termination. He wants to find a job before ending his current one. We are wondering if it is more beneficial or more risky to end his job without one lined up in Canada, considering a hiring him would require a minimum three month notice.
A bit more info, he’s German, a software developer, graduated with a masters from one of the best schools Germany, and speaks great but not perfect English.

Most companies expect you to be able to start 2-3 weeks after you accept the job offer.

It's possible a company may be willing to wait 3 months for him to start (or they might not). He would need to have that conversation with the hiring manager. I would recommend having this conversation early in the interview process and not waiting until there's a job offer on the table.

 

[bellaluna]

Hello. Asking for a friend.
Are most companies in computer science looking to hire candidates short notice or would they be willing to wait three months? My friend already received an open work permit approval and his current company in Germany requires a three month notice of termination. He wants to find a job before ending his current one. We are wondering if it is more beneficial or more risky to end his job without one lined up in Canada, considering a hiring him would require a minimum three month notice.
A bit more info, he’s German, a software developer, graduated with a masters from one of the best schools Germany, and speaks great but not perfect English.

Another possibility is him being able to negotiate an earlier exit with the German company, especially if he is on good terms with them.

 

[armoured]

Are most companies in computer science looking to hire candidates short notice or would they be willing to wait three months? My friend already received an open work permit approval and his current company in Germany requires a three month notice of termination. He wants to find a job before ending his current one. We are wondering if it is more beneficial or more risky to end his job without one lined up in Canada, considering a hiring him would require a minimum three month notice.

I'm not entirely in agreement that companies always expect candidates to be ready to start in 2-3 weeks. They will all say they want the candidate to start immediately. That doesn't mean they actually expect this will always be the case - especially for candidates who are currently abroad. And sometimes companies wnat to hire someone tomorrow but it ends up taking months to find the right candidate.

Unfortunately it depends on the position and level and the company (as well as industry of course) - and I cna't comment directly on computer science (too broad a comment anyway). Note too some companies and positions may not want to interview candidates who are abroad, or at least be more picky.

But overall I don't see many issues with applying for positions as long as the candidate is upfront about any specific issues they may have - and three months would be a factor.

Main thing, use it as a way to find things out and make contacts; if a company really, truly needs someone to start immediately, they'll say so, and just say I hope we might be able to be in touch in future, if positions come up, could I contact you etc. If there's real interest in the candidate as a potential fit, they'll probalby be positive in response.

(Keep in mind too some companies are always hiring in certain fields/positions, just a question of size and turnover).

 

[armoured]

Note, your friend also seems to be asking whether he can take the risk and just quit so as to be ready or whether he really, really needs to have a job lined up.

I don't think there's any way to answer that without actually applying for jobs and seeing what demand is. If everyone is falling over themselves to make an offer, he probably wont' need an actual offer in hand.

Other suggestion would be to speak to a headhunter, may well be worth it in his case.

 

[scylla]

I'm not entirely in agreement that companies always expect candidates to be ready to start in 2-3 weeks. They will all say they want the candidate to start immediately. That doesn't mean they actually expect this will always be the case - especially for candidates who are currently abroad. And sometimes companies wnat to hire someone tomorrow but it ends up taking months to find the right candidate.

Unfortunately it depends on the position and level and the company (as well as industry of course) - and I cna't comment directly on computer science (too broad a comment anyway). Note too some companies and positions may not want to interview candidates who are abroad, or at least be more picky.

But overall I don't see many issues with applying for positions as long as the candidate is upfront about any specific issues they may have - and three months would be a factor.

Main thing, use it as a way to find things out and make contacts; if a company really, truly needs someone to start immediately, they'll say so, and just say I hope we might be able to be in touch in future, if positions come up, could I contact you etc. If there's real interest in the candidate as a potential fit, they'll probalby be positive in response.

(Keep in mind too some companies are always hiring in certain fields/positions, just a question of size and turnover).

Agreed that it's up to the employer.

However the 2-3 weeks is generally standard. So if someone needs significantly longer, that really needs to be mentioned up front. (I know you called this out as well.)

I agree that employers are sometimes willing to wait longer for the right candidate. I've done this myself a few times - although never for as long as 3 months for someone coming into the company externally. To be brutally honest, if someone told me they needed 3 months, I would be worried they had other job applications in play, I wasn't the first choice, and they were keeping me as their back up plan in case nothing else pans out. Three months gives a long runway for something to go in the wrong direction (for me as the employer) and for me to be left back at square one having to start the interview process from scratch. Just my opinion of course.

Something to consider the OP's friend is coming to Canada on an OWP that will have a fixed duration (perhaps a 12 month IEC given the friend is from Germany?). If I'm hiring someone permanently, then I'm generally more open to a longer runway on the start date. If it's fixed term / contract, then usually not so much. But again, just my opinion.

 

[armoured]

Something to consider the OP's friend is coming to Canada on an OWP that will have a fixed duration (perhaps a 12 month IEC given the friend is from Germany?). If I'm hiring someone permanently, then I'm generally more open to a longer runway on the start date. If it's fixed term / contract, then usually not so much. But again, just my opinion.

I mostly agree with your points - especially that this is a time-limited OWP, which I hadn't focussed on.

I guess I'd say in the most even-handed way possible (I think anyway) - I think it's a quite rare position where an employer would give a solid work contract three months in advance (i.e. on which the employee could rely upon to quit job with three month's notice). Exceptions would mostly be only for permanent and/or some very specific fields/positions (academia, some government, some high-level, C-suite or adjacent). Or some very specific situatios with international hires. Likely not what we're talking about here.

What I meant rather to put emphasis upon - and I really wasn't clear - I don't think not having given the three-month notice should discourage the individual to apply and get in touch with people. That process will give a better idea of how much and how specific the demand in the field is. But it's unlikely to lead to job offers that will be solid three months down the line (at least in terms of signed employment contracts).

I also assume that the three-month departure notice is probably not fully required (and employer may actually want to shorten). I don't know Germany well enough but it sounds more like a labour law requirement (that can only be waived if both parties are in agreement). That's only a guess though on my part, I've never heard of anything similar (except possibly where non-competes are the real issue, and structured differently than this is described).

 

[MeganS10f10]

Yes it’s a 12 month IEC open work permit. There’s a full intention for him to continue working after a year though. He would continue initially probably through another IEC (closed work permit) and then PR. There is a chance he could get a French passport due to family relations but of course nothing is known.