To apply for a job that I want in 12 months time?

[Petrovaposy]

A job has come up that I want, but it’s too soon for me. It is advertised for September, but I wouldn’t want to start any sooner than 12 months from now.

This is mainly because I am in the middle of a project that I want to finish at my current place of work, and also one of my colleagues is currently off on maternity and I would really be dumping my department in the shit if I leave at short notice while my colleagues is away. I am pretty confident they would not be able to replace me, we already are operating below capacity due to not being able to fill a position.

It would also involve relocating and I would want time to sort out my house before selling and to decide exactly which area I want to move to.

My job is quite specialised (hence recruitment difficulties) so it isn’t unheard of for employers to wait a few months (even a year, if employing a new graduate).

So my question is, when to reveal this? Shall I ring them next week for the ‘informal pre-application chat’ and let them know from the start that I would only be interested in taking up the position in 12 months’ time?
Or, should I apply and only share this information with them at interview stage / if offered the post?
I don’t want to annoy them, because if I am unsuccessful I’d still like to be considered for future jobs.

Thanks for reading.

I wouldn’t. They wouldn’t advertise for this Sept if they were happy to have someone in a year.

Oh God no, tell them straight away.

It's not fair to mislead them and waste their time.

Thanks for replying. Would you not even ring them for an informal chat? I want them to know that I’m keen to work for them, even if the timing is not right at present.

Could you sort your house for December? They might wait 3 months for the right person.
That’s plenty of time for your work to sort something out too.

If it’s your dream gig I’d move everything I could to make it happen, especially if openings are rare.

I could in theory, but I would still be leaving my current employer massively in the lurch, my colleague is not back from maternity until April at the earliest (and I think she will take longer as she’s having twins).

I want the post, but it’s not a ‘dream job’ as such, it’s much the same as my current one but it’s the location that is the biggest draw, there aren’t that many job opportunities that crop up in the neck of the woods I want to move to.

I would apply and see. If you get offered it then your hot will likely tell you what you need to know and you can discuss things then but ultimately it is highly unlikely that they would wait a year and it's isn't fair on them. You talk of not wanting to leave your current team in the lurch but you seem to happy considering leaving what would be your new team in the lurch for a year. If you were to move then which relationship with colleagues would be more important? Surely your new team.

As for your current team, we are all replaceable. Each and every one of us. Staff move, staff get replaced, the world moves on. They might not want to finish the project without you, they might miss you. But you can be replaced.

Thanks. Your advice is wise.
The thing is though that while I can be replaced in theory, in practice I really don’t think I can be, at least not at short notice. We have advertised 3 times in as many years for another in my team and got no applicants. It’s because my current role is somewhere fairly remote and the job is specialised (and can’t be done remotely).

I do think I had better be up-front from the start with prospective employer though. Worst case scenario they just don’t give it to me, but at least they know I am a loyal employee which might work in my favour for any future opportunities ?

You need to put your own career progression first. If this is the job you have been aiming for and you succeed in getting it then you move at the end of your standard notice period, rather than passing up the opportunity. Your employer chose the notice period. It’s up to them to replace you, not up to you to look after their company.

I know you’re right, but I just don’t think I can do it. It’s public sector, not a company, and it’s not just my colleagues I’d be leaving in the lurch it’s the people we work with who use the service. If I leave suddenly it will have a big impact on our capacity to support the local community (and might risk delivery of a grant funded project)

I understand your feelings, but honestly, you have to put them to one side. Even in the public sector they choose their employee notice period. They are used to this. Your colleagues will understand. And you never know - they might just get someone. Your current job might be someone else’s dream job in their dream location.

Your current employer will not give two hoots 6 months after you leave. People do it all the time. I had the same romanticised view. And then left.

If you want the job go for the job, as pp said, it’s ridiculous to put your career on hold for 12 months and they will be unlikely to hold it, you have a notice period, use that, if you dropped dead tomorrow your workplace would muddle on and sort out a replacement or whatever was needed

I think you're trying to consider this with the best of intentions - which I applaud. However, if you don't want to let your current team down, I'd register your interest with the new company now with an full explanation regarding why you want to deliver this current project. From an employment perspective, if I'm advertising a job it's because I want it filled. However, we do keep 'attractive' applicants on file in case posts come up at a later date. I'd just be honest with them at an early stage so that you aren't wasting anyone's time, but you are showing that you're open to a move once you're able to.

What is the notice period at your current job? How much longer than that do you feel you need to give to finish the project? I agree others that you do need to think of yourself, but I understand your feelings. Perhaps there can be a compromise (e..g two months notice rather than one).

In terms of needing time for the move - again, what length of time were you thinking? I work for an international organisation (think UN) and we move often (between continents, not just within a country) and the "figuring out what area to live in" comes after we've started working. Most of us will do a temporary rental (e.g. AirBnB or a serviced apartment) when we first arrive to get a sense of what works (plus wait for goods to arrive). Also, asking around the people currently in that office for their suggestions (and, depending on the location, seeing where the security team allows us to live).

