How will your "Start Date" affect your odds of getting a job?

[AgentEL]

I understand that it's pretty particular to the position involved, but here's my situation:

I am currently under contract until the end of June.

Knowing this, I am interviewing with another company for when I stopped working. I told them I can start working July 1st. At the time of my interview, it was 3 months away.

Btw, the interview was for a defense contractor and I wasn't interviewing for a specific position.

Update: If it helps anyone, I didn't get the job. I don't know if it was because of the start date or not, but I thought I nailed the interview. I'm sure the start date played somewhat of a factor. Oh well.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: AgentEL
I understand that it's pretty particular to the position involved, but here's my situation:

I am currently under contract until the end of June.

Knowing this, I am interviewing with another company for when I stopped working. I told them I can start working July 1st. At the time of my interview, it was 3 months away.

Btw, the interview was for a defense contractor and I wasn't interviewing for a specific position.

Do you have an early termination clause in your current contract?
Did you mention start date too early in the interview process?
Did you get called back in?
more info plz...

 

[Turkish]

not relevant, but good job on cleaning your room (sig)

 

[Ness]

It depends entirely on how fast they need to fill the position.

If the person previously doing the job is already gone, has a set retirement date or has a set date they are leaving, then they don't have much of a choice.

Chances are if they are openly interviewing for a position, they plan on filling it in less than a few weeks.

If a company is looking for candidates to start a new position, there may be some time they can play with, but still not much.


Bottom line, unless you are REALLY REALLY worth it, you probably won't get a job unless your start date is a max of 2 or 3 weeks from the current date.

 

[Yax]

Originally posted by: AgentEL
I understand that it's pretty particular to the position involved, but here's my situation:

I am currently under contract until the end of June.

Knowing this, I am interviewing with another company for when I stopped working. I told them I can start working July 1st. At the time of my interview, it was 3 months away.

Btw, the interview was for a defense contractor and I wasn't interviewing for a specific position.

3 months is a long time. Companies who need employees tend to need them before they start looking for them. That means they may not wait for your 3 months. If something just opens up at the right time and they just happen to still remember you, then you may get it; otherwise, your odds are slim.

 

[AgentEL]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: AgentEL
I understand that it's pretty particular to the position involved, but here's my situation:

I am currently under contract until the end of June.

Knowing this, I am interviewing with another company for when I stopped working. I told them I can start working July 1st. At the time of my interview, it was 3 months away.

Btw, the interview was for a defense contractor and I wasn't interviewing for a specific position.

Do you have an early termination clause in your current contract?
Did you mention start date too early in the interview process?
Did you get called back in?
more info plz...

No early termination clause that I know of. But, I wouldn't want to use it if it did. It would screw a lot of people that are depending on the project I'm working on.

They asked for a start date on the application. This is the second and final round of interviews.

The reason I ask is because they went really well. I figure that they could use the extra time for security clearance, but I don't know if 3 months is still too long for that to happen.

Thanks for the opinions so far.

 

[Drakkon]

Thats the EXACT same positon i am in right now...current contract ends in june...applying for jobs but nobody wants to hear july 1st as a start date since its so far in the future, but by the same token they wont be hiring anyone till the end of june in some cases. Its kinda a double standard that they want someone with experience but at the same time they want someone whos desperate to work. Its almost a wierd form of discrimination that theres really no way to prove...

 

[AgentEL]

Bump for updated.

 

[TommyVercetti]

You still persuing that CS or CE degree at some UC?

 

[AgentEL]

I graduated in December 2002. EE/CS from UC Berkeley. I have a job right now, but it's a contract thing till the end of June. You were going for an MBA right, TommVercetti?

 

[johnjbruin]

sukcs you didnt get the job.
it might have been because of the start date. i know some employers look at it in a wrong way if you tell them you cant start in like 2wks or so.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: AgentEL
I graduated in December 2002. EE/CS from UC Berkeley. I have a job right now, but it's a contract thing till the end of June. You were going for an MBA right, TommVercetti?

Yeah "going" to. Still plan to within 2 years or so. You are already done with your masters in EE/CS?