When exactly do I hand my notice in?

[UZH]

I am currently interviewing for new jobs on my days off. I guess/hope I will be offered a job subject to references.
The new job will then request a reference from my current employer.
Then they will offer me a contract.
Then I will sign the contract.

Have I got this order correct, or will they send me a contract and collect references at the same time?

At what point do I put my notice in? I'm feeling really awkward that my manager will be asked for references, and that's the first he'll know that I'm thinking of leaving!

Prior to the pandemic I used to hand my notice in once I had received an offer letter from new job (which generally qualified that the offer was subject to references). I know a few people who got caught out by the pandemic though, as they effectively resigned from one job whilst the referencing process was underway, and the new job then withdrew the offer due to a change in the company’s circumstances (Covid).

For this reason I would now:
Interview.
Receive new job offer (subject to references).
Tell current employer that I have been offered a new job and ask them to provide a reference when requested from new employer (but not resign).
Await new employer’s completion of referencing process and issue of contract before resigning from current job.

There are small risks associated with doing it both ways but I think waiting for a contract strengthens your position and allows you to make sure you’re happy with all T&C’s before resigning. You retain a bit of negotiating strength if you haven’t yet resigned.

A company is likely to offer a job on a conditional basis and then follow up the references after you have accepted. So yes, you need to resign / tell your manager first and the reference would be taken up afterwards. Unless you believe your references will be problematic there shouldn't be an issue, I have had my references taken up when I have been months into a new role.

You resign when you get a signed (by the company) contract with no conditions around references from prior jobs.

You tell your manager when you are offered the contract subject to getting good references and if possible detail who will call and from which company.

In interviews you tell each new company that they may only contact your current employer if and when they are making an offer with the single rejection provision (a poor referance)
So pay, holidays, specific benefits should all be agreed, you get told you want the job and you tell them you will take the job.

This is important as you may end up with 2 or more offers🤞

I didn't hand my notice in until I had the contract signed and sent back. They also didn't ask for references (I work for a large global company) and I didn't even have a probationary period.

I had the offer in writing but wanted to be sure that the signed contract was in. I was itching to hand my notice in,as I was being asked to do things that I knew would be when I was working my notice but until the contract they could take the offer away.

Thank you all, I felt so stupid asking!

I too am “itching to hand my notice in”, so I need to keep that in awareness. There’s a chance I may be balancing a couple of offers, if only because the interviews are all bunched up.