I would definitely not wait until interview/job offer to give your timeline (that would be a black mark against you moving forward if I were the hiring manager, given that the anticipated start date was in the ad and that you'd be asking for 10+ months longer than that) but it would be worth discussing if you're short listed for the interview.

Could you compromise and offer them a start date in, say, nine months’ time? That already sounds a whole lot better than 12.

I think you have 2 choices. 1). Call them now and ask them or 2). Apply but make it 100% clear in that paper application that you cant start for 12 months. The advantage of the latter is it gives them chance to see how brilliant you are so they're more likely to give more thought to whether it's feasible. The disadvantage is of course that you'll have to commit time to applying knowing it maybe a definite 'no' because of your timings.

You are wasting your time and theirs if you apply and don't tell them. Wasting people's time can come back to bite - it's a small world. I always remember candidates that annoy me because of their lack of professionalism, (which applying without telling them would be).

Totally agree with this.

Apply for the job. You may not get another opportunity. Your old company will forget about you after 5 minutes and will find a way to complete your project (nothing personal, that's just how it works).

I would phone and express a strong interest but say what you e said here. I think it demonstrates positive attributes that you want to see a project through. It may be that they keep you in mind for future. I wouldn’t string them along without being upfront. Good luck.

True

12 months is an unrealistic length of time for them to wait. If they are advertising now it is likely they need someone within the next few months as that would take into account people who have longer notices to give.

I don't see the harm in calling and expressing an interest but I don't think it would be fair to wait and hope to get an interview before declaring this. This could potentially mean someone else is not selected for an interview and waste their time if they need the position filled and put a black mark against your name (when you want to keep them on side for future roles).

Public sector here - we’ve just had someone ask to wait 6 months to take up a role we offered them and we’ve said no. We wouldn’t wait 12 even for the best candidate - we can’t afford to either pay agency or leave posts unfilled for that length of time.

As many have said above, I wouldn’t put your own aspirations to one side for your current role. They will find a way to deliver the project without you, especially if it’s already up and running and they are potentially required to report on grant spending to someone higher up/external.

Depending on your notice period you’re looking at a good few months before you would even be leaving - if the job has only just opened they may not interview for at least a month. If they’re anything like us they’ll want to avoid interviewing through the summer as people’s availability is a challenge so it may even be later. Then negotiating offers, references and background checks can take ages, and you wouldn’t be giving notice until you had formal offer in hand so add another 1-3 months on top depending on your notice.

I would go for it because right now it’s a theoretical question, and you can make an informed decision if and when the opportunity actually arises.

You've answered your own question; the timing is not right for you. I agree though, on making your interest known to the company.

The thing is, what if your current employer fails to recruit in the next 12 months? What if you end up with another important project in your lap once this one is finished? What if the colleague on maternity decides not to return to work afterwards? There may well never be a good time to leave from the company's perspective. You can't be shackled to them for eternity just because they aren't able to recruit. That is their problem to solve - by offering new job benefits; tweaking the job description; accepting that they need to cast a wider net and train less specialised candidates in the specifics; or by reaching out more to universities with appropriate graduates. If anything, you leaving might encourage them to pull their finger out instead of coasting by with half a team.

It's a bad idea to choose loyalty to a company over your own happiness. If they continue to operate without full staffing, you might suffer burnout trying to do the job of multiple staff members. Or they might shut the service down completely, or merge it with a different department or larger service elsewhere - and if they do, they absolutely won't think twice about putting you out of work.

Notify the new employer, see how long they would wait for you. Give your current employer as much notice as you can, but personally I wouldn't give up the opportunity for them.

if you’re firm on not leaving your current employer for a year I’d do the informal chat and be upfront. Recruiting is time intensive and expensive and I’d be so hacked off if a successful candidate held back this information until offer stage. Just be open with them.

but I’d also echo what others have said about leaving your employer. You’re clearly loyal and care about your work, but this is just the reality of working. People leave. It may cause short term problems. But that’s their problem. Employers rarely show the same loyalty as employees!

If the tables were turned, your current employer wouldn't hold off making people redundant to allow them to prepare their house for sale! It's lovely you are so dedicated to your job, but please stop putting it infro t if your own progression.

If you want to move to this location, apply. Aim to start in September - so you can start doing things to your house now. Make sure the project is written up in a way that others can pick up the threads you have left. If you don't get the job, neither of these will be a waste. If you do get the job, you are ahead of the game to be moved for September.

FWIW, DH got approached about a job in a February. He started in June - having secured the job, sorted visas, and move the entire house internationally. Was it tough going - absolutely. But if we can move a family of 4 across the world in 4 months, you can relocate in 3!