

Leaving a job after two months, should I tell companies I am interviewing with? - QandA

So I am moving to LA in a month or two. I just graduated college with a double major in math&#x2F;cs. Anyone hiring in LA by the way? Should I tell companies I am interviewing with that I am leaving another company so soon? From what I have heard leaving a company so soon is poor form. Also, what is the average salary in LA for a software engineer?
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gexla
Yeah, that would be pretty lame. Considering you have just graduated college,
you may not have much professional experience in the industry. If the employer
is hiring you based on your degree rather than your actual skills then you
might need a month or two just to get to a point where you can start to be
useful to them.

Just tell the company what you are planning. Depending on your / their
situation, they may still have a use for you. In fact, if it's something which
would be a good fit with that company you might actually be able to make more
money as a freelancer. If not, then maybe try to find a freelance gig either
locally or remotely.

Another option would be to reach out to possible employers in L.A. to see if
you can start out with remote work with the promise to move if things work
out. That would be perfect because you would already be setup with a job when
arriving and you would likely be able to move on a more relaxed time frame.

As for average salary, does it really matter? Jump on the Google and work out
taxes, housing costs and whatever other expenses you might need / want to take
on while in L.A. Need a Lambo? Add that in. Make sure to tack on savings.

If you come up with a bat shit crazy number (maybe you need to drop the Lambo)
then you might need to adjust. Keep it realistic for someone in your position.
You probably don't need a 5 bedroom house next to Justin Bieber just yet.

Once you figure out your number, then tack on a bit of a buffer (maybe 10 -
20%) so that you have some negotiating room and throw it out there. If it's
not too crazy then they should come back with a counter-offer. If you are way
off, then perhaps you don't want to work for that place anyways.

This is important because L.A. is an expensive place. Regardless of any
average salary, you need enough money to live on. Further, you need enough
money to make L.A. a more logical choice over another location where you could
make nearly as much money but with a much lower cost of living. If you really
must do L.A. and the offers aren't matching your number, then at least you
will get an idea of where the market is at and do another adjustment of your
expectations.

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QandA
Well I was just asking about salary out of pure curiosity. I also don't have a
recruiter, I am working with the company directly. But is there any a reason a
company would not hire me if I tell them I am leaving another job so soon?
Personally I dont think that sort of information can help-it can only hurt.
Opinions?

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taproot
Don't intend to come off annoyed, although this isn't really worth anyone
clicking on to read. In answer to all of the above, ask your recruiter.

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QandA
